Yoon: "Neulbom School, a National Task That Cannot Retreat... Must Succeed Unconditionally" (Comprehensive Report 2)

2nd Neulbom School Pan-Government Support Headquarters Meeting Hosted
President Yoon: "Neulbom School is Important for Creating a Hopeful Nation"

President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed the government on the 6th, saying, "Neulbom School, the core of the national care system, is now a national task that cannot be reversed," and urged, "All ministries should cooperate with the mindset that this is 'my responsibility' to ensure unconditional success."

In his opening remarks at the 2nd Neulbom School Inter-Ministerial Support Headquarters meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong in the afternoon, President Yoon said, "With the start of the school term, Neulbom School operations will begin at 2,741 elementary schools nationwide," noting that this is a significant increase from the 459 schools that participated in the pilot program in the second semester of last year.

The Neulbom School Inter-Ministerial Support Headquarters is a central government-level support system for Neulbom School, composed of ministers from nine related ministries including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Population, Aging Society and Future Generations. It was launched on the 29th of last month as a follow-up measure to the 6th Central-Local Cooperation Meeting chaired by President Yoon on the 27th of the same month.

President Yoon emphasized, "Since the beginning is crucial, please promptly resolve issues on-site and respond swiftly," adding, "Ministers from various ministries are present, and governors and superintendents of education from cities and provinces are participating via video. Please unite your efforts especially for the successful operation of Neulbom School." He continued, "Quickly stabilizing Neulbom School will greatly help children's healthy growth and is the best way to alleviate parents' concerns about care," and stressed, "It will also be a very important policy for addressing the urgent low birthrate problem."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He reiterated that the success of Neulbom School holds significant meaning in preventing the socioeconomic inheritance of parents and promoting social mobility. In his closing remarks, President Yoon said, "The success of Neulbom School is important in preventing the socioeconomic status of parents from being passed down to their children, making our society more dynamic and mobile, and creating a country with a future and hope." He also mentioned, "If all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, engage in this work for the success of Neulbom School, it will be a great opportunity for national unity."

He requested not only the government but also local governments, city and provincial education offices, local businesses, institutions, universities, and experts from various fields to join forces. President Yoon said, "There are many tasks to prepare, such as creating safe and comfortable spaces, planning quality programs, securing good instructors, and sufficient personnel," and added, "While the government is doing its best, the entire society must work together. I urge all ministries, led by the Ministry of Education, to cooperate with the mindset that this is 'my responsibility,' and for local governments and city and provincial education offices to mobilize all resources and provide meticulous support."

Regarding ways to improve the quality of programs, President Yoon instructed in his closing remarks, "It is not easy for schools to develop various programs on their own," and said, "The Ministry of Education and education offices should create multiple customized care schedules tailored to regional characteristics so that each school can utilize them diversely." On program operation, he noted, "It is difficult for each school to individually receive help from government ministries or local expert groups," and added, "The Ministry of Education and education offices should establish support centers so that schools can receive assistance through these centers."

He also appealed to parents and local communities, saying, "If you notice any difficulties or issues that need improvement, please feel free to suggest them to schools, education offices, local governments, or the Ministry of Education at any time. Each institution should establish a communication system that allows parents to comfortably make suggestions and ensures prompt handling," and requested, "Please actively participate in talent donations such as one-day special lectures with the mindset of raising children together."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the meeting, central government officials including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Deputy Prime Minister Lee, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Bang Ki-seon, ministers of the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Population, Aging Society and Future Generations attended, along with governors and superintendents of education from 17 cities and provinces. From the Presidential Office, Secretary General Lee Gwan-seop, Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs Jang Sang-yoon, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Han Oh-seop, Senior Secretary for Public Relations Lee Do-woon, and Senior Secretary for Science and Technology Park Sang-wook were present.

Following President Yoon's opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Lee presented the operation status of Neulbom School for the first semester. Deputy Prime Minister Lee said, "From the first semester, about 120,000 students will participate in programs at 2,741 schools," and projected, "Compared to the previous year, an additional 56,000 first-grade elementary students will benefit, and in the second semester, an additional 105,000 students are expected to participate." He added, "99.6% of applicants are benefiting, but there are 524 people on the waiting list in Gyeonggi Province."

Regarding this, Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education Lim Tae-hee said, "The 524 waiting applicants in Gyeonggi Province are students who previously used private academies but now wish to additionally participate as Neulbom School becomes known," and added, "We will try to resolve the waiting list demand as soon as possible." Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon also said, "Seoul has the lowest participation rate nationwide, ranking last," and stated, "Seoul will strongly promote the 'Escape from Last Place' project to raise participation to about one-quarter and will do its best to operate Neulbom School in all schools in the second semester."

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