"Eliminating Gaps in School Routes"... Busan Office of Education Launches Safety Network for Commuting Paths

This Year's Budget of 10 Billion Won, Promotion of Securing Safe School Routes

Traffic Safety Campaign to Encourage Community Interest and Participation

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Ha Yun-su) is launching a comprehensive safety network for students' commuting routes this year.

The Office of Education, following last year's full-scale efforts to secure safe school routes in cooperation with Busan City, district and county offices, related organizations, parents, and local residents, will continue to focus on this project in 2024.

On the 9th, the Office announced that it will invest 10 billion KRW this year to promote the establishment of safe school routes.

From 2018 over five years, there were 2,167 traffic accidents involving children in the Busan area, of which 226 occurred within school zones. The Office of Education especially stepped up efforts to improve poor commuting environments following last year's accident at Cheongdong Elementary School in Yeongdo-gu.

Since last year, the Office of Education has been the only metropolitan and provincial education office nationwide to support local governments with budgets for improving school routes.

This year, it will provide Busan City with 6.3 billion KRW for the school route improvement project, an increase of 4.6 billion KRW compared to last year. Additionally, 250 million KRW will be allocated to the ‘Living Lab Project,’ which involves education stakeholders, local communities, and experts, and 200 million KRW will be additionally provided to improve the school route at Cheongdong Elementary School.

Through attracting special grants from the Ministry of Education and strengthening cooperation with local governments, Busan secured the second-largest budget nationwide for the ‘Children’s School Route Safety Enhancement Project.’

With 2 billion KRW in special grants and 2 billion KRW invested by seven local governments ? Seo-gu (7 schools including Gudeok Elementary), Yeongdo-gu (Yeongdo Elementary), Saha-gu (2 schools including Saha Elementary), Busanjin-gu (4 schools including Gaya Elementary), Gangseo-gu (2 schools including Daesa Elementary), Geumjeong-gu (Cheongryong Elementary), and Haeundae-gu (6 schools including Sangdang Elementary) ? the city plans to accelerate improvements to school routes.

Busan Office of Education will also continue the ‘School Route Securing Project Using School Grounds Including Fence Relocation’ participated in by 17 schools such as Mangmi Middle School last year. This year, with a budget of 1.2 billion KRW, construction to secure school routes will be carried out during summer vacation at 12 schools including Changjin Elementary School in Sasang-gu.

Furthermore, efforts to prevent school route safety accidents are ongoing through the ‘Busan Safe School Route e’ service launched in March and the deployment of 160 school safety guardians. In addition, joint traffic safety campaigns with parent groups and related organizations are encouraging local community interest and participation in building a safe commuting network.

Ha Yun-su, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, said, “To create safe school routes that protect children’s daily lives, not only our Office of Education but the entire local community must work together. We will continue to join hands with the community this year to fully ensure students’ commuting safety.”