Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the School Health Act Passed at the State Council Meeting... "Expecting Improvement in Student Health"

Deadline Regulation for Establishing the 'Student Health Promotion Basic Plan'
Preparation of Detailed Procedures and Methods for Designating Specialized Institutions

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] In the future, some university hospitals will be designated as specialized institutions for student health promotion, and student health promotion centers will be established in each city and province. Related laws will also be revised to prepare measures to prevent and improve student health issues such as drinking, smoking, and depression.

The Ministry of Education announced on the 7th that the partial amendment to the "Enforcement Decree of the School Health Act," which includes these contents, was reviewed and approved at the Cabinet meeting.

On the 16th, a student at Inheon Middle School in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, is undergoing an on-site mobile PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for COVID-19 response. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the amendment to the enforcement decree, the Minister of Education must establish the "Basic Plan for Student Health Promotion" by October 31 of the previous year in the year it is to be implemented. Before this, the opinions of heads of related administrative agencies and superintendents of education must be heard, and once established, it must be notified without delay.

Furthermore, the Minister of Education will be able to designate universities or their affiliated hospitals under Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Higher Education Act, and special corporations established under special laws as "specialized institutions for student health promotion." The designated institutions must have this information posted in the official gazette or on the Ministry of Education’s website.

Superintendents of education may also establish and operate "Student Health Promotion Centers" to perform student health promotion support tasks, and the detailed matters should be determined by the education regulations of the respective cities and provinces.

Additionally, as the infectious disease classification system is reorganized from "group" to "grade," the infectious disease information to be shared by the Minister of Education and the Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will be revised from "information on Group 4 infectious diseases" to "information on Grade 1 infectious diseases."

The Ministry of Education expects that this amendment to the enforcement decree will help prevent and improve students' health problems, which are increasing day by day, such as obesity, drinking, smoking, drug misuse, depression, and impulse control disorders.

Jang Sang-yoon, Vice Minister of Education, emphasized, "A legal basis has been established for related administrative agencies and city and provincial offices of education to cooperate in establishing and implementing a basic plan to promote students' physical and mental health," adding, "The Ministry of Education will continue to make every effort to create a safe educational environment and fundamentally resolve and improve students' health issues."