A New Alternative for Seoul Jung-gu Type Elementary After-School Care Rapidly Emerging

'Schools Provide Classrooms, Local Governments Operate Care' Teachers Agree... Operation Until 8 PM, Snacks and Dinner Provided, 2 Teachers per Classroom, Night Care Security Officers Deployed

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] On the 19th, the Ministry of Education announced a legislative proposal to define after-school programs and childcare as school administrative tasks under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

In response, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union and the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations urged the withdrawal of the legislative notice and visited the Ministry of Education to protest.

The two organizations emphasized that schools should provide the space, while childcare classrooms and after-school program duties should be transferred to local governments that are well aware of regional circumstances.

In line with these claims, the Jung-gu type elementary childcare classroom is emerging as a new alternative for childcare.

Jung-gu (Mayor Seoyangho) has been operating the nation’s first district-run elementary childcare classroom since March last year. It established a new childcare model under the slogan "Education at school, childcare by local government." Thanks to this, during the COVID-19 emergency childcare crisis, when other schools faced confusion due to operating hours and staffing issues, Jung-gu proactively responded and operated the emergency childcare classrooms stably.

The operating hours of the Jung-gu type elementary childcare classroom extend until 8 p.m. Emergency childcare runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during vacations. Eco-friendly meals and snacks are provided, and childcare security officers work even at night.

Additionally, the "one classroom, two teachers" system is implemented to eliminate blind spots in the classroom. When children go to academies, one teacher stays in the classroom while the other escorts the children to the school gate where the academy vehicle arrives. High-quality educational programs by external instructors are also offered daily. All costs are free. This is possible because it is directly operated by the district.

Ms. Kang Hyunmi, who sends her third child to the childcare classroom at Heungin Elementary School in Jung-gu, said, "When I sent my first and second children, childcare ended at 5 p.m., which was always disappointing. Since my work ends at 6 p.m., I needed someone else’s help for two to three hours before arriving home. But now, thanks to childcare operating until 8 p.m., I can pick up my child without worrying during my commute. It has changed my quality of life."

Starting with Heungin Elementary School, the Jung-gu type childcare classrooms currently operate in five schools and are sailing smoothly with a 99% parent satisfaction rate.

This year, Heungin Elementary School added one more class with about 20 new students. In Jung-gu, where 18% of elementary 6th graders move to other districts when becoming middle school students, adding a class is an unusual event. Principal Kim Kyungmi of Heungin Elementary said that there are actually friends who move to the area to use the childcare classroom, crediting the childcare classroom for this.

The Heungin Elementary childcare classroom increased from two to three classes in its early stages. The school remodeled its space and created a library named "Jihae’s Forest," named by the children themselves, next to the childcare classroom. Thanks to this, the library usage rate among childcare children has also increased.

Principal Kim said, "Even when everyone was worried about childcare due to COVID-19, we were an exception. The district office perfectly manages childcare, and teachers can fully focus on education. As a result, the satisfaction of school teachers has also increased. While teachers at other schools struggled with emergency childcare and online school preparations, our school could concentrate solely on education."

The Jung-gu type elementary childcare classroom has been recognized as an alternative to overcoming the low birthrate crisis and a successful childcare policy, winning the Presidential Award, Deputy Prime Minister Award, and Seoul Mayor Award consecutively since last year. As a result, inquiries about benchmarking from other local governments including the Ministry of Education have been nonstop. However, there is surprise at the fact that the budget is 100% provided by the district. Although the space is at the school, it is a district project and does not receive budget support from the Ministry of Education.

Seoyangho, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, "Without financial support, it is difficult to develop into a fully-fledged childcare classroom. To guarantee the butterfly effect and sustainability of the Jung-gu type elementary childcare, institutional and financial support must be backed. If so, Jung-gu type childcare classrooms can be established anywhere nationwide. I hope institutional arrangements will be made for the sake of our children, the future of Korea."

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