Full-Scale Launch of Education Reform... Key Points Include Yubotonghap, High School System, and University Structure Reorganization

Ministry of Education's 2023 Work Report... "The First Year of Education Reform"
Includes Transition to Digital Textbooks and Operation of Neulbom Schools
Promotion of 'Learning Mate System' Introduction Between Mayors/Provincial Governors and Superintendents

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is announcing plans to promote education reform at the 'Ministry of Education Annual Work Report Pre-briefing' held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 4th. Photo by Ministry of Education

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The Ministry of Education has unveiled its blueprint for educational reforms, including the transition to digital textbooks, the introduction of the high school credit system, integration of early childhood education, and university structural reforms. In 2023, the ministry plans to identify excellent models through pilot operations in various fields and focus on expanding operations and establishing them in the field from next year.

On the 5th, the Ministry of Education reported the 2023 major work plan titled “Educational Reform, the Beginning of Korea’s Leap Forward” at the Blue House State Guest House. The ministry aims to make this year the inaugural year of educational reform aligned with public expectations and plans to concentrate departmental capabilities to complete educational reform within the term of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, following the directions revealed at the recent national agenda review meeting.

To this end, the ministry will vigorously promote educational reform through four major reform areas and ten core policies, aiming for “education as the driving force of national development” for Korea’s growth and “education that nurtures everyone based on freedom and creativity” for the welfare of the Korean people.

Student-Customized Educational Reform

◆Digital Transition= Utilizing advanced technologies to support teachers’ classes and provide optimized learning opportunities for individual students. Targeting the introduction of a ‘Digital Textbook Platform’ by 2025, the ministry will establish and announce this month a ‘Digital-Based Educational Innovation Plan’ that operates AI-based courseware instead of traditional printed textbooks. Additionally, it plans to expand test beds to resolve difficulties in educational sites using new digital technologies and establish an ‘Edutech Promotion Plan’ within the first half of the year.

◆Enhancing School Educational Capacity= Supporting student-customized education by improving school classes and evaluation innovation, strengthening general high school educational capabilities, and fostering various excellent schools in regions. By February, the ministry will establish a ‘High School Credit System Supplement Plan’ and prepare a ‘Classroom Instruction Innovation Plan’ within the first half of the year to realize project-based discussion classes and classes utilizing AI and edutech. It will also strengthen the role of national high schools, expand school autonomy through cooperation among schools, education offices, and local governments, and announce a draft ‘High School Educational Capacity Enhancement Plan’ supporting student-customized education through high school diversification within the first half of the year.

◆Supporting Teacher Innovation= Supporting the enhancement of teachers’ capabilities and improvement of their working conditions. A committee including field teachers and experts will be formed in January to prepare by April a ‘Graduate School of Education Pilot Operation Plan’ that supports graduate-level teacher training and teacher education college innovation based on cultivating future competencies and field research and practice. To enable teachers to focus on educational activities as the main agents of the learning revolution, the ministry plans to prepare by August proposals for strengthening protection of educational activities, reducing school administrative workload, and improving teacher personnel systems in collaboration with educational sites and teacher organizations.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is announcing plans to promote education reform at the 'Ministry of Education Annual Work Report Pre-briefing' held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 4th. Photo by Ministry of Education

Family-Customized Educational Reform

◆Promoting Integration of Early Childhood Education and Care= Through integration, kindergartens and daycare centers will be redesigned as ‘high-quality new educational institutions’ considering the development and characteristics of young children. This month, the ministry will establish an Early Childhood Education and Care Integration Promotion Committee and Task Force within the ministry and gradually unify the central and local management systems centered on education. Alongside this, it plans to announce a ‘Management System Integration Plan’ in the first half of the year to fairly guarantee quality care and educational opportunities for all young children, and a ‘Plan to Reduce Gaps Between Kindergartens and Daycare Centers’ in the second half.

◆Operating Neulbom Schools= The ministry will actively promote ‘Neulbom Schools’ to provide customized education and care (Educare) services to elementary students who wish to participate by utilizing various educational resources inside and outside schools. It will offer new demand programs such as AI and software, as well as student-customized after-school programs including cultural, sports, and arts activities. Care service types such as morning care, gap care, and temporary care will be diversified, and operating hours will be gradually extended to 8 p.m. To reduce the workload of schools and teachers, the operation system will be shifted to be centered on education (support) offices, and dedicated personnel will be supported. This year, about four pilot education offices will be selected for concentrated support in personnel and finances, with plans to expand Neulbom Schools nationwide from 2025.

