Gukgyowi to Present 10-Year National Education Development Plan... "Creativity, Challenge, Empathy, Cooperation"

Collecting Opinions Through Afternoon Grand Debate
Realizing National Responsibility System for Public Education Improvement
University Restructuring, Government Investment Expansion
Criticism of "Top-Down Design" in Discussion

The National Education Commission, which establishes the National Education Development Plan, will present a mid- to long-term national education development plan for the next 10 years on the occasion of its 2nd anniversary. It plans to propose practical tasks such as a national responsibility system for improving public education and a comprehensive restructuring of universities, with the core values of 'creativity, challenge, empathy, and cooperation.'

On the afternoon of the 25th, the National Education Commission will hold a '2nd Anniversary Commemorative Grand Debate' at the Korea Press Center and announce the contents of the '2026-2035 Mid- to Long-term National Education Development Plan.' The purpose is to gather opinions through discussions with various stakeholders in education, including education officials, parents, teachers, and students attending the event.

[Source: National Education Commission]

The National Education Commission was established directly under the President in 2022 and is mandated to establish a national education development plan every 10 years. Over the past two years, the Commission has held 34 committee meetings, discussions within affiliated committees such as expert and special committees, conducted policy research and public perception surveys, engaged with a 500-member public participation committee and a 200-member national curriculum monitoring group, and held meetings with local governments, according to their explanation.

The main direction presents the vision of a 'learning society where everyone grows together and nurtures hope.' It emphasizes that everyone, as a subject of growth, should be able to learn throughout all educational processes without exclusion, based on an educational environment and content suited to individual abilities and aptitudes.

The core values are set as 'creativity and challenge, empathy and cooperation.' The key goals include ▲ creative education that opens dreams and the future ▲ progressive education that fosters thinking ability and a spirit of challenge ▲ warm education that empathizes, cares, and cooperates.

[Source: National Education Commission]

Specifically, it promises the stabilization of the integration of early childhood and elementary education, the establishment of Neulbom Schools, and the realization of educational welfare. It also emphasizes implementing a national responsibility system for public education improvement, from guaranteeing basic academic skills to nurturing future talents, and establishing an evaluation and college admission system that fosters future talents. Furthermore, it plans to reform the entire teacher system according to the teacher's life cycle and expand character education. For the higher education system, it aims for a comprehensive restructuring and increased government investment. It also proposes guaranteeing customized lifelong learning opportunities according to life stages to strengthen vocational and lifelong education.

During the designated discussion on the day, evaluations and suggestions on the plan from education figures are expected to follow. Shin Hyun-seok, president of the Korean Educational Society, said before the discussion, "The mid- to long-term national education development plan led by the National Education Commission, based on the National Education Commission Act, symbolically represents the preparation of a future education blueprint at the national level every 10 years. It has segmented the direction of Korean education into practical tasks consolidated in the space-time of today, here and now, following the flow of past, present, and future."

However, he pointed out, "In terms of composition and content planning, there are no groundbreaking ideas that would provide a fresh shock as a blueprint for future education plans. The top-down structural and functional design often results in paper reforms that have achievements and outcomes but fail to realize the intended reforms and changes."

Park Sang-gyu, president of the Korean Council for University Education, commented on the higher education development plan, saying, "The comprehensive restructuring of the higher education system can be seen as an active opportunity for higher education development, considering crisis situations such as demographic changes and regional depopulation." He emphasized the restructuring of types of higher education institutions and the expansion of university research support.

Lee Baeyong, chairman of the National Education Commission, stated, "We have a heavy responsibility to ensure that education becomes a source of growth and hope, and we will strive to create a world where all our citizens and students are happier." He added, "We will contemplate the essence of education that must be preserved despite changing times and respond to the uncertainties and complexities of future society by exercising rational and sound intellectual power based on cooperation and communication."

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