Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, 218.8 Billion KRW Supplementary Budget Formulated

Focus on Education Recovery, Safety Net Establishment, Expansion of School Support, and Improvement of Educational Environment

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education has allocated a budget of 218.8 billion KRW in the 2nd supplementary budget.

The Gwangju Office of Education announced on the 23rd that it submitted the “2021 2nd Supplementary Budget for the Gwangju Metropolitan Special Account for Education Revenue and Expenditure” amounting to 2.6381 trillion KRW, which is an increase of 218.8 billion KRW (9.0%) from the original budget of 2.4193 trillion KRW, to the city council on the 20th.

This supplementary budget utilizes revenue sources including 207.2 billion KRW from central government transfers such as general grants, special grants, and special account transfers for early childhood education support; 5.4 billion KRW from local governments and other transfers; and 6.2 billion KRW from self-generated income.

The budget focuses on recovering educational deficits caused by COVID-19, establishing an educational safety net due to full in-person attendance in the second semester, expanding school support, and improving the educational environment.

First, 39.7 billion KRW was allocated to promote educational recovery to address learning deficits and respond to future educational demands.

To comprehensively overcome learning, psychological/emotional, and social deficits caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the budget includes ▲2 billion KRW for supplementary learning guidance ▲500 million KRW for high school field trip support ▲300 million KRW for school violence prevention education and campaigns ▲500 million KRW for customized education for special needs and multicultural students ▲2.5 billion KRW for improving hazardous environments in vocational high school laboratories and practice rooms. Additionally, to respond to future educational demands in line with remote education and the 4th Industrial Revolution era, the budget provides ▲26.1 billion KRW for distributing smart devices to students ▲300 million KRW for information devices in private kindergartens ▲7.5 billion KRW for improving classroom environments and supporting educational equipment.

For establishing an educational safety net related to quarantine and care due to full in-person attendance in the second semester, 7.2 billion KRW was allocated, including ▲900 million KRW for additional school quarantine personnel support ▲500 million KRW for purchasing quarantine supplies for private academies ▲200 million KRW for improving care classroom environments ▲400 million KRW for automated external defibrillator support ▲100 million KRW for sexual violence prevention education ▲4.6 billion KRW for the Nuri Curriculum support ▲500 million KRW for support for disabled and special needs students.

Attention was also given to improving the educational environment and expanding school support.

The total budget of 164.6 billion KRW includes ▲8.1 billion KRW for additional standard operating expenses and innovation school operating costs ▲30.9 billion KRW for creating spaces and operating curricula to establish a foundation for the high school credit system ▲1.3 billion KRW for library environment improvements ▲6.5 billion KRW for cultural and arts space improvements ▲5.7 billion KRW for sports environment improvements and expansion of sports equipment ▲4.7 billion KRW for school meal modernization projects ▲6 billion KRW for new school construction and expansions/renovations ▲94.9 billion KRW for school environment improvements such as classroom and restroom construction ▲6.5 billion KRW for administrative facility environment improvements.

Kim Seon-wook, Director of Administration at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, “This supplementary budget is allocated for educational recovery and advancement, and we will thoroughly prepare in advance so that the budget can be executed immediately once it is approved.”

The supplementary budget is expected to be finalized after review and approval by the Gwangju City Council from the 1st to the 10th of next month.

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