Gyeonggi Province Expands Free School Uniforms to Students at Autonomous Schools and High Schools in Other Provinces

[Suwon Ilbo=Park No-hun] Following its uniform support for middle and high school freshmen in the province, Gyeonggi Province is expanding free uniform benefits to students entering schools without uniforms and to Gyeonggi Province residents entering high schools in other provinces.

The province announced on the 14th that the 'Gyeonggi Province School Uniform Support Ordinance' and the 'Gyeonggi Province Alternative Education Institution Student Uniform Support Ordinance' have taken effect, ensuring that students previously left out of the uniform support system now benefit from the program.

Previously, students entering schools with uniforms and first-year students transferring from other provinces or foreign countries received school-organized uniform purchases as in-kind supplies.

Following the ordinance revision, students attending uniform-autonomous schools who did not receive uniform purchase benefits can now purchase everyday clothing using 300,000 won in local currency or cash starting in the second semester.

Additionally, free uniform support for students entering schools located in other provinces, which previously covered only middle school students, has been extended to include high school students entering schools in other provinces.

First-year middle and high school students in the province, including those at uniform-autonomous schools, can apply through their respective schools. Students at alternative education institutions or first and second-year students at middle and high schools in other provinces can apply at their local administrative welfare centers with required documents based on their residential address.

Kim Dong-uk, head of the Education Cooperation Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Starting with the province's first-in-the-nation free middle school uniform support project in 2019, we have expanded the target beneficiaries year by year and in phases, resolving gaps in uniform welfare support. The provincial government and education office will collaborate to ensure that residents receive high-quality uniforms through this project."