'Reducing the Education Gap Without a Budget'... Public-Private Partnership Support for Disadvantaged Students

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on April 27 that it will expand the operation of "Saekkum Plus," a public-private partnership education welfare program that provides culturally, artistically, athletically, and career exploration opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Saekkum Plus is a Seoul-style education welfare model operated without the use of the education office's budget, by leveraging ESG resources from local institutions and businesses. It was first introduced last year to bridge the experience gap for students in need and to strengthen their future competencies.

Through this program, a total of 7,005 students and chaperones attended cultural performances and sports games over the past year. Of these, 40.0% experienced a cultural performance for the first time in their lives, and 64.6% attended a sports game for the first time. The satisfaction rate was 97.5% among students and 98.2% among chaperones, with 99.2% expressing a desire to participate again.

This year, the education office will comprehensively improve the program by expanding its target group from primarily elementary and middle school students to include high school students as well. In addition, the focus will shift from simple attendance at events to providing customized career education by school level.

Furthermore, the limit on the number of participants from multi-child families will be relaxed from four to six. The program will also strengthen pre-event education to foster viewing etiquette and understanding of performances, transitioning to a "learning-based viewing" model.

This year's Saekkum Plus will be implemented through three main series: culture and arts, sports, and family participation. Through "Together on Stage," a collaboration with Woori Financial Future Foundation and Good Neighbors, approximately 2,000 students will be offered both performance attendance and career education. Through "Saekkum Ground," in partnership with LG Twins, around 1,200 participants will experience professional baseball games as well as sports activities such as baseball clinics and cheerleading schools. Through "Spring with Family and Performances," in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Culture Headquarters, about 2,000 disadvantaged students and their families will be supported in attending major performances at venues such as the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.

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An official from the education office explained, "Saekkum Plus is an example of closing the education gap by connecting community resources without direct budget spending by the education office," adding, "It is a new education welfare cooperation model in which the public sector acts as a 'connector' while the private sector provides the resources."

Kim Chunghong, the acting superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "It is important to move away from a model where the education office directly provides everything and instead create greater opportunities with the community," adding, "We will continue to expand the public-private partnership-based education welfare model."

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