Preliminary Gyeongnam Education Superintendent Candidate Kim Younggon: "Prescriptions Without Diagnosis Are Irresponsible"

Demand for Disclosure of Gyeongnam Basic Academic Skills Data

Concerns have been raised that Gyeongnam’s basic academic skills policy still remains in an "unseen area."

On February 11, Kim Younggon, preliminary candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education, officially called through his social media account for basic academic skills data in the Gyeongnam region to be released by grade level and by region.

Kim Younggon, preliminary candidate for Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education.

Kim said, "Basic academic skills are not about stigma; they are the starting point for asking where education must begin to take responsibility," adding, "If we do not even know where learning loss is occurring, in which grades, and in which subjects, then any countermeasure will inevitably end up as an empty echo."

Regarding the current method used by the Gyeongnam Office of Education to release information on basic academic skills, Kim pointed out the limitation that "it is difficult to verify the effectiveness of policies under a structure where detailed status by city, county, and school level is not disclosed and only aggregate figures are announced."

He stated, "Simply repeating that there is a problem cannot be considered fulfilling the responsibilities of educational administration," and added, "The basics of educational administration are to make clear where the problems lie, to concentrate resources on those points, and to explain the results."

He went on to say, "Education that offers prescriptions while hiding the diagnosis is nothing more than irresponsibility wrapped in good intentions."

The basic academic skills data items whose disclosure Kim is demanding are: (1) the percentage of students falling below the basic academic skills level by grade in elementary, middle, and high schools; (2) the status of basic academic skills by region at the city and county level; and (3) data on trends in changes in basic academic skills over the past three to five years.

On this point, Kim explained, "Releasing data is not about stigmatizing particular schools or students," and said, "It is the minimum condition for reaching out first to the places where support is most desperately needed."

In particular, Kim drew a clear line against letting the debate over basic academic skills devolve into a simple dichotomy of 'disclosure versus non-disclosure,' arguing, "The era when hiding something could be called protection is already over. Responsibility begins with transparency, and improvement is only possible when there is responsibility."

He continued, "The superintendent of education is not a position for boasting about achievements, but a position for explaining and taking responsibility for results," stressing that "the issue of basic academic skills is the top priority for Gyeongnam education and can no longer be postponed."

Kim stated, "To say we are responsible for a child’s day means that within that day, a minimum level of learning is actually guaranteed," and added, "When it comes to the issue of basic academic skills, Gyeongnam education must choose the most honest and most responsible form of administration."

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