Lee Jeongseon, Gwangju Superintendent of Education Preliminary Candidate, Announces Career and Academic Advancement Policy in Preparation for High School Credit System

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[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Lee Jeong-seon, a preliminary candidate for Gwangju Superintendent of Education (former president of Gwangju National University of Education), announced five major career and college admission policies on the 25th (Monday) at the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education briefing room, pledging to take responsibility for the career and college admissions of all students in Gwangju.

Candidate Lee proposed five policies for career and college admissions: ▲ Establishment of the ‘Gwangju Career and College Education Center’ as an integrated support base linking elementary, middle, and high schools, ▲ Operation of a ‘24-hour career counseling service’ based on the high school credit system, ▲ Training of college admission specialist directors and placement of regional career and college consultants, ▲ Reorganization of specialized high school departments for small and strong specialized high schools, and ▲ Operation of a free semester system focused on career exploration.

Before announcing the policies, Candidate Lee diagnosed the current state of Gwangju education, stating, “Gwangju education has neglected competency-based education required by future society and career-based college admission guidance education,” and added, “The number of career guidance personnel by school level is also zero in elementary schools, one in middle schools, and one in high schools, making it very difficult to actively respond to the changing educational environment, career education, and college admission policies.”

First, he stated, “We will establish the ‘Gwangju Career and College Education Center,’ which will serve as a navigation system for career and college admissions, creating an integrated support base linking elementary, middle, and high schools,” and explained, “Through the Career and College Education Center, we will systematically strengthen career education in preparation for future society, restructure vocational education, and actively respond to changing college admission policies to complete personalized career-based college admission guidance.”

He also mentioned the increasing demand from parents for counseling due to a lack of information not only on high school admissions but also on college admission systems, saying, “We will train and deploy education designers who cover career, college admission, and curriculum through the ‘Education Designer Mastering’ training course,” and added, “Together with counseling teachers by school level, we will establish a counseling system based on curriculum and career to provide a ‘24-hour career counseling service.’”

Candidate Lee said, “To restore professionalism in public education counseling, we will train ‘one college admission specialist director per high school’ to reduce disparities in college admission guidance by high school and provide high-quality college admission consulting,” and also stated, “We will place regional career and college consultants to provide up-to-date information on changing college admission policies and build the nation’s best career and college counseling environment.”

Pointing out that some specialized high schools composed of traditional departments face rejection from students and parents with support rates of 50-60%, he said, “We will promote the reorganization of specialized high school departments suitable for an AI-centered city, beyond just opening AI departments, including drones, 3D printers, big data, autonomous driving, and renewable energy,” and emphasized, “We will lead the transformation of specialized high schools through major department reorganizations and consulting support for departments advantageous for employment, such as beauty, golf caddie, and cooking.”

He continued, “The Gwangju-type free semester system, expanded to all middle schools since 2018, has limitations in student choice in activities and concerns about learning gaps in the field, contrary to its original purpose,” and stated, “We will expand the budget to secure excellent instructors to increase student choice and establish an autonomous academic ability measurement system linked with the ‘Smart AI Homework Program’ project to prevent learning gaps among students.”

Finally, Candidate Lee asserted, “I am confident in implementing the nation’s most advanced career and college education, and I will create a solid career and college education environment that freely considers and nurtures our children’s careers,” and emphasized, “By establishing a dense network-style career and college education system, Gwangju will nurture talent, and talent will in turn nurture Gwangju, completing a virtuous cycle.”

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