Busan Public and Private Kindergartens Fully Implement Free Meals... Completed 10 Years After Starting with First Graders in 2011

2011 Early Grade 1 → 2014 Early Grade → 2017 Mid Grade → September 2020 High School

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Starting next year, free meals will be fully implemented in kindergartens in the Busan area.

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 28th that free meals for kindergartens will be implemented from the new semester of the 2022 academic year.

Busan will complete free meals for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high schools 11 years after starting meal support for first graders in elementary school in 2011.

The total budget required for free meals in kindergartens in Busan next year is 21.4 billion KRW. Of this, 70%, or 15 billion KRW, will be borne by the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, and 30%, or 6.4 billion KRW, will be borne by the Busan Metropolitan City.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education’s share is 10 percentage points higher than the 60% share for free meals currently implemented in elementary, middle, and high schools.

With the full implementation of free meals, approximately 38,600 children attending 380 public and private kindergartens in the Busan area will benefit.

Superintendent Kim Seok-jun said, “I am pleased to be able to ease the economic burden on kindergarten parents who are experiencing many difficulties due to COVID-19, even if only a little,” and added, “Following free meals, we will strive to provide tastier and higher-quality meals to kindergarten students.”

Free meals in schools at all levels in the Busan area began in 2011 targeting first graders in elementary school, expanded to all grades in elementary school in 2014, all grades in middle school in 2017, and all grades in high school in September 2020.

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