Hee-yeon Jo proposed to the Mayor of Seoul, “Let’s have free meals for kindergartens”

On the 16th, Seoul Superintendent Jo Hee-yeon officially proposed to open an era of’free meals for kindergartens’ following free meals for elementary, middle and high schools.

Superintendent Cho announced the’Comprehensive Plan for Safe Meals for Kindergarten’ with such a proposal. “The Mayor of Seoul, who will be newly elected this year, will be selected as the top priority for free kindergarten meals and propose to establish a framework for discussion with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education as soon as possible.”

In particular, this year is the year when free meals for elementary, middle and high schools are fully implemented in Seoul. In Seoul, when former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was elected in 2011, free meals were offered. Currently, 1348 elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul and 835,000 people are eligible for free meals. However, kindergarten meals are individually borne by parents under the responsibility of the kindergarten director.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education was considering introducing free meals to all national, public and private kindergartens in the city from 2023. However, as the by-election of the mayor of Seoul is ahead, there is a possibility that the implementation of free kindergarten meals will be accelerated.

If the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education provides free meals for 75,000 kindergarten students in Seoul, it is estimated that an annual budget of 100 billion won will be required. Currently, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the autonomous districts share the finances at a ratio of 5 to 3 to 2 respectively.

The’Comprehensive Plan for Kindergarten Safe Meals’ announced by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on this day included management measures such as investing 11.7 billion won this year to implement free meals at 514 public and private kindergartens in Seoul from 2023. As kindergarten meals are included in school meals from this year, it was decided to support consulting by operating a’Relief Meal Support Group’ consisting of nutrition teachers and external experts for public and private kindergartens subject to the School Food Act.

In addition, the Seoul Office of Education plans to support the expansion of food cooking machines and appliances, establishment of a hygiene and safety management system for kindergarten meals, establishment of a cooperation system for small-scale kindergarten meal management, and safe food ingredient purchase management.

Reporter Dayoung Kim [email protected]