안전한 영유아 보육·교육 환경 조성 방안: 어린이집과 유치원의 안전관리 실태와 개선 방안

Abstract

With providing free universal childcare, young children stay longer in childcare centers and kindergarten. These places become center of daily life and important places, which directly affect young children . In this respect, this study is a research of the safety management and education of childcare centers and kindergarten. Although there are a variety of safety policies and manuals due to the field having different standards and a variety of information from different sources, there arises difficulties in the management of safety regulation and safety education, of which there is a need to be examined.

Therefore, this study examines the current status of the safety of institutions based on the direction of policy regarding safety regulation made by childcare centers and kindergartens and, based on this, to provide policy measures to create a safe space for infants and toddlers and to contribute to the improvement of a safe environment of daycare centers and kindergarten. Literature review is conducted to review laws and systems related to analysis of the current conditions of safety accidents in kindergartens and daycare centers, collection of exceptional safety practices overseas, meetings and consultations of experts, and policy forums have been held and performed. Furthermore, we have conducted a survey focused on one thousand directors and parents from kindergarten and daycare center across the country.

While the average number of indoor accidents was 1.09 times, and places that accidents occurred most frequently were in the classroom/nursery room(67.6%), the most common type of accident was bruising(64.2%). Areas where outdoor accidents occurred most frequently were playground facilities(59.9%), while of those play facilities most accidents occurred on the slide(22.3%), all cases in which an outdoor attendant usually was not present. The primary causes of indoor and outdoor accidents were ‘the self-nature of the child’, and ‘the carelessness of the child.’

The director, regarding indoor safety, responded that the most difficult task was the protection and supervision of infants and toddlers(34.9%), and that facility maintenance and management due to frequent legislation amendments(25.2%), lack of an exclusive workforce(16.3%), and lacking professional expertise(7.0%) were felt the most difficult in order. In regards to outdoor safety regulation as well, the protection and supervision of children(43.2%) was felt as the most difficult task while managing play facilities and toys(20.3%), and child, instructor, and parent safety education(3.5%) followed next in order.

Institutions operating school transportation vehicles were 56.6%, more common than institutions not operating school transportation vehicles. The reasons for operating school transportation vehicles being “the preference of parents,” and the reasons for not operating being “not enough demand,” were the most common. Although when given the rate of accidents occurring near the institutions, it is estimated that the safety of the surrounding environments of institutions is somewhat secure, the recognition of the areas surrounding institutions as being “dangerous”(very dangerous + dangerous) was high.

While the most necessary aid needed for the safety regulation of the institutions were requests regarding the additional funding for facilities(50%), the opinion that the most needed aid for institution safety education was offering target-customized education was 43.9%, and 31.7% stated that aid for experienced-based education was the most important.

Based on the results of this study, policy recommondations of this research are as follows: 1) by unifying and maintaining important safety regulation standards between childcare support facilities and equipment, 2) the formation of a management system that shares adequate workload amongst professional organizations/communities for the purpose of continuous safety regulation, 3) the offering of regular education for children and staff for the human environment management must be established.

In addition, a unified evaluation system and legislation for the creation and maintenance of a safe environment must be established, after which we propose a systematically operated “Safety Center” should be established and managed.