Kim Daejung: "Fair Treatment as Top Priority"... Preparing Unified Education Ordinances for Gwangju and Jeonnam

Jeonnam Office of Education Speeds Up Legislation for Gwangju-Jeonnam Education Integration Ordinance

142 Mid-Level Managers Hold Policy Discussion, Deriving 18 Key Agenda Items

The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education has begun full-scale efforts to revise practical autonomous regulations (ordinances and rules) to lead a successful integration of educational administration, in line with the launch of the 'Jeonnam·Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City' on July 1.

According to the Office of Education on March 16, Superintendent Kim Daejung held a policy discussion in the main auditorium of the headquarters, attended by 142 mid-level managers, including team leaders from the main office and directors from the education support offices.

This discussion was organized ahead of the enforcement of the 'Special Act on the Establishment of Jeonnam·Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City,' aiming to concretize key educational special provisions into ordinances that reflect local circumstances. In particular, the event focused on minimizing potential confusion at the field level during the integration process between the two institutions and on seeking stable integration measures.

Participants were divided into 18 groups for in-depth discussions. The main agenda items covered 18 core areas, including: ▲autonomous organizational management ▲HR system operation ▲curriculum reflecting regional characteristics ▲responses to population decline and the risk of local extinction ▲fostering regionally specialized talent. They derived directions for incorporating the special act’s provisions into ordinances that can be implemented in actual educational settings.

Above all, realistic suggestions were made regarding the pressing issue of 'HR and organizational' matters in the field of education. Participants agreed that the ordinances must clearly stipulate guarantees of workplaces and fair treatment for those appointed before the integration, in order to alleviate anxiety. In addition, there was a strong call for clear administrative manuals to address educational gaps between Gwangju and Jeonnam and to prevent work overload resulting from the integration of systems.

Superintendent Kim Daejung expressed his empathy, stating, "The driving force that fills the large framework of the special act comes from your collective intelligence, as you know the educational field best," and added, "I am well aware of the anxiety in the field regarding HR and organizational restructuring."

He further pledged, "The top priority in enacting ordinances will be 'fair treatment,' and I will establish a strong institutional foundation so that faculty and staff can focus on their work with confidence."

The Office of Education plans to systematically collect the wide range of suggestions made during this discussion, and actively utilize them as key foundational materials for future autonomous legislation and practical consultations with the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.

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