There Are No Meat Side Dishes on Mondays at Schools in Ulsan

Ulsan Office of Education to Implement Weekly 'Meatless Monday'

From Once a Month Since July Last Year to Biweekly Starting October

Guidelines Established for Surveying Inedible Seasonings in Student Counseling

Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] From this year, schools in Ulsan will no longer provide "meat" as a side dish every Monday.

This is because the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent No Ok-hee) is expanding the operation of "Meatless Monday" in school meals every week starting this year.

The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education has been encouraging a vegetarian day once a month for elementary, middle, and high school students since July last year.

Since October last year, "Meatless Monday" has been implemented every other week. It was started as a way to participate in the global environmental movement to reduce greenhouse gases by gradually decreasing meat consumption.

The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education also operates vegetarian days with the intention of improving the meat-centered diet to a balanced diet of meat and vegetarian options.

The Office provides students who choose vegetarian meals with "elimination meals" that exclude certain ingredients instead of meat or alternative foods during school meals.

"Meatless Monday" was proposed by Paul McCartney, a member of The Beatles from the UK, at the European Parliament for the Climate Change Agreement in 2009, and is now widely known worldwide as a practical movement for environmental preservation.

This year, the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education has also prepared guidelines to conduct detailed investigations of seasonings that students who eat vegetarian meals due to food allergies or religious beliefs cannot consume during consultations.

In November last year, the National Human Rights Commission's Child Rights Committee recommended that when establishing plans related to school meals, the status of children who cannot eat general meals due to cultural or religious reasons be identified and alternative meals be provided.

The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education will operate the "Our Children Earth Love School Meal Promotion Team," composed of students, teachers, and experts, to promote education for students this year.

They will strengthen food education linked to the climate crisis and operate 10 leading schools for healthy meals. Vegetarian clubs will also be run in five schools. In October, an Earth Love Vegetarian Cooking Festival is planned to be held.

A representative of the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education said, "We will guarantee the right of students who do not eat meat for various reasons such as environment, ethics, religion, health, and animal welfare to have vegetarian meals, and strengthen ecological and environmental education to respond to the climate crisis."