Daejeon Office of Education to Prepare Improved Kitchen Staff Allocation Standards in First Half of Year

Additional Staff Assigned to Schools with Two or Three Meal Services and Overcrowded Schools
Task Force Formed to Introduce "Dedicated Substitute Kitchen Staff System"

The Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it plans to establish measures to improve the working conditions of school kitchen staff, including easing the staffing standards for kitchen workers and enhancing the stable operation of school meals, within the first half of this year.

The Daejeon Office of Education has gradually reduced the number of students each kitchen staff member is responsible for, lowering the average from 113 students per worker in 2023 to 105 students per worker in 2024. The target of 103 students per worker, which was set in consultation with the labor union for September of this year, was reached ahead of schedule, with the number reduced to 101.8 students per worker as of March 2024.

In addition, through ongoing discussions with the labor union, the office is exploring and implementing various efficient staffing measures, such as assigning additional staff to schools with two or three meal services and to overcrowded schools. The office also plans to regularly collect feedback from schools and make further improvements as needed.

Furthermore, to minimize staffing shortages caused by sick leave or annual leave among kitchen staff, a task force has been formed to institutionalize a "dedicated substitute kitchen staff system."

Additionally, the office is implementing a "temporary wage support system for contract kitchen staff" to flexibly respond to increases in student numbers due to factors such as new apartment occupancy.

Choi Jae-mo, Director of Education at the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "By improving kitchen staff allocation standards and introducing the dedicated substitute staff system, we will substantially reduce the workload of kitchen staff." He added, "Given the continued decline in student numbers, we will prioritize measures to increase efficiency within the current staffing structure and will also focus on improving the cooking environment by continuously supporting the expansion of modern and automated meal service equipment."