Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Strengthens School Zone Safety Management

Creation of Safe Routes to and from School and Improvement of Facilities on School Commute Paths

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education is accelerating efforts to create safe routes for students going to and from school within school zones.

On the 26th, the Gwangju Office of Education announced that it will strengthen safety management for students' commutes through a Two-Track strategy involving the creation of safe routes using school grounds and the improvement and installation of facilities along school routes.

This strategy was established to create a safe commuting environment and prevent traffic accidents involving students within school zones. Furthermore, it aims to enhance residents' convenience by providing pleasant facilities.

First, the 'Utilization of School Grounds' strategy can be applied to schools with difficult commuting conditions that have idle land available.

School fences, retaining walls, flower beds, and other structures will be partially relocated (Set Back) inward within the school grounds to secure safe commuting paths. Additionally, drop zones or roundabouts will be installed to create a safe commuting environment.

The facility improvement and installation strategy involves a comprehensive survey of 18 types of safety (hazard) facilities on main school routes (such as speed bumps, yellow carpets, fences to prevent jaywalking, and surveillance cameras) to improve hazardous facilities. Moreover, safety facilities will be installed to further enhance the safety of commuting routes.

In addition to launching a new vehicle safety alert project called 'Bpipomi,' improvement projects to secure visibility by separating pedestrian and vehicle paths within school premises will continue to be promoted.

The Office of Education plans to formally consult with Gwangju City on this matter. Alongside this, through strengthened collaboration among related agencies such as the National Police Agency and the Road Traffic Authority, they aim to establish a virtuous cycle system for safe commuting and gradually expand it to middle and high schools to build a stable mid- to long-term plan.

Superintendent Lee Jeong-seon stated, "Strengthening safety on students' routes to and from school will not only reduce student safety accidents but also greatly improve residents' living conditions by resolving illegal parking in front of schools and providing a pleasant environment. We will do our best to establish a safe commuting route and a 365-day safe school system by promoting cooperation with the city hall."

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