"Ordinance Mandating Installation of Cooking Fume Reduction Devices in Schools Should Be Reconsidered"

Concerns Over Budget Waste in Gwangju City Council Proposal
"Redundant With Ventilation Systems, Actual Complaints Are Rare"

An educational organization in Gwangju has urged reconsideration of an ordinance bill mandating the installation of cooking fume purification and reduction devices in school kitchens, citing serious concerns about potential budget waste.

Cooking workers preparing fried food in a school cafeteria. Provided by the School Irregular Workers Union

On September 10, the Citizens’ Coalition for a Society Without School Ties stated, "Currently, ventilation systems are being actively installed in school kitchens, and many questions have been raised about the simultaneous implementation of cooking fume purification and reduction devices as stipulated in the ordinance."

Cooking fumes refer to fine oil particles and carcinogenic pollutants generated during high-temperature cooking processes. Recently, Gwangju City Council member Shim Cheolui sponsored an ordinance bill requiring the installation of cooking fume purification and reduction devices.

The coalition argued, "Cooking fume purification and reduction devices are designed to filter air discharged outside rather than improve indoor air quality," adding, "There has been only one complaint regarding cooking odors at schools in Gwangju, and in reality, very few schools actually need such equipment."

The group further stated, "If the project proceeds without considering efficiency, it will undoubtedly be criticized as a waste of budget, and suspicions of lobbying by certain companies may also arise." They called on the city council to reconsider the ordinance bill and urged the city education office to prioritize funding for ventilation system improvements.

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