Namwon Education Support Office Holds Briefing on Site Selection for Integrated Middle School

Published 31 Jan.2024 16:10(KST)

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Namwon Office of Education (Superintendent Shin Byung-ki) announced on the 31st that it held a local residents' briefing session to select the site for the integrated middle school in the western region.

At the briefing, local residents, students, parents, and faculty members attended, and a policy research presentation was given, stating that it is reasonable to reorganize the four middle schools in the western region (Geumji Middle School, Daegang Middle School, Songdong Middle School, Suji Middle School) into a single middle school district and establish an integrated middle school.

Namwon Office of Education held a community briefing session on the 31st for selecting the site of the integrated middle school in the western region.
[Photo by Namwon Office of Education]

Superintendent Shin Byung-ki emphasized to the attendees, "Proactive measures are urgently needed to improve the educational environment in the Namwon area, and the plan to establish an integrated middle school must proceed swiftly so that the western region is not left behind and the entire city of Namwon can develop in a balanced way."

He continued, "This is not a passive integration driven by the inevitable decline in student numbers, but reflects the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education's determination to establish a top-tier middle school in the Namwon eup-myeon area, creating a school that attracts students."

Furthermore, he stressed, "We are carrying out this plan with the hopes of educational stakeholders to revitalize the western region by establishing a school with excellent facilities for students in the western part of Namwon City, operating an outstanding curriculum that equips students with essential competencies to live in the future."

Professor Lee Guk-yong of Kunsan National University, who presented the research results, introduced ▲ the analysis of a survey conducted on 1,652 students, parents, and faculty members of elementary and middle schools in the eup-myeon areas of Namwon City ▲ the necessity of establishing an integrated middle school ▲ a comprehensive mid- to long-term student placement plan ▲ and examples of how prestigious middle schools have transformed local communities.

The attendees listened to explanations about the policy research results and the Namwon Office of Education's policy for fostering appropriately sized schools, and exchanged various opinions on the benefits and drawbacks of school integration, guaranteeing students' right to learn through appropriate school sizes, strengthening future competencies, and creating a student-centered future educational environment.

Going forward, the working committee for establishing the integrated middle school will visit the four middle schools in the western region to review the establishment sites. After thorough discussions, priorities will be set, and the results of the voters' ballots will be reflected. The final site for the integrated middle school will be confirmed through the Namwon Education Governance Committee.