Four in 10 School Buildings Are "Over 30 Years Old"; Education Superintendents' Council: "Facility Improvements Can't Wait"

National Assembly discussion calls for improvements students can experience firsthand and secure funding
Proposal to invest 1.8 trillion won over three years to improve school environments for students

Calls have been made to urgently improve school facilities, with 4 out of every 10 school buildings nationwide more than 30 years old.

According to the Council of Education Superintendents of Korea on the 12th, of approximately 34,000 buildings at kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools, and special schools nationwide, 39.1% (about 13,000 buildings) are more than 30 years old, and 25.1% (about 8,500 buildings) are more than 40 years old. These figures were presented at a discussion titled "Improving School Education Environments: Where Should We Begin?" held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 11th.

The Korea Council of Education Superintendents stressed the need for systematic improvements to aging school facilities and stable funding at a forum titled “Improving School Education Environments: Where Should We Start?” held on the 11th at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. Korea Council of Education Superintendents

The discussion was organized to examine safety issues resulting from the aging of school facilities and to discuss effective improvement measures that take into account facility conditions and inconveniences experienced by students and school staff.

Jung Geunsik, chair of the Council of Education Superintendents of Korea, said, "Schools are places of learning where students spend much of their day," and emphasized, "We must move away from fixing aging facilities as problems arise and instead improve school facilities systematically, taking their age and condition into account." He added, "We should prioritize not only safety measures such as seismic retrofits and asbestos removal, but also facilities that students can see improvements in during their daily lives, including cafeterias, restrooms, and heating and cooling systems."

Lee Myeongsik, a professor at Dongguk University who gave a presentation that day, proposed establishing long-term management plans that take into account the condition of school facilities and maintenance and repair costs, and setting investment priorities based on safety and the effectiveness of improvements.

Jo Junyeong, head of the School Facilities Improvement Team at the Ministry of Education, said, "We should invest first in the most urgent locations, taking into account facility conditions, user inconveniences, and the expected impact of improvements." He added, "We need to secure additional funding and reduce the backlog of needed improvements to aging facilities that have not been addressed so far."

Concerns were also raised that the financial resources available for school facility improvements are deteriorating.

Jung expressed concern that revenue is expected to decline by about 1.6 trillion won at the end of this year due to the expiration of the local education tax allocated from the tobacco consumption tax, while the fiscal stabilization funds of municipal and provincial education offices are also shrinking. "If the budget for improving school facilities is also reduced, disruption to student safety and improvements to the educational environment will be unavoidable," he said.

A proposal was presented at the National Assembly that day to invest 1.8 trillion won over the next three years to improve aging school facilities and students' living environments.

Ko Minjung, secretary of the National Assembly Education Committee, said, "Many middle and high schools have desks and chairs that do not fit students' physiques, as well as facilities that have exceeded their service life." She added, "With 57 lawmakers united behind this effort, we will invest 1.8 trillion won over three years to improve the educational environment in ways students can experience firsthand."

Lee Gwangjae, chair of the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, also said, "A survey of 550 students found that some had difficulty spreading out their exam papers because their desks were too small, while others found that their chairs were the wrong height." He added, "The central and local governments must take joint responsibility for improving desks and chairs, restrooms, and heating and cooling systems."

Jung emphasized, "Improving aging school facilities is an essential investment in students' safety and health. Alongside securing stable education funding, we should specify support for elementary and secondary education and improvements to aging school facilities in the Education and Talent Account of the Future Response Fund, and reflect the on-the-ground needs of education offices in the fund's management and allocation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.