25 Sites Designated as 2nd Pilot Areas for Education Development Special Zones... Financial Support for 3 Years

25 Selected Out of 47 Applications
Administrative and Financial Support After Committee Consulting
Promotion of Special Law Enactment for Regulatory Relaxation

The government has selected 25 locations for the second phase of the pilot program for the region-specific education reform initiative called 'Education Development Special Zones.' These selected areas will operate as special zones receiving financial support for the next three years through government consulting and management.

The Ministry of Education and the Local Era Committee announced the results of the second designation of pilot areas for the Education Development Special Zones on the 30th at the Government Seoul Office.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, stated, "The Education Development Special Zones are a collaborative platform where local entities, who best understand their regional circumstances, cooperate to lead innovation across all fields of education and regional development. We will provide wholehearted support so that the locally driven educational revolution initiated in these zones takes root nationwide and truly blossoms into a genuine local era."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Education Development Special Zones are an education reform plan where local governments and education offices collaborate with regional institutions such as universities and industries to develop tailored education development strategies for local residents. Previously, the Ministry of Education designated 31 cases as the first phase pilot areas in February. This time, among 47 education innovation models proposed by regions, 25 were selected as the second phase pilot areas through evaluation by the Education Development Special Zones Committee and deliberation and resolution by the Local Era Committee.

In Type 1 (basic local governments), 21 out of 43 applications were selected. One was designated in Type 2, and three local governments were designated in Type 3.

[Source: Ministry of Education]

The pilot areas of the Education Development Special Zones operate as leading areas and managed areas, with managed areas receiving strengthened performance management and support, including annual evaluations and additional consulting. Consulting is also provided to preliminary designated areas to supplement their operation plans.

The second phase pilot areas designated this time will prepare detailed project operation plans for each special zone after receiving consulting from the advisory committee of the Education Development Special Zones, and based on these plans, they will receive administrative and financial support such as special local education finance grants. The pilot areas will operate for approximately three years.

The Ministry of Education plans to strengthen the institutional foundation for operating the special zones by enacting a 'Special Act on the Designation and Operation of Education Development Special Zones (tentative name),' which reflects various exceptions and regulatory improvements proposed by the pilot areas.

An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "The purpose of this project is to create an ecosystem where local autonomy, educational autonomy, and general autonomy work together to nurture local talent and enable them to settle in the region. If plans conceived locally cannot be implemented due to regulations, the government will promote regulatory relief through a special act."

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