Jeongja Elementary School Accelerates WHO 'Safe School' Certification

Jeongja Elementary School in Jangan-gu is accelerating efforts to become South Korea's first WHO-certified 'Safe School,' with Suwon City committing to actively supporting the certification process.

According to Suwon City and Jeongja Elementary School, the school is currently preparing its application for Safe School certification and plans to submit it to the WHO (World Health Organization) by next month.

Oh Gil-young, a teacher on the school's safety team, stated, "An inspection team from the Community Safety Promotion Association Center will visit Wonju City in September, which is currently pursuing Safe City certification," adding, "We plan to coordinate the schedule with Wonju City to conduct our inspection at that time so we can obtain certification."

A Safe School is a school certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) that has removed or improved various factors that could cause safety accidents to prevent students from getting injured.

Currently, only 14 schools in 6 countries—New Zealand, Sweden, Taiwan, and Thailand—hold this certification. There are no certified Safe Schools in South Korea.

Jeongja Elementary School (45 classes, 1,704 students) was selected as a pilot Safe School among 87 elementary schools in the Suwon area in December 2006. The school has established a network with the local community to protect students from various accidents and injuries that could occur during school life.

An operating committee comprising school staff, students, and parents has been established, and the school regularly holds safety briefing sessions with more than 10 related organizations including the local government, police department, fire department, and the Korean Red Cross.

In this context, Suwon City has come forward to actively support Jeongja Elementary School's quest for 'International Safe School' certification as part of its effort to build a safe city.

The city plans to activate the operation of the Safe School operating committee and establish a safety education curriculum so that certification can be obtained in the second half of the year.

Additionally, the city will support the organization of parent volunteer safety assistants and promote safety training programs involving teachers, students, and parents to ensure the school fully meets the seven certification requirements set by the WHO.

Meanwhile, Suwon City was certified as South Korea's first 'Safe City' in 2002 (63rd globally), and was re-certified this October.