Creating Customized Education Enjoyed in Nature: 'Gokseong Yuhak'
[Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-seon] Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Lee Sang-cheol) is concretizing and realizing the Gokseong-style education system with the educational philosophy that "children who play joyfully in the embrace of nature grow up happy."
Gokseong-gun is a super-aged area where one in three residents is over 65 years old.
With a population of just about 27,000, it is difficult to escape the stigma of being a region expected to face population extinction.
Gokseong County, together with the Gokseong Office of Education and the Gokseong Future Education Foundation, created a customized education program called 'Gokseong Yuhak' to enjoy learning in nature. Photo by Gokseong County
In response, Gokseong-gun, Gokseong Office of Education, Gokseong Future Education Foundation, and small local schools boldly broke down regional barriers to actively and organically respond to the new educational environment beyond the limits of education support at the county level.
As a result of everyone's concerted efforts, Gokseong-gun created a customized education program enjoyed in nature called "Gokseong Yuhak."
Living a rural study-abroad life in clean nature was so attractive that students who had only received remote classes due to the impact of COVID-19 and parents tired of city life gave up living in Seoul.
Especially, early participants' parents' testimonials about Gokseong Yuhak spread by word of mouth in various communities, leading to a flood of inquiries about Gokseong Yuhak in Gokseong-gun.
Since the launch of the Gokseong Yuhak program in 2021, Osan Elementary School's total enrollment increased from 14 to 30 students, a rise of 16 students.
The class format also normalized from combined classes for grades 1 and 2 to separate classes by grade.
The Gokseong-style rural study-abroad education, "Gokseong Yuhak," established the "Dodam Dodam Yuhak Village," a family-stay residential facility complex for rural study-abroad, to differentiate itself from other local governments.
Additionally, remodeling support was provided for farmhouses to ensure a stable residential environment for the students.
In particular, the Gokseong Office of Education and Gokseong Future Education Foundation cooperate to offer various educational programs along with village community programs to help students and parents adapt.
One of the educational programs by the Gokseong Future Education Foundation is forest education, which is operated with different target groups by grade.
Programs such as Goblin Village forest experience, rope playground, Dream Play Tree Climbing, and forest navigation are conducted to enhance children's ecological sensitivity and foster imagination.
The "Exciting Gokseong Everywhere" study-abroad program, held annually for families of both new and current students, is also very popular.
It offers special experiences that deepen mutual bonds by allowing participants to experience authentic rural life activities such as catching sweetfish with bare hands, house water play, and making apple chili paste.
Gokseong-gun plans to actively utilize the Local Extinction Response Fund to expand the family-stay residential facility complex for Gokseong Yuhak from one zone to five zones.
They will continuously improve the residential environment so that not only students but anyone can settle in Gokseong.
An official from the county said, "Gokseong-gun, Gokseong Office of Education, and Gokseong Future Education Foundation are working together to create better Gokseong education. We will develop special educational programs unique to Gokseong to make it a 'bucket list' destination where all children and parents want to live at least once."
Gokseong=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Cha Jong-seon hss79@asiae.co.kr
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