There Is No Perfect Time to Study! ... Seizing Missed Educational Opportunities with Gyeongnam Office of Education

2022 Adult Literacy Graduation Ceremony, Oldest Graduate Aged 84

15 Elementary and 13 Middle School Graduates, Will Continue Studies at Geochang Arim High School

Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education presented academic recognition certificates to 28 individuals at the 2022 Adult Literacy Academic Recognition Graduation Ceremony held on the 11th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] “I couldn’t even read the signboard, but learning not only Hangul but also English, math, science, and Chinese characters was amazing and fun.”

This is the impression of a graduate who completed the adult literacy education program, finishing the elementary course and advancing through the middle school course.

While some take reading and writing for granted, for others, it is a lifelong wish.

On the 11th, the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education awarded academic recognition certificates to 28 literacy education program completers at the 2022 Adult Literacy Academic Recognition Graduation Ceremony held at Geochang County Office.

In 2019, Geochang-gun was designated as the first in the province to offer an academically recognized literacy education program for the middle school course, providing learning opportunities to those who missed out on education, and this year produced its first graduates.

The first middle school course graduates in Gyeongnam studied for the past three years at the Gyeongnam Provincial Geochang College Lifelong Education Center.

On this day, 15 graduates completed the elementary course and 13 completed the middle school course; the oldest graduate of the elementary course was 82 years old, and the oldest of the middle school course was 84 years old.

All 13 who completed the middle school course plan to advance to Geochang Arim High School and continue their studies alongside grandchildren-aged students.

For those who once “couldn’t even recognize the letter 'giyeok' after placing a sickle,” the adult literacy education program was like light.

Having lived through the Japanese colonial period, liberation, the Korean War, and the foreign exchange crisis?tumultuous times?they had to temporarily give up learning to care for themselves and their families.

Those who regained the opportunity to learn were joyful as they learned and practiced each character, and while studying novels that captured history, they recalled their childhoods.

Sometimes, when the lessons were difficult, they laughed, saying their heads ached and wondered if their children felt the same way when studying at school.

Graduate Kang Geum-soon wearing a graduation cap after completing the middle school course.

The oldest graduate, Kang Geumsun, said, “I feel scared thinking about attending high school now, but the teachers who have been with me so far encourage me, and having my peers nearby makes me excited.”

The Gyeongnam Office of Education annually establishes and designates institutions to operate academic recognition literacy education programs and runs prescribed programs.

After completing the program, applicants can apply for academic recognition, and upon review, elementary or middle school graduation equivalency is granted.

In 2021, a total of 118 people in the province completed the academic recognition literacy education program and received academic recognition, and this year, 59 classes of the program will be operated at 18 institutions across the province.

At the graduation ceremony, Superintendent Park Jonghun said, “Although it is easy to say there is no age limit to learning, it is not easy to live by that principle. The passion for learning shown by the graduates will be remembered as a great inspiration and emotion for everyone, and we will do our best to support continuous learning and challenges.”

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