Region-Customized Educational Reform

◆Regulatory Innovation, Decentralization, and University Structural Reform= The Ministry of Education will innovate regulations and decentralize authority to local governments to increase autonomy of regions and schools, while simultaneously pursuing university structural reforms. It will boldly remove regulations on university enrollment quotas, academic affairs, and financial operations, abolish government-led uniform evaluations, and utilize financial audits by the Private School Promotion Foundation and institutional accreditation by the Korea Council for University Education and the Korea Council for College Education. Through this, it will support general finances and actively promote structural improvements for universities in management crises. Additionally, the ministry will transfer within the year the authority to approve establishment and closure of higher foreign education institutions in free economic zones and the authority to establish plans for supporting local universities and nurturing regional talents to local governments. It will also prepare measures to designate and operate ‘Education Freedom Zones’ that lead regionally customized public education by easing education-related regulations from school establishment to operation, revise related laws within the first half of the year, and begin pilot operations from 2024.

◆Establishing a Regionally Innovative University Support System= To enhance the competitiveness of regional universities, the ministry will expand local governments’ authority to support universities, significantly ease regulations, and promote financial investment through selection and concentration. This year, pilot projects will be conducted in about five local governments and expanded nationwide from 2025. Pilot regions will be designated as Higher Education Innovation Specialized Areas, applying regulatory exemptions and delegating authority for local-led financial support. Accordingly, by fostering Glocal universities with world-class competitiveness through specialization linked to regional development strategies, the ministry plans to promote regional development and university competitiveness together.

◆Promoting School Facility Complexification= To revitalize regions, school facilities of elementary, middle, high schools, and universities will be developed as public facilities that residents can use together. The ministry plans to establish a ‘School Facility Complexification Activation Plan’ by February by discovering ways to expand funding and improve regulations to further activate school facility complexification. In particular, it will explore ways to utilize school facilities linked with various policies inside and outside the ministry, such as Neulbom Schools (Ministry of Education), urban regeneration projects (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), and public institution relocations (Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development).

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, along with related bureau chiefs, is announcing plans to promote education reform at the 'Ministry of Education Annual Work Report Preliminary Briefing' held on the 4th at the Government Seoul Office. Photo by Ministry of Education

Industry-Society Customized Educational Reform

◆Cultivating Talent in Core Advanced Fields= To gain an advantage in the global technological hegemony competition, the ministry will nurture talent in core advanced fields. The ‘Talent Cultivation Strategy Meeting,’ chaired by the president, will launch in February, establishing a pan-government talent cultivation promotion system. Following last year’s semiconductor and digital sectors, talent cultivation plans for core fields such as biohealth, environment and energy, space and aviation, and advanced materials will be developed jointly with related ministries and announced sequentially.

◆Promoting Legislation for Four Major Educational Reforms= To guarantee the autonomy of education, which is the driving force of national and regional growth, and to enhance regional educational capacity, the ministry will also pursue legislation of reform tasks. To transform education to be closer to regions, it plans to actively cooperate with the National Assembly to introduce a mayor-governor and superintendent running mate system (amendments to the ‘Local Education Autonomy Act’ and the ‘Public Official Election Act’). It also plans to promptly prepare legal grounds for the stable introduction and operation of Education Freedom Zones, where school establishment and operation are free. The ministry expects comprehensive amendments to the ‘Higher Education Act’ and the ‘Private School Act’ to establish a future-oriented institutional foundation looking 20 to 30 years ahead, fully guaranteeing university autonomy and creativity and supporting innovation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho emphasized, “Since public expectations for educational reform are high, but concerns among education stakeholders also exist, we will provide sufficient explanations and deeply collect field opinions during the reform process.” He added, “Educational reform requires solidarity and cooperation with local governments, related ministries, metropolitan and provincial offices of education, and the private sector, so as the ministry under the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, we will focus our capabilities on collaboration through a horizontal cooperative partnership.”

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