Government to Provide Scholarships to 50,000 Out-of-School Youth Annually

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to Announce Support Measures for Out-of-School Youth on the 26th
Blueprint for Support in Learning, Career, Healthy Growth, Life, and Safety Protection

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The government’s blueprint for tailored support by developmental stages for nearly 50,000 out-of-school youth annually has been unveiled.

On the 26th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family held the 18th Youth Policy Committee meeting at the Government Seoul Office and announced the “Measures to Strengthen Support for Out-of-School Youth” to help the healthy growth of out-of-school youth who enter society early and prepare for their future.

This plan focuses on △ legal amendments to automatically link high school dropouts to out-of-school youth support centers △ information linkage measures for youth who have not enrolled in high school △ development of programs and content responding to changes in the online environment △ early detection of mental health issues and strengthening psychological and emotional support systems.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family prepared this plan in cooperation with related ministries to identify out-of-school youth early, eliminate blind spots in support, and reflect changing social environments and new policy demands.

Currently, despite the decline in the youth population in Korea, about 50,000 youths leave school every year. As of last year, out of 5.59 million school-age youths, approximately 146,000 (2.6%) are estimated to be out-of-school youth. Moreover, although the proportion of school dropouts temporarily decreased due to COVID-19, it has recently been rising again.

Last year, the number of school dropouts was 11,612 in elementary school, 5,976 in middle school, and 14,439 in high school. Particularly, the rate of leaving school due to psychological and mental health issues is increasing, and the number of youths who have not decided on their career paths after leaving school continues to grow.

Accordingly, in addition to existing support such as health checkups, qualification exam support, and career exploration, demand for new services like transportation cost support is increasing, and the need for policy development responding to changes in the online environment, such as the activation of the metaverse, is growing.

Rapid Identification, Linkage, and Strengthening Diagnostic and Support Capabilities

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to establish an online and offline system to quickly identify and connect out-of-school youth. To this end, it will pursue legal amendments to expand the automatic linkage of dropout student information from elementary and middle school students to high school students, and also explore information linkage measures for youths who do not enter high school after graduating middle school.

Additionally, by linking the Ministry of Education’s 4th generation NEIS (National Education Information System) with the Out-of-School Youth Support Centers (hereinafter Dream Centers) information network, a system will be built to promptly transmit dropout information, and a mutual linkage system inside and outside schools will be established through memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with education offices nationwide.

To allow youths in island regions or those avoiding face-to-face services to easily access support without spatial or temporal constraints, Dream Centers will be established in the metaverse to build a system that identifies and connects out-of-school youth both online and offline.

The plan also includes reducing the number of cases handled by one Dream Center staff member from about 65 currently to no more than 55 by 2026, enabling more meticulous care.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Providing Equal Learning Opportunities and Strengthening Career Support

Dream Centers will accurately diagnose the needs and characteristics of out-of-school youth visiting for the first time and provide customized services. Online learning content and social skills training programs focusing on basic learning by elementary and secondary age groups, conflict resolution, and career exploration will be developed and supported by age group. Cooperation with public and private organizations such as the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), Internet CSAT Broadcasting, and the Community Chest of Korea will support basic subject learning and qualification exam preparation, and foreign language education will be supported in connection with the National Institute for International Education under the Ministry of Education. An online Learning Management System will be established to allow out-of-school youth to freely access various learning programs and systematically manage the entire learning process.

Scholarship and university support programs for out-of-school youth have also been prepared. The system will be improved to include out-of-school youth as eligible for student loan support from the Korea Student Aid Foundation, and the application of the “Youth Activity Record” from Dream Centers, which can be used as university admission data, will be expanded to guarantee fair university admission opportunities for out-of-school youth.

Career motivation and vocational competency enhancement will also be promoted to help youths actively participate in society. Dream Centers will provide new career motivation enhancement programs for youths who have not decided on their career paths, and the “Vocational Competency Enhancement Program” will be expanded to Dream Centers nationwide.

Through the career experience network “Kkumgil” operated by the Ministry of Education, Dream Centers and local communities will be linked to provide systematic career experience opportunities and support social advancement. Furthermore, out-of-school youth who have completed the career design course at the “Tomorrow’s Dream School” and wish to grow into industry-tailored skilled professionals will be able to receive specialized technical education at Polytechnics.

Ensuring Opportunities for Healthy Growth

Support for the physical and mental health of out-of-school youth will also be strengthened. Health checkup items will be supplemented to include eye diseases, and free health checkups and treatment costs will be supported for vulnerable youths in medical blind spots, such as migrant background youths without health insurance or facing economic difficulties.

In addition, the quality of free meals provided to out-of-school youth participating in Dream Center programs will be improved to support healthy growth and development. Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity will be assessed, and depending on the crisis level, youths will be connected to Youth Counseling Welfare Centers or Youth Treatment Rehabilitation Centers.

Moreover, the “Peer Counseling Project” will be expanded from students attending school to include out-of-school youth participating in Dream Centers, and the Youth Companion Service, which visits high-risk out-of-school youth with high suicide and self-harm risks to provide counseling, customized case management, and local resource linkage, will also be expanded.

Expansion of Free Activities and Living Support

In 28 regions without Dream Centers, new centers will be established considering youth population and the scale of out-of-school youth, and dedicated spaces will be provided within Dream Centers for out-of-school youth to freely study, create, and engage in experiential activities.

For out-of-school youth who have no overseas travel experience or difficulty experiencing culture, international youth exchanges and cultural arts activity programs will be offered to improve cultural accessibility, and support such as living expenses will be strengthened for out-of-school youth facing social and economic crises.

Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, emphasized, “This plan is meaningful in that it actively responds to the changing social environment, such as the decline in youth population and the normalization of the digital environment, and prepares measures that meet the needs of out-of-school youth. We plan to systematically support out-of-school youth according to their growth stages so that they are not marginalized or left in blind spots, and can prepare for tomorrow by growing healthily both physically and mentally, as well as exploring academics and careers.”

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