Seoul Metropolitan Council Operates 'Youth Assembly Classroom' in Both In-Person and Online Formats

Seoul Metropolitan Council Operates 20 Sessions of '2021 Youth Assembly Classroom' for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students... Flexible Operation of Online and Offline Sessions According to COVID-19 Situation... Experience Parliamentary Democracy Processes Including Debates and Voting to Promote Understanding of Local Assemblies

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim In-ho) will operate the Youth Council Classroom for elementary, middle, and high school students a total of 20 times from the 17th, starting with Seoul Gowon Elementary School, until October.

The Youth Council Classroom is a program operated annually by the Seoul Metropolitan Council to help young people enhance their sound democratic citizenship capabilities and gain a proper understanding of representative democracy through experiencing the council. This year, depending on the COVID-19 situation, it will be flexibly operated in both non-face-to-face (online video conferencing) and face-to-face (on-site experience in the main council chamber) formats.

On the first day of this year's Youth Council Classroom, the 17th, about 40 sixth-grade students from Seoul Gowon Elementary School will participate in the council classroom in a non-face-to-face format, experiencing the council proceedings as council members for a day and having time to experience various programs prepared by the council.

To enhance the sense of presence in the non-face-to-face format, a vlog introducing the Seoul Metropolitan Council will be conducted with real-time broadcasting from the main council chamber, opening the door to the Youth Council Classroom.

It will then proceed in the order of entrance ceremony, mock council agenda processing, quiz program, and completion ceremony.

In particular, the mock council agenda reflects youth interests, allowing participants to choose in advance from prepared agendas or those directly proposed by students.

By experiencing the council proceedings such as debates for and against and voting on agendas directly adopted by participating students, they can participate more interestingly.

Chairman Kim In-ho said, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council supports young people, the future leaders, to properly understand local autonomy through council experience and grow into mature democratic citizens. The Seoul Metropolitan Council will do its best to listen carefully to the valuable opinions of youth and reflect them in policies for youth.”

Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Council responded to the changed educational environment due to COVID-19 by operating the first non-face-to-face online council classroom among city and provincial councils nationwide 13 times, receiving great responses from participants.