Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Education Office Completes "K-Education" Blueprint...77 Policy Proposals Delivered

49 Days of On-Site Feedback... 324 Citizen Proposals Reflected in the Policy Document
Superintendent Kim Daejung: "Grateful to the Preparatory Committee... Will Use Proposal as a Compass for Future Education"

The detailed blueprint for the integration of educational administration in Jeonnam and Gwangju has finally been unveiled. The Preparatory Committee, which has identified “student-centered education” as its core value, has announced 77 policy proposals that are set to become a new standard for education in Korea, signaling the official launch toward the “K-Education Special City.”

On the morning of July 28, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Education Office Preparatory Committee held a “K-Education Special City Preparatory Committee Policy Proposal Delivery Ceremony: Shaping the Future of Korean Education” at the main conference hall on the second floor of the Jeonnam Government Complex. More than 160 officials, including Superintendent of Education Kim Daejung, headquarters executives, transition committee members, and working committee members, attended the event.

More than 160 officials from the headquarters, transition committee members, and working-level staff attended the handover ceremony, pledging the success of the newly launched Integrated Office of Education. Photo by Lee Joon-kyung

Field-Oriented Organizational Reform...New Regional Offices and Reduced Teacher Workload

The policy proposal released that day is based on the basic philosophy of “schools for students, and an education office that serves schools.” It consists of a total of 77 core projects. Specifically, there are 56 policy tasks to address immediate issues and 21 development initiatives that set forth mid- to long-term visions, providing a concrete blueprint for education in Jeonnam and Gwangju.

The “key policy” section, which accounts for the largest proportion, includes 30 detailed projects. Among them are 17 innovative classroom-level initiatives directly aimed at student growth, as well as meticulously designed plans for establishing a customized student welfare system and tailored support measures for faculty and staff.

For the area of “future talent development,” which aims to prepare for the coming era, 14 projects have been assigned. These include five initiatives under the so-called “education for and by the region” (“Ji-San-Ji-So” projects), four AI education projects, and other agenda items reflecting societal needs such as liberal arts, arts, physical education, and ecological transformation education.

Furthermore, in the area of “autonomy and decentralization,” which fundamentally transforms the framework of traditional educational administration, 12 projects have been identified. There are seven projects to achieve field-oriented educational self-governance and decentralization, and five initiatives focusing on utilizing AI to streamline administrative work to reduce administrative burdens on frontline educators. These tasks aim to establish an environment where schools can fully focus on delivering education.

Superintendent Kim Dae-jung is delivering a greeting while expressing gratitude to the members of the preparatory committee who completed a 49-day grand march. Photo by Lee Jung-kyung

This comprehensive plan was crafted based on input from the field. Since the committee was launched on June 10, a total of 95 members were divided into four subcommittees and carried out a demanding schedule over 49 days.

Various channels were employed to collect opinions, including departmental work-sharing meetings, direct agency roundtables, and forums hosted by education support offices. In particular, 324 citizen proposals submitted via the Citizen Communication Committee, Education Vision Committee, and online message boards were thoroughly analyzed and actively reflected in the proposal.

The policy proposal is built around three main pillars: ▲ enhancement of autonomy and decentralization ▲ job creation ▲ classroom innovation. The aim is to move away from the bureaucratic structure of issuing directives and allocating budgets and transform into an organization directly supporting the school environment.

To achieve this, a three-region broad-area system will be established, along with the gradual streamlining of the headquarters. The plan is to introduce an open recruitment system for superintendents, to boldly transfer school administrative tasks to education support offices, and thus enable schools to concentrate on their core function as pure educational institutions.

The proposal also highlights regional industry-linked job creation strategies. Along with restructuring vocational high schools, “Little Factabs”—scaled-down models of mega-factories—will be set up within schools to build a school-industry cooperation system where students can directly transition into industrial fields.

At the "K-Education Special City Policy Proposal Delivery Ceremony," Superintendent Kim Daejung (right) and Preparatory Committee Chairman Kim Kyungbeom exchanged electronic policy proposals. Photo by Lee Junggyeong

To strengthen science and engineering education, plans include establishing science high schools and gifted high schools, and operating 20 science-focused schools. In addition, a “Curriculum Development and Evaluation Center” will be created to comprehensively manage curricula, classes, and assessments, while a “Safe Education Counseling Office” will be established to foster an environment in which teachers can focus solely on teaching.

Carbon-Neutral Practice in Tablet-Based Handover Ceremony: "Not an End, but a Beginning"

The handover ceremony stood out for its carbon-neutral approach, using tablet PCs for delivering electronic documents instead of paper booklets.

Chair of the Preparatory Committee Kim Kyungbum stated, “We rigorously reviewed interdepartmental consultations, field forums, and 324 citizen proposals (including 111 online submissions) over the 49 days since our launch to include highly actionable tasks in the proposal. I hope this proposal will serve as a strong milestone for establishing a new benchmark in Korean education.”

Superintendent Kim Daejung emphasized, “In the face of the historic integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju educational administration after 40 years, I extend my deep gratitude to the preparatory committee for laying a solid foundation for execution. With this policy proposal as a reliable compass, we will strive to create new hope for Korean education.”

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