Busan Office of Education Seeks Ideal Model for Integrated Early Childhood Education and Care Institutions

Recruitment for Pilot Institutions for Infant and Toddler Schools

Six Kindergartens and Daycare Centers to Operate Until February Next Year

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education is inviting applications for institutions to participate in the pilot project for the (tentatively named) Young Child School, aimed at identifying the ideal model for integrated early childhood education and care institutions.

The Young Child School pilot project, overseen by the Ministry of Education, seeks to enhance the quality of education and care for young children by strengthening complementary elements of both kindergartens and daycare centers.

The pilot project will focus on implementing four key tasks to realize the integrated institution model.

The tasks are: ▲ Ensuring sufficient hours and days of use ▲ Improving the teacher-to-child ratio ▲ Strengthening demand-oriented education and care programs ▲ Enhancing teachers' professionalism and competencies.

Kindergartens and daycare centers selected as pilot project operators will be expected to carry out these tasks thoroughly. The city office of education will support smooth operation by providing consulting teams and forming consultative bodies for these institutions.

Through this call for applications, the city office of education plans to select six kindergartens and daycare centers as operating institutions and run the pilot project from September this year to February next year.

Kindergartens and daycare centers wishing to participate in the pilot project must submit their applications by the 1st of next month. After a review process, the final selection results will be announced in August.

To enhance understanding of the pilot project in the field, the city office of education held an information session on the 26th for about 800 participants, including staff from kindergartens, daycare centers, and city and district (county) offices.

Ha Yoonsoo, Superintendent of Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "Operating the Young Child School pilot project marks the first step toward successful integration of early childhood education and care," and added, "The office of education will do its utmost to operate the pilot project thoroughly and create high-quality education and care environments."

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education

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