134 Special Classes Newly Established and Expanded... Incheon Office of Education Develops Special Education Improvement Plan

Joint Agreement Announced with 15 Educational Organizations

The Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education has announced plans to improve special education, including the establishment and expansion of 134 special classes.

On the 19th, the Office of Education released a "Joint Agreement for the Improvement of Special Education in Incheon" together with 15 educational organizations, including teacher groups, disability organizations, and the Autonomous Supervision Council. The agreement, prepared in response to the death of a special education teacher in Incheon last year, includes nine major tasks and 33 detailed tasks, such as alleviating overcrowded special classes, enhancing the authority of special education teachers, and reducing their workload.

Incheon Superintendent of Education Doseong Hoon and representatives of 15 educational organizations are posing for a commemorative photo at the signing ceremony of the "Incheon Special Education Improvement Joint Agreement" held at the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

Starting from the 1st of next month, the Office of Education will establish and expand 134 special classes in the region, and revise related ordinances to allow immediate establishment of special classes if the number of students in a class exceeds the standard limit. The function of the Special Education Operation Committee, which reviews the selection and placement of students eligible for special education, will also be strengthened.

Additionally, the budget for psychological counseling support for special education students, teachers, and guardians will be expanded. Schools with three or more special classes will have a dedicated special education head teacher assigned, and special education teachers will be guided to avoid taking on dual duties outside of special education tasks as much as possible.

After a special education teacher, A, at an elementary school in Incheon passed away last October due to the heavy workload from managing overcrowded special classes, a dedicated special education task force composed of internal and external personnel of the Office of Education was launched in November last year.

Do Seong-hoon, Superintendent of the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "Previously, the expansion of special classes was based on school requests, but from this year, the Office of Education will directly decide on the establishment and expansion of special classes. We will earnestly implement the contents of the agreement, taking the improvement of special education conditions as a task of the times."

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