New rule for after-school program

[Anchor]

It is hard to shake off the regret of wishing someone had accompanied Haneul as she left the classroom and boarded the academy bus.

The education authorities have decided to establish a principle that students returning from after-school care program must be handed over directly to their guardians.

They will also increase the number of CCTV cameras.

Reporter Kim Seong-su has the story.

[Report]

Haneul was alone when she moved from the after-school care to the academy bus in front of the school and met with an unfortunate incident.

Until the bus driver reported it, no one knew.

A gap in care occurred in a distance that takes less than five minutes to walk.

[Parent of a first-grade student/voice altered: "(Guardians) were not allowed to enter the school indiscriminately for safety reasons, so they were supposed to come to the 'front gate' to pick them up. It’s important to establish a proper system…."]

To address criticism that the return policies vary by school, the Ministry of Education has decided to implement 'face-to-face handover and accompanied return' as a principle for all students participating in after-school care.

They will also increase the number of volunteers and helpers dedicated to this task and assign them to schools.

[Lee Joo-ho/Minister of Education: "In cases where students have no choice but to return home alone, the school and guardians will discuss the safest possible method…."]

At Haneul's school, which lacked sufficient CCTV, it took about an hour to find her after she was victimized just 20 meters away from the after-school care classroom.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Education has decided to install more CCTV in hallways, staircases, and areas around after-school care classroom where student movement is frequent.

Additionally, they are considering making mental health assessments mandatory for new teacher appointments, reflecting opinions from the field.

The teacher who had applied for leave due to mental illness was confirmed to have been responsible for safety management during school commutes last year.

This is Kim Seong-su from KBS News.