Cho Hee-yeon, Seoul Superintendent of Education, "Pilot Operation of Shared Campus... Will Restore Trust in Public Education"

2020 Seoul Education Key Tasks Confirmed and Announced

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Ahead of the full implementation of the high school credit system in 2025, the system will first be applied to some Meister High Schools (Industry-Academia Integrated Apprenticeship Schools) in the Seoul area. In general high schools, a pilot operation of a 'Shared Campus' will be conducted, where 5 to 6 high schools are grouped together allowing students to choose desired classes, and all middle schools will organize and operate the first grade as a free semester system.

On the 2nd, Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, held a press conference and announced that in 2020, according to five policy directions?▲Innovative education preparing for the future ▲Responsible education opening everyone's potential ▲Democratic citizenship education for peace and coexistence ▲Safe and pleasant educational environment ▲Educational autonomy through participation and communication?he will implement a total of 15 practical tasks.

First, the opening of Seojin School, a special school in Gangseo-gu, will be smoothly promoted in March, and efforts will be made to expand opportunities for public education and improve quality, such as pilot operation of school buses in some public kindergartens. The creative intelligence and emotional curriculum project for elementary school grades 3 to 6 will also receive a budget support of about 1.5 million KRW per class for a total of 3,700 classes.

The free semester system will be fully implemented for the first grade of middle school. During this period, there will be no comprehensive written exams, and subject achievement scores will not be calculated. The high school credit system will be introduced in four Meister High Schools, and CDA (Curriculum, Career, and Admission experts) will be trained to assist general high school teachers in designing students’ curricula. Additionally, a shared campus guaranteeing diverse curricula for students will be introduced decisively.

To encourage students to take interest in social issues and strengthen their autonomous capabilities, debate-style reading discussion classes will also be promoted. This policy aims to develop students’ abilities as democratic citizens by critically reading, establishing their own viewpoints through free and argumentative discussions, and fostering voluntary practice.

In line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, support will be provided for future-oriented department restructuring in 19 vocational high schools with 52 classes, and plans to convert 10 existing specialized high schools into AI and big data-related schools will also be pursued. Various creative education programs using advanced equipment such as coding education, coding experiments, 3D printers, IoT and AI-based educational programs, and AI textbooks will be developed and utilized, including the introduction of AI in teaching and learning activities.

Measures to guarantee students’ basic academic skills will also be prepared, including a focused grade system for basic academic skills assurance in second grade of elementary school, basic academic skill diagnosis in third grade of elementary and first grade of middle school, and a responsibility guidance system for basic academic skills. Other policies that the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education aims to strengthen within this year include ecological transition education covering environmental and ecological education, expansion of customized care services, reinforcement of global citizenship character education, arts, sports, reading and writing education, and the establishment of school integrated support centers.

Superintendent Cho emphasized that in carrying out these major tasks, he will "ensure that the effects of policies appear for each student with different personalities and circumstances" to restore trust in public education. He also presented the core keywords of the policy as 'future,' 'responsibility,' and 'autonomy,' promising to care for students to grow into future talents suited to their individuality in schools that look different from before, and to aim for a greater community by having all members cooperate with their own subjectivity to solve problems.

Superintendent Cho said, "In the new year 2020, with the attitude of 'Haehyeon-gyeongjang (解弦更張),' meaning 'retuning the strings of the geomungo,' we will be sensitive to changes in the educational environment and promptly provide policy solutions based on the field, striving together with all members of Seoul education toward a dynamic and creative organization."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.