Safety Inspections of Educational Facilities and New Schools for the New Semester and Thawing Season Conducted

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The Ministry of Education will conduct the "2023 New Semester Preparation Safety Inspection of Schools Under Construction and Educational Facilities" by the 24th of next month to prevent safety accidents in advance, coinciding with the new semester and the thawing season.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, is conducting a traffic safety campaign at Goeun Elementary School in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The inspection targets include schools under construction scheduled to open in the new semester, commuting routes, and all educational facilities including elementary and secondary schools (including affiliated institutions and lifelong education facilities). Each school will establish its own inspection plan according to the Ministry of Education’s safety inspection plan.

Since this winter experienced more snow and severe cold spells than usual, moisture frozen in the ground may thaw, potentially causing cracks or subsidence in buildings, retaining walls, stone walls, and slopes. Therefore, the management status will be thoroughly checked to prepare against accident risks.

First, inspections will be strengthened for disaster-vulnerable facilities during the thawing season and construction sites of newly established schools, preventing safety accidents that may occur during vulnerable periods and locations. In particular, inspections and management of structurally unsafe and collapse-risk facilities, as well as commuting routes and construction sites around newly opening schools in March, will be strictly conducted.

Additionally, a public-private joint inspection team will be formed, including private experts with expertise in relevant fields, public officials, and facility users such as students or parents, to inspect vulnerable facilities. Issues that can be immediately addressed on-site will be corrected by inspectors during the safety inspection, and for minor defects or risk factors found, measures such as repair, reinforcement, or usage restrictions will be taken to prevent disasters.

Park Sung-min, Director of the Education Autonomy Cooperation and Safety Bureau at the Ministry of Education, explained, “The thawing season is a period with a high risk of safety accidents due to weakened ground, so we will create a pleasant and safe educational environment through thorough safety inspections of disaster-vulnerable facilities and safety inspections of schools under construction and commuting routes scheduled to open.”