Schools in Seoul still face hazards including sex criminals in the vicinity, old and battered buildings, and asbestos, according to data presented by lawmakers, showing the nationwide concerns sparked by the deadly ferry tragedy in April have done little to boost efforts to secure student safety.
Some 94 percent of 599 elementary schools in Seoul have at least one convicted sex criminal living within a 1-kilometer radius, Rep. Park Nam-choon of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy said Monday during a parliamentary audit. According to Park, 76 had 10 or more sex offenders residing nearby, including a school in Gangbuk-gu, where an 11-year-old girl was raped in September.
Data presented by Rep. Yoo Ki-hong of the NPAD showed that the number of schools in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province which were in the high-risk group ― those that have six or more sex offenders living within 1 kilometer ― has jumped sixfold from 73 to 508 from 2012 to 2014.
Yet authorities have taken very few measures to boost security in these schools.
A total of 60 schools in the region were in the high-risk group for three straight years. But only 16 schools were chosen by the ministry to receive special measures through a system introduced in 2010.
Yoo pointed out that the special measures alone were insufficient, saying that the 16 schools were just given 27.5 million won ($25,943). “The system has virtually been abolished,” he said.
“The poor countermeasures by the government have increased the threat of sex crimes near schools. It needs to designate more schools for special care while allocating a greater budget to prevent such crimes,” said Yoo.
But pedophiles were just one of the factors threatening the well-being of students.
According to Yoo, a total of 104 school buildings in the country received a “D” rating, which is given to buildings that require immediate repair and possible restrictions on their use. But the Education Ministry only gave financial support for repairs to 12 of the 17 education offices.
Earlier this month, 40 students from an elementary school in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province ― 360 km southeast of Seoul ― transferred after a safety inspection found serious flaws in the structure.
Health concerns were also an issue during the parliamentary audit.
A recent citywide inspection found that asbestos was used in the construction of 86.7 percent of the schools in Seoul, according to Rep. Shin Yee-jin of the Saenuri Party. Citing data from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, she pointed out that eight schools were found to present a serious threat to students’ well-being.
