Jang Seok-woong, Superintendent of Education for Jeonnam, announced the results of student recruitment and the promotion plan for the '2021 Rural Agricultural and Fishing Village Study Abroad' program through a non-face-to-face press briefing at the press room on the 26th. Photo by Jeonnam Office of Education
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education is expected to fully launch the Jeonnam Rural Agricultural and Fishing Village Study Abroad Program, jointly promoted with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, with promising prospects for success.
On the 26th, Jeonnam Superintendent of Education Jang Seok-woong announced the recruitment results for the ‘2021 Rural Agricultural and Fishing Village Study Abroad’ students and detailed implementation plans through a non-face-to-face press briefing live-streamed on the Jeonnam Education YouTube channel (Jeonnam Education TV) at the press room.
The Provincial Office of Education signed a memorandum of understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on December 7 last year and recruited study abroad students in two phases targeting elementary and middle school students in the Seoul area. As a result, a total of 106 students applied, including 85 elementary school students and 21 middle school students.
Among them, the ‘family stay type,’ where the entire family moves and lives together, was the most common with 68 students; the ‘farmhouse type,’ where students live at farms, accounted for 33 students; and the ‘center type,’ where students live at the local study abroad centers, accounted for 5 students.
The Provincial Office of Education plans to match all applicants to 25 schools in 10 cities and counties within the province, where they will transfer starting from the 1st of next month and receive eco-friendly education alongside local students. Among the matched schools in the province, Suncheon has the most with 7 schools, followed by Hwasun and Gangjin with 3 schools each, Damyang, Gokseong, Jangheung, Yeongam, and Sinan with 2 schools each, and Haenam and Jindo with 1 school each.
Seoul students who transfer to rural agricultural and fishing village schools in Jeonnam will live there for at least six months and receive small-group individualized classes together with Jeonnam students. They will be provided with healthy meals made from Jeonnam’s eco-friendly ingredients and live in villages where the ecological environment is well preserved.
The Provincial Office of Education plans to prioritize student safety in carrying out this project. Participation farmhouses and center personnel are required to complete mandatory training on child abuse and sexual violence prevention, as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Information on local sex offenders will also be provided. So far, it has been confirmed that there are no sex offenders near the schools operating the study abroad program and the students’ planned residences.
Superintendent Jang said, “Despite these efforts, there will likely be many shortcomings,” and urged, “Local governments and village officials should actively cooperate in establishing safety measures such as installing CCTV and strengthening security patrols.”
He added, “For the successful promotion of the Rural Agricultural and Fishing Village Study Abroad Program, cooperation and support from not only the schools but also local governments, residents, and village education communities are necessary.”
Furthermore, he emphasized, “Jeonnam’s small schools have a natural environment that is advantageous for preventing infectious diseases in the COVID-19 era and allow for individualized customized education. The Rural Agricultural and Fishing Village Study Abroad Program is a program that shares these advantages of Jeonnam’s small schools with urban students. Through the influx of students and their families, it is expected to revitalize local economies and increase population, as well as save Jeonnam’s small schools.”
He continued, “I hope that the study abroad students will personally experience Jeonnam’s generous hospitality and come to regard it as their ‘second hometown.’ Based on this year’s project, we plan to expand the program in cooperation with Gyeonggi-do, Incheon Metropolitan City, Gwangju Metropolitan City, and others.”
Meanwhile, the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education signed a memorandum of understanding on December 7 last year to jointly promote a study abroad program allowing Seoul students to transfer to rural agricultural and fishing village schools in Jeonnam, where the risk of infection is lower amid the COVID-19 crisis, and receive eco-friendly education.
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