Mandatory Biannual Safety Inspections and Introduction of Safety Certification System for Educational Facilities

Enforcement Decree of the Act on Safety and Maintenance of Educational Facilities

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Safety inspections of all educational facilities will be conducted at least twice a year. Additionally, a new 'Educational Facility Safety Certification System' will be introduced to thoroughly verify the overall safety of educational facilities.

On the 24th, the Ministry of Education announced that the draft enforcement decree of the "Act on the Safety and Maintenance of Educational Facilities, etc." containing these details was reviewed and approved at the Cabinet meeting.

This enforcement decree is a follow-up measure to the enactment of the Act on the Safety and Maintenance of Educational Facilities, etc. (Educational Facilities Act). Until now, educational facilities were managed under other laws due to the absence of a dedicated law. With the establishment of this enforcement decree, a legal foundation has been created to comprehensively and systematically manage all educational facilities going forward. It is expected to partially address concerns about the continuous occurrence of various disasters, accidents, and safety incidents threatening students' safety, such as the Gyeongju and Pohang earthquakes and the collapse of the Sangdo Kindergarten building.

According to the enforcement decree of the Educational Facilities Act, all educational facilities must conduct safety inspections at least twice a year. If defects are found, measures such as repairs and reinforcements must be taken. Furthermore, a new 'Educational Facility Safety Certification System' will be introduced. Targets include elementary, middle, and high schools with a total floor area of 100㎡ or more, student training centers and libraries of 1000㎡ or more, and universities of 3000㎡ or more, with certification levels divided into Excellent and Good.

In the future, when constructing school buildings or carrying out construction work on adjacent land outside the school, a safety impact assessment (safety evaluation) on students must be mandatorily conducted before the start of construction.

The basic plan for educational facilities will be established every five years. Additionally, the Educational Facility Disaster Mutual Aid Association will be expanded and reorganized, the Korea Educational Facility Safety Institute will be established, and an Educational Facility Environment Improvement Fund will be set up and operated at the metropolitan and provincial education office level. Through the integrated educational facility information network, anyone will be able to check the safety management status of schools.

The enforcement decree is scheduled to take effect on the law’s enforcement date, July 4th, and on the same day, the draft enforcement rules of the Educational Facilities Act, which include delegated matters from the enforcement decree, will also be promulgated and enforced.

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