"Education Revolution from Busan Possible"... Government to Fully Launch 'Education Development Special Zone' from This Month (Comprehensive)

'Local Era Livelihood Package' Education Policy
First Selected Areas Announcement This Month
Includes Expansion of Neulbom School, Integration of Kindergarten and Childcare, etc.

The government announced that it will actively promote the region-specific education reform plan called the 'Education Development Special Zone' starting this year. In particular, it introduced the 'Busan-type model' that applied for the public contest and emphasized administrative and institutional support for local education reform.

The Presidential Committee on the Local Era held a joint meeting with related ministries on the afternoon of the 13th at Busan Metropolitan City Hall titled 'Public Livelihood Forum: The Eleventh, Busan Opens the Local Era Wide' to explain these details.

The Education Development Special Zone is an education reform plan in which local governments and education offices collaborate with regional institutions such as universities and industries to devise customized education development strategies for local residents.

This year, the government will prioritize selecting pilot areas for the Education Development Special Zone. Applications for the public contest were accepted from December 11 last year until the 9th of this month. The selected areas will be announced after review by the Education Development Special Zone Committee and deliberation and resolution by the Local Era Committee within this month. The second designation will proceed with application and designation procedures from May to July, with results announced at the end of July.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The first round of applications, which closed on the 9th, saw participation from 15 metropolitan cities and provinces, including 94 basic local governments and administrative cities (92 basic local governments and 2 administrative cities). The models proposed by each region included plans such as ▲expansion of Neulbom Schools ▲leading integration of kindergarten and daycare ▲strengthening public education within the region ▲expansion of local talent selection ▲linkage with multicultural education ▲connection with local industries.

In particular, the 'Busan-type Education Development Special Zone' model introduced that day set the expansion of Neulbom Schools as a key task. The plan aims to accommodate all first to third-grade elementary students who wish to attend by 2025, starting this year by accepting all first-grade applicants and most second graders. Additionally, a 'Learning Ability Enhancement Project' tailored to growth stages from kindergarten through high school will provide timely learning support. The model also includes university innovation plans such as the Busan-type shared growth university system and expansion of local talent admission tracks.

An official from the Ministry of Education said at a pre-briefing that "Since the application deadline was on the 9th, we are currently organizing the materials," and added, "Overall, the evaluation stage has not yet progressed, so it is difficult to provide specific data."

Students and parents attending the livelihood forum expressed opinions such as "If Busan is designated as an Education Development Special Zone, it will be possible to create autonomous prestigious high schools and receive education equivalent to Seoul," "It would be good if various education programs linked with universities are operated," and "It would be great to have specialized high schools connected to promising industries."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government also showed strong support. President Yoon Suk-yeol said, "The Busan-type Education Development Special Zone is an education zone where diversity and culture are emphasized," and added, "If Busan Metropolitan Office of Education and Busan City create high schools that offer diverse education programs, the government can establish necessary systems and provide financial support."

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho also stated, "Busan proposed a much better plan for the Education Development Special Zone than other regions," adding, "Busan is a city where good success stories can emerge by developing the region through the power of education. I believe a 'Busan-originated Education Revolution' is possible."

Woo Dong-gi, chairman of the Local Era Committee, explained at a post-briefing that "If selected as a pilot area for the Education Development Special Zone, the government will spare no comprehensive support to build a foundation where local talents can receive quality education and settle in the region."

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