The Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) announced on the 28th a comprehensive plan for the swift recovery of students and schools in five regions of the province affected by the large-scale wildfire that broke out in Anpyeong-myeon, Uiseong-gun, Gyeongbuk on the 22nd.
This wildfire, which started in Uiseong-gun, rapidly spread to nearby areas such as Andong-si, Cheongsong-gun, Yeongyang-gun, and Yeongdeok-gun, carried by strong winds. Although there were no casualties among students, a total of 920 students evacuated to school gyms and classrooms, and some students' homes suffered severe property damage.
Gyeongbuk Superintendent of Education Jongsik Lim is announcing a comprehensive plan for the rapid recovery of areas affected by wildfires.
In particular, 118 students lost their homes completely to the fire and lost their places of residence, while 13 staff members suffered property damage to orchards and storage facilities. In response, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education has taken active measures to support the rapid return to normalcy and educational stabilization for the affected students.
To ensure swift recovery in the wildfire-affected areas, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education has designated the period from March 31 to April 13 as the "Wildfire Damage Rapid Recovery Period" and will devote all efforts to recovery and normalization of student classes.
During this period, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education will refrain from holding various events and deploy staff from the provincial office and local education support offices to directly support affected students and schools. In particular, department heads at the provincial office will be assigned to support the affected regions, and local education support office staff will be assigned to provide one-on-one tailored support for each affected student.
To support temporary housing for affected students, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education plans to use affiliated institutions and school dormitories to disperse students. For students who must relocate to other regions due to the complete loss of their homes, measures such as remote learning support and placement in nearby schools will be implemented.
Additionally, for schools and students facing difficulties commuting, "emergency transportation support" will be provided through EduBus and EduTaxi services, and essential learning materials and daily necessities will be supplied promptly to help stabilize the lives of affected students.
To help students achieve emotional stability and recovery, psychological counseling costs will be covered for those in need, and both online and offline counseling will be supported between affected students and their homeroom teachers. The Wee Center's psychological counseling programs will be expanded, and the emergency welfare service "Education Welfare 119" will be actively operated.
Furthermore, academic support for affected students will be expanded. To prevent students from dropping out, textbooks and learning materials will be supplied quickly, and additional customized tutoring and seasonal academic support programs will be provided.
The Korean Red Cross and Gyeongbuk regional scholarship recipients will be expanded, and wildfire-affected students will be given priority for the "Sharing Scholarship." In addition, learning spaces and online learning materials will be provided for high school seniors in affected areas, along with college admission consulting and information sessions.
For the rapid recovery of affected schools, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education will center efforts through the School Support Center at the education support office, swiftly providing customized support for classroom and commuting route maintenance, educational activity supplies, internet service restoration, and support for community evacuation facilities, so that affected schools can resume educational activities as soon as possible.
Additionally, emergency funds will be provided for cleaning and restoration costs for affected schools, and air purifiers will be added to classrooms and gyms where normal classes are difficult due to dust.
Measures have also been prepared to restore special classrooms, practice rooms, and student smart devices lost to the wildfire. In particular, if student laptops provided through educational informatization support are rendered unusable by the fire, replacement laptops will be supplied.
The Gyeongbuk Office of Education will urgently allocate reserve funds for this wildfire recovery and, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, apply for special disaster safety management grants.
Furthermore, 100,000 masks have been distributed to students in the affected areas, and up to five days of disaster relief leave will be granted to public officials who have suffered disaster damage or are volunteering in the affected regions.
Through these measures, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education plans to guarantee the right to learn for affected students, swiftly normalize the educational environment, and provide continuous support so that education in the affected regions can recover as soon as possible.
Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Office of Education, stated, "We will not turn a blind eye to the difficulties our students are facing," and added, "The Office of Education will focus all its efforts on supporting the lives and learning of affected students and will do its utmost to ensure that schools return to normal as quickly as possible."
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