Incheon Office of Education to Establish Gardens at 100 Schools This Year... Concurrent Ecological Environment Education Provided

Children are experiencing harvesting crops in the vegetable garden at Sintree Park in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. 2020.11.3 / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 15th that it will create vegetable gardens at 100 schools this year to respond to the climate crisis and foster naturally evolving school environments.

According to the ordinance on supporting the activation of school vegetable gardens enacted last year, a survey conducted twice found that out of 534 elementary, middle, and high schools in Incheon, 260 schools (48.6%) currently have vegetable gardens.

Based on the subsequent demand survey results, the Office of Education decided to support the creation of vegetable gardens at an additional 150 schools over the next five years starting this year. Schools will be selected through a public contest beginning on the 1st of next month, and schools that already have vegetable gardens are also eligible to apply.

Selected schools will receive a budget of around 5 million KRW to create various types of vegetable gardens, including open fields, flower beds, box gardens, framed gardens, and rooftop framed gardens.

The Office of Education plans to recruit village vegetable garden instructors to support capacity training for ecological education using school vegetable gardens, produce and distribute ecological education workbooks, and develop school vegetable garden education programs linked with local communities.

Superintendent Doseong Hoon said, "Environmental issues are an immediate threat and could escalate into a greater crisis. Through school vegetable gardens, schools can become places for ecological environment education and eco-friendly food education, as well as spaces for learning and communication with the community. We will continue to provide support to make this possible."

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