Gyeongbuk Office of Education to Add and Expand Future Education Districts Starting 2023

To Create an Educational Ecosystem, Link Education Offices, Local Governments, Communities, and Schools

Photo of the Sangju Future Education District regional specialization project and youth festival, planned and executed independently by the Student Council.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] The Gyeongbuk Office of Education currently operates the Gyeongbuk Future Education Districts in five locations (Uiseong, Sangju, Yecheon, Andong, Gyeongju) and plans to expand by designating five additional districts through a basic local government contest in 2023.

The 'Gyeongbuk Future Education District' refers to areas designated by agreement between the Gyeongbuk Office of Education and basic local governments to build a regional education community through active communication and cooperation between schools and local communities, aiming to realize warm Gyeongbuk education.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (October 18, 2021), among the 23 local governments in Gyeongbuk, 16 cities and counties including Uiseong are experiencing population decline, with the main reasons for regional population outflow considered to be the lack of quality jobs and excellent education and childcare environments.

This project is gaining attention as a future education initiative that plays an important role in creating a regional education ecosystem and sustainable local communities through cooperation with local governments in preparation for the crisis of local extinction, regional population decline, and rapid decrease in school-age population.

The main policies of the Gyeongbuk Future Education District, which has been promoted since 2020, include four linked tasks: ▲establishing a stable Gyeongbuk education governance based on communication and cooperation ▲operating a community-linked curriculum connected with the local community as a place of learning and life ▲supporting community-linked care and after-school activities through village school communities ▲and conducting local specialty program activities for public education innovation linked with schools and local communities.

The 'Gyeongbuk Education Governance Establishment Project' is aimed at supporting smooth operation and expansion of the project by building a continuous communication and cooperation system among the Office of Education, local governments, schools, and local communities, and has entered its third year of establishment this year.

Through the establishment of public-private-academic education governance, efforts are being strengthened to create a village education community culture where the region becomes a place of care and learning, and educational stakeholders such as parents, local residents, and school staff cooperate with city and county local governments to autonomously solve local educational issues.

The 'village curriculum linked with the local community,' a place of learning and life, forms teacher-centered research groups and fosters students' pride in the region by reconstructing a creative, region-centered curriculum through maximizing the use of local human and material resources.

The 'village schools' started with eight organizations in 2020 and this year have added 12 more locations: 2 in Uiseong, 1 in Sangju, 4 in Yecheon, and 5 in Gyeongju, bringing the total number of village schools operating this year to 43.

About 200 village teachers (planners) with expertise participate in village schools, actively creating regional learning spaces through various educational activities such as ▲village care ▲after-school study rooms (supporting basic academic gap resolution) ▲youth autonomy project support ▲emotional support through culture, arts, ecology, environment, humanities, reading, and play ▲operation of school-linked village curricula ▲and basic academic learning and care outside school in areas such as career and history.

Programs reflecting local characteristics include ▲Gyeongju (family cultural heritage exploration group with history, 'Millennium Brush' humanities program, 'Gyeongju's Four Seasons Embracing the Village' and Seorabeol Festival) ▲Sangju (operation of Sangju AI Education Center, Sangju Youth Festival) ▲Andong (Path of Love for the Nation starting from Imcheonggak (Andong Cooperative School, Unification Train)) ▲Yecheon (Insect Doctor Project, insect ecological experience learning, Dream Protector Festival (archery experience class), visiting Korean archery club) ▲Uiseong (public-private-academic roundtable discussions, Uiseong Future Education Experience Expo, Uiseong ON Debate, Dream Growth School).

Superintendent Lim Jong-sik said, “To ensure that the achievements so far take root evenly throughout the entire Gyeongbuk region, we will designate five additional future education districts in 2023 and continue to cooperate with basic local governments so that future education districts can operate in all areas of the province in the future.”

The additional designation of future education districts in 2023 will proceed with a basic local government contest at the end of July, an explanatory meeting (held in Gyeongju) in early August, submission and review of contest plans at the end of August, and final selection at the end of September. The project costs will be borne by the Office of Education and basic local governments at 200 million KRW each annually, and after the four-year project period ends, extension will be considered through consultation between the two institutions.

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