Daegu Office of Education Waives Tuition Fees for First-Year High School Students for 6 Months... 'COVID-19' Supplementary Budget

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 8th that it has prepared a supplementary budget of 3.6372 trillion won to respond to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and submitted it to the Daegu City Council. This supplementary budget is 216 billion won, about 6.3%, larger than the original budget.

The supplementary revenue will be covered by 11.1 billion won additionally allocated by the government, 127.9 billion won from local education finance grants, 40.8 billion won transferred from Daegu City, 28.9 billion won in national subsidies including the Nuri Curriculum expenses, 11.3 billion won in net surplus funds, and 7.1 billion won in self-generated income.

The Office of Education will first invest 16.7 billion won to reduce tuition and school operation support fees for about 22,000 first-year high school students who currently do not receive free education and free meals benefits for six months.

Additionally, for second and third-year high school students excluded from free education, such as those attending autonomous private high schools and arts high schools, the Office plans to temporarily support tuition at the level of public schools for families with median income at or below 100% for six months.

To prevent COVID-19 infection, the Office will invest 13.3 billion won to provide each school with masks, hand sanitizers, and other quarantine supplies for 20 days, and separately allocate 23.5 billion won as contingency funds for disaster and emergency purposes to prepare for unpredictable situations.

Furthermore, 3.2 billion won has been allocated to install Wi-Fi in all school classrooms, 19.7 billion won to distribute additional smart devices, 27 billion won for expanding educational facilities and improving aging facilities, and 25.1 billion won for adjusting the Nuri Curriculum.

Kang Eun-hee, Superintendent of Daegu Education, explained, "This supplementary budget focuses on firmly establishing the quarantine system within schools and ensuring student safety."