Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, "This Year, We Will Make It a Year of Great Transformation in Gyeongnam Education"

Realizing Personalized Education Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence
Revolutionary Reduction of Teachers' Administrative Tasks
Strengthening Educational Welfare from Elementary Care
Emphasizing Ecological Environmental Education Responding

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, is holding a New Year's press conference at the main office on the 5th, announcing the vision for Gyeongnam education in 2021. (Photo by Gyeongnam Office of Education)

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education, held a New Year's press conference at the main office on the 5th and announced the vision for Gyeongnam education in 2021.

The press conference was conducted in a non-face-to-face manner, except for some on-site participants, to lower density and prevent COVID-19.

Superintendent Park Jong-hoon stated, “In the midst of rapid social changes such as the acceleration of digital-based life due to COVID-19, education also requires a major transformation,” and expressed his ambition, “We will make 2021 the year of a major transformation in Gyeongnam education.”

To this end, he revealed his New Year's plan to achieve a major transformation in classroom instruction, school administration, educational welfare, and ecological environmental education.

▲ Major Transformation of Classroom Instruction

First, to innovate classes, he said they will achieve a major transformation in classroom instruction through student-customized education using artificial intelligence and big data.

He announced that the future education support platform ‘iTalkTalk,’ which utilizes AI and big data for learning and evaluation, will be distributed to all schools starting this year, and by 2024, they will build big data, enhance functions, and distribute smart devices simultaneously so that all schools in Gyeongnam will have a future-oriented learning environment.

In addition, he said they will activate online-offline linked classes, support flexible academic operations for rapid establishment of classes, and develop grade-specific teaching materials.

▲ Major Transformation of School Administration

He stated that they will achieve a major transformation in school administration by expanding the academic affairs administration team.

To optimize school tasks, they plan to add dedicated personnel for after-school programs and academic affairs administration starting from all elementary schools in the province, and consider expanding to middle schools in 2023 and high schools in 2026.

Also, they will operate school integrated support centers at all 18 education support offices to transfer significantly burdensome tasks such as school violence review committees, after-school programs, residential field trips, and school facility maintenance and repair to these centers, allowing schools to focus solely on curriculum operation and student educational activities.

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, is holding a New Year's press conference at the main office on the 5th, announcing the vision for Gyeongnam education in 2021. (Photo by Gyeongnam Office of Education)

▲ Major Transformation of Educational Welfare

To overcome educational disparities, he said they will improve the quality of universal education while enhancing the level of customized educational welfare, and pilot operate regional hub integrated care centers to achieve a major transformation in educational welfare starting from care.

To this end, they will establish a hub integrated care center with an independent operating system at Myeongseo Elementary School in Changwon and operate various high-quality programs.

Furthermore, in preparation for the prolonged COVID-19 situation, they will solidly promote the basic academic skills guarantee project, expand the educational welfare safety net project, and continue the small school revitalization project to help resolve educational vulnerabilities in rural, fishing villages, and urban old downtown areas.

▲ Major Transformation of Ecological Environmental Education

Lastly, he stated that they will achieve a major transformation in ecological environmental education to ensure a high quality of life for our children so that the climate crisis and environmental disasters do not lead to an educational crisis.

To restructure schools, they will establish the ‘Climate Environment Education Promotion Team (tentative name)’ at the main office and showcase an ecological future-oriented school model that realizes ‘carbon neutrality’ through the ‘Green Smart School’ project, which rebuilds or remodels 50% of schools over 40 years old, creating energy self-sufficient schools and ecological spaces with high biodiversity.

In conclusion, Superintendent Park Jong-hoon said, “I believe that the strength of Gyeongnam education has created future opportunities amid the current crisis. With the belief that if Gyeongnam education changes, Korean education changes, we will lead the transformation of education in Korea,” and asked for the support and encouragement of the residents for this year’s challenges in Gyeongnam education.

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