Lee Hyuk-je, Jeonnam Provincial Council Member, Emphasizes 'The Voice of Jeonnam Education is Important' in City-Province Integration Discussions

Lee Hyuk-je, a member of the Jeonnam Provincial Assembly, strongly urged the Jeonnam Office of Education to ensure the voice of Jeonnam education is heard during the discussions on the integration of Gwangju and Jeonnam. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Assembly

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-gyeong] Jeonnam Provincial Council member Lee Hyuk-je (Democratic Party, Mokpo 4) stated on the 16th that during the provincial administration questioning on the 15th, he urged Superintendent Jang Seok-woong to take a central role in the integration discussions by emphasizing that "the voice of Jeonnam education must be included as a priority from the beginning in the integration talks between Gwangju and Jeonnam."

Member Lee Hyuk-je expressed concern, saying, "Before Gwangju and Jeonnam were separated, Gwangju was a black hole for education, attracting outstanding talents from city areas like Mokpo, Suncheon, Yeosu, and even island regions. If integration occurs, schools near Gwangju such as Naju and Hwasun will find it difficult to avoid depopulation."

He also pointed out, "So far, Jeonnam education has invested heavily in saving small schools, and as a result, these small schools are barely holding on. In Jeonnam, budgets are currently being established centered on large schools with many students, and if integration happens, budget planning will increasingly focus on large schools in Gwangju."

In response, Superintendent Jang Seok-woong said, "If Gwangju and Jeonnam integrate, I believe the choices available to Jeonnam parents will expand. Elementary schools may not be greatly affected, but for middle schools, especially high schools, I think transfers to Gwangju will increase."

Superintendent Jang expressed concern, stating, "Since Gwangju's education, social and cultural infrastructure, and private academies are far superior to Jeonnam's, there will likely be more demands from middle and high school students to transfer to Gwangju. I worry that at the community level, the local society could lose vitality and face a crisis of extinction."

Gwangju Metropolitan City currently educates 201,115 students across 314 schools with an annual budget of 2.2843 trillion won, while Jeonnam educates 207,442 students across 822 schools with an annual budget of 4.148 trillion won. Among these, 43% of Jeonnam schools are small schools with fewer than 60 students in total.

Member Lee Hyuk-je emphasized, "COVID-19 has devastated livelihoods and education has collapsed. In this situation, rather than engaging in integration discussions that only cause conflict, the executive branch should focus on taking care of livelihoods and education first."

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