[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Dooyul] The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education is striving to maintain the highest level of integrity with the vision of "Clean Ulsan Education through Participation and Communication."
On the 17th, the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education announced the "2023 Integrity Measures," which include four promotion strategies?advancing the foundation for corruption prevention and integrity, eradicating corruption and enhancing trust, transforming integrity awareness, and spreading and establishing an integrity culture?along with 72 detailed tasks.
In January, the Ulsan Office of Education received a grade 2 overall integrity rating in the 2022 Public Institution Comprehensive Integrity Evaluation announced by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. This score ranks second among the 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide, placing it in the top tier.
This year, to strengthen the foundation for corruption prevention and integrity, an Integrity Measures Task Force led by the Superintendent of Education will be operated monthly. Alongside the existing Public Interest Reporting Center and Power Harassment Reporting Center, a new "Safe Lawyer" section will be established on the office’s website to promote anonymous proxy reporting.
In the area of eradicating corruption and enhancing trust, transparency will be reinforced by disclosing details of school principals’ business trips and private contracts. Monitoring will be conducted in cooperation with relevant departments on tasks directly related to internal and external perceptions of integrity, and strict disciplinary standards will be applied if violations are found.
An integrity violation advisory will be issued during corruption-prone periods through official document postings to foster an integrity culture.
In the field of transforming integrity awareness, an integrity evaluation for high-ranking public officials will be conducted to encourage exemplary leadership. Additionally, teachers and local government officials will be trained as integrity education instructors to share the direction of integrity policies and values.
From September to October, a visiting integrity council will be held for all schools and institutions to enhance the commitment to practicing integrity.
Corruption-prone areas will be monitored to oversee and prevent corruption in external contracts. In particular, new integrity education materials tailored to the level of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary students will be developed this year to strengthen integrity education for students.
To spread and establish an integrity culture, a public-private cooperation integrity network will be built. Integrity roundtable discussions, integrity campaigns, and Integrity Day will be operated, and an integrity calendar will be produced to enhance communication.
A new "Integrity Guide" section will also be established on the office’s website to provide information on integrity-related matters that need to be known in educational settings.
Acting Superintendent of Education Choi Seongbu said, "With the awareness that clean Ulsan education is our face, we will create an integrity organizational culture with the exemplary leadership of high-ranking officials and the participation of all members," adding, "We will actively promote integrity movements with the local community and parents so that the integrity culture can spread beyond the Ulsan education sector to the entire Ulsan region."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
