Gwangju Office of Education to Create Fine Dust Safe Schools

Comprehensive Measures Including Inspection of Response Manuals

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 9th that it has established a comprehensive plan for managing fine dust in schools and has provided guidance to schools and related institutions.

Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education building.

First, a fine dust monitoring team will be formed to inspect the application of response manuals at 80 schools each in the first and second half of the year, totaling 160 schools, thereby enhancing their response capabilities to fine dust.

In addition, maintenance costs for air purifiers (4,492 units) will be supported for more than 360 kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, and rental fees for 7,320 air purifiers (including duplicate support) will be provided to 262 schools. Schools will also be encouraged to actively participate in creating a better environment, establishing school forests, and cultivating indoor air-purifying plants.

Management for students in sensitive groups will also be strengthened. At the beginning of the school year, the Office of Education will identify these students and ensure that masks and emergency medicines required for each condition are provided. In the case of kindergarten children, if high concentrations of fine dust occur and certain conditions are met, absences due to illness will be recognized so that there is no disadvantage in calculating tuition support.

Additionally, each school has been advised to conduct self-inspections twice a year before periods of frequent high fine dust concentrations, to refrain from outdoor activities when fine dust advisories, warnings, or emergency reduction measures are issued, to operate air purification devices, and to recommend the use of health masks.