Ulsan Office of Education Expands Support for Educational Informatization PCs for Low-Income Students

Ulsan Office of Education.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Duyul] Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education is allocating a budget of 970 million KRW to provide PCs to approximately 1,300 elementary, middle, and high school students from low-income families.

The PC support is an educational informatization support project that provides PCs and internet communication fees per household to students who qualify as low-income to reduce the digital divide and improve information access environments.

The target number is 1,035 students, excluding about 1,367 students such as those who have already received support, out of approximately 2,402 enrolled students who applied during the intensive period in March.

The selection criteria are low-income students enrolled from grade 1 in elementary school to grade 1 in high school who are basic livelihood security recipients eligible for livelihood, medical, housing, and education benefits under the National Basic Livelihood Security Act.

Starting this year, the scope has been expanded from last year's recipients of livelihood and medical benefits to include all basic livelihood security households, covering housing and education benefits as well.

The selection process involves applying by visiting the community service center or through the Bokjiro welfare portal and the Education Expense One-Click System, after which the final recipients are selected based on income and asset investigation results.

The support method involves the education office purchasing PCs in bulk and installing them directly in the homes.

To increase student satisfaction, PCs are provided based on demand surveys, allowing students to choose between desktops and laptops.

Internet communication fees are covered for one line per household for students from grade 1 in elementary school to grade 3 in high school, with a monthly limit of 19,250 KRW, paid directly to the education office’s contracted telecom providers such as KT, LGU+, SKT, SKB, and JCN Ulsan Broadcasting.

To create a healthy internet environment, support includes harmful site blocking services to protect students from harmful internet content.

A PC repair support fund has also been established; if a PC supported by the educational informatization project breaks down after the free A/S period, repair costs up to 100,000 KRW per person once a year will be supported.

An education office official stated, “Providing PCs to low-income students is expected to greatly contribute to resolving educational welfare for the digitally marginalized and to realizing educational welfare by offering equal educational opportunities.”

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