Only Four Schools Nationwide Implement 'Ventilation System Improvement' in Cafeterias

Only Gwangju, Ulsan, Jeonnam, and Chungnam Achieved Targets
231 Schools Showed Actual Improvement
Increase in Occupational Accident Cases Among School Meal Workers

Last year, it was found that only four metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide improved ventilation facilities in school cafeterias. Additionally, the number of industrial accidents involving school meal workers, including respiratory diseases, increased by more than 50% over the past three years.

According to data submitted by 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide to the office of Kang Deuk-gu, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 5th, the offices that achieved their ventilation facility improvement targets for cafeteria cooking facilities last year were ▲Gwangju ▲Ulsan ▲Jeonnam ▲Chungnam, totaling four locations. The number of schools where ventilation facility improvements were completed last year was 884, which accounted for 42.8% of the overall target.

When Kang Deuk-gu's office checked the status of ventilation facility improvements in cafeterias last year, 231 schools had completed improvements from January to July. At that time, each metropolitan and provincial office of education announced plans to focus improvement work during the winter vacation period.

Whether ventilation facilities in cafeterias are improved is also related to the safety of school meal workers and students. According to data received from the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service by Kang Deuk-gu's office, the total number of industrial accident claims filed by school meal workers, including respiratory diseases, was 1,505 last year, which is 2.17 times higher than in 2020. The number of approved industrial accident cases last year was also 1,413, 2.17 times that of 2020. As of last year, the approval rate for industrial accidents among school meal workers was 93.89%.

Furthermore, according to data on industrial accident occurrences among school meal workers over the past three years, received from 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide by Kang Deuk-gu's office, the number of industrial accidents excluding respiratory diseases increased by more than 50% over three years as of last year. In particular, the increase rates were high in ▲Incheon ▲Sejong ▲Gyeonggi. Even in Gyeonggi Province, which has the largest number of schools and students, the rate of accidents showed an increasing trend.

Kang Deuk-gu's office analyzed, "Considering that the national statistical trend shows a ventilation facility improvement target shortfall rate of over 97% and that the number of elementary and secondary schools excluding kindergartens was 11,689 as of 2022, it can be estimated that the number of schools nationwide requiring ventilation facility improvements is at least about 10,000. If the pace of progress remains the same as last year, it will take more than 10 years to improve ventilation facilities in all schools."