Lee Ju-ho "Neulbom School Increased by 97 Locations in One Month... Educational Cost Burden Will Be Alleviated"

The number of schools participating in the 'Neulbom School' program, which the government has been implementing nationwide since this month, increased by 97 within a month. It was found that Neulbom School is currently operating for first-grade elementary students in 46% of all elementary schools.

According to the '2024 First Semester Neulbom School Operation Status by Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education' announced by the Ministry of Education on the 3rd, the number of participating schools and students increased during the first month of Neulbom School implementation this year. Compared to the first day of implementation on the 4th of last month, the number of schools increased by 97, reaching a total of 2,838. The number of participating students increased by 14,000, and currently, 136,000 first-grade elementary students are using Neulbom School.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Neulbom School is a comprehensive educational program conducted at schools after regular classes. The government initially planned to start with more than 2,000 elementary schools for first graders in the first semester of this year and gradually expand the program.

On this day, Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, held a briefing at the Government Seoul Office and explained, "Neulbom School started in 2,741 schools, which is 37% more than expected," adding, "More than 120 schools in Seoul and Gwangju are planned to participate by April, so nearly half of all elementary schools will operate Neulbom School from the first semester."

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The number of Neulbom School program instructors is 17,000, which increased by about 50% over the past month. It was found that an average of 1.3 administrative staff members are assigned per school at the current 2,838 Neulbom Schools.

The Ministry of Education stated that it will cooperate with education offices and local governments to prepare programs, spaces, and personnel. It also plans to discover and organize program operation schedules and guide education offices and schools within this month. A parent monitoring group will be formed and operated in 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices within this month.

The Ministry of Education claims that the implementation of Neulbom School will alleviate the educational cost burden on families. On this day, Kim Cheon-hong, Director of the Education Welfare and Care Support Bureau at the Ministry of Education, explained, "It is expected to reduce about 230,000 KRW per month based on the after-school program unit price," adding, "However, whether private education expenses will decrease by the same amount is a separate issue, and we are considering empirical research."

Regarding personnel dedicated to the Neulbom School system, he said, "A Neulbom dedicated director will be assigned in 2025," and "Currently, we are reviewing candidates among education professionals or administrative officials." He also added that all operational personnel will be assigned by June to July to prepare for program organization and training.

In response to the question, "You mentioned securing 50 customized special school programs by 2024; are there schools currently in progress?" he answered, "We will actively establish systems to ensure that students eligible for special education can sufficiently benefit from Neulbom School."

Regarding the operation of care schools during vacations, he said, "Currently, budgets for customized programs provided free of charge for two hours are allocated to metropolitan and provincial education offices, so each office is preparing accordingly," and added, "We will continuously review matters related to meal provision."

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