Public and Large-scale Private Kindergartens to Enforce Stricter Nutrition Teacher Placement and Hygiene Management

Enforcement Decree of the School Meal Act Approved by the Cabinet Meeting
At Least One Nutrition Teacher Must Be Assigned
Standards for Hygiene, Safety, and Ingredients in School Meals Applied

On the 3rd, the school cafeteria of an elementary school in Seoul appeared quiet as the school irregular workers' union, including meal service workers and care assistants, went on a general strike. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Standards for meal service operation at national and public kindergartens, as well as private kindergartens with 100 or more students, will be tightened. At least one nutrition teacher must be assigned, and hygiene and safety management standards equivalent to those of school meals will be applied.

On the 26th, the Ministry of Education reviewed and approved the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the School Meals Act at the Cabinet meeting. The size of kindergartens excluded from the scope of the School Meals Act, which will take effect on the 30th, and the criteria for assigning nutrition teachers were delegated to the Presidential Decree. The places subject to the enforcement decree include 4,863 national and public kindergartens and 1,979 private kindergartens, accounting for 55.5% of all private kindergartens.

The amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the School Meals Act included national and public kindergartens and private kindergartens with 100 or more students in the scope of school meals. They will be subject to hygiene, safety management, and food ingredient quality standards equivalent to those of school meals. Kindergartens equipped with school meal facilities and equipment must assign at least one nutrition teacher, and kindergartens with fewer than 200 students may jointly assign one nutrition teacher for every two kindergartens.

The Ministry of Education plans to manage private kindergartens with fewer than 100 students, which are excluded from the school meal target, through guidelines related to kindergarten meals for the time being. In the future, the scope of school meals will be expanded to all kindergartens through amendments to the School Meals Act and related laws.

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