Dobong-gu Takes Active Steps to Implement the First 'Dobong-gu 8th Term Comprehensive Education Plan' Among Seoul’s Autonomous Districts
Setting Four Major Policy Goals Under the Vision of ‘Dobong, an Educational City Where All Generations Grow Together’
▲Strengthening the Public Nature of Education ▲Enhancing Convenient and Seamless Elementary Care ▲Creating a Safe and Healthy Educational Environment ▲Providing Customized Learning Support Throughout Life
Systematic Education Tasks Carried Out Through Four Major Goals and 12 Core Tasks
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eon-seok) has become the first autonomous district in Seoul to establish a mid- to long-term education policy, the 'Dobong-gu 8th Term Comprehensive Education Plan,' focusing its efforts on education tasks through 2026.
This is to systematically manage education-related projects during the 8th term and to respond to the declining school-age population and the transition to a digital society.
Under the educational vision of ‘Dobong, an educational city where all generations grow together,’ the district set four major goals: ▲strengthening the public nature of education ▲enhancing convenient and seamless elementary care ▲creating a safe and healthy educational environment ▲providing customized learning support throughout life.
Specifically, four major areas were established: ▲strengthening the public nature of care through ‘elementary care support’ ▲nurturing tomorrow’s talents through ‘student education support’ ▲creating a safe and healthy ‘educational environment improvement’ together ▲and ‘adult learning support’ for learning and growing together, selecting 12 core tasks.
■ Strengthening the Public Nature of Care: ‘Elementary Care Support’
First, the district will strengthen the all-day care system by establishing one Our Neighborhood Care Center in each dong (neighborhood). Dobong-gu currently operates six Our Neighborhood Care Centers, facilities that provide after-school care near elementary students’ schools and homes, and plans to open a 7th center in the second half of this year. Considering both internal and external circumstances comprehensively, the district aims to expand these centers by 2026.
Additionally, services at community child centers, which provide comprehensive care services for children needing after-school care, will be expanded. The district currently operates and supports 17 community child centers and will expand emergency and temporary care services to eliminate blind spots in elementary care in line with the ‘Mom and Dad Happiness Project’ implementation plan.
Moreover, the district will expand and improve programs at the ‘Moduit’ elementary after-school support center, the first of its kind nationwide, and the Dobong-style after-school program ‘Banggeut’ to provide more stable elementary care services.
■ Nurturing Tomorrow’s Talents: ‘Student Education Support’
The district plans to promote the ‘University-Linked Dobong Native English Camp,’ utilizing excellent human and material resources from universities. This aims to help local elementary students develop interest and confidence in English, with a pilot operation targeted for 2024, and the institutional groundwork currently under review.
To provide more accurate and systematic information on the rapidly changing college entrance system, the district will strengthen customized college admission planning support. The ‘College Entrance Exam Briefing Session,’ held once a year until last year, will be expanded to seven times this year, and a college admission academy will be operated according to major university entrance schedules. Furthermore, personalized 1:1 entrance and admission consulting will be provided for high school students through a counseling office within the district office, and a career and admission fair will be held in the second half of this year to improve admission rates to specialized and general high schools in the region.
To alleviate private education costs for local students and parents, the district will expand support for internet lecture vouchers for middle and high school students. Through a joint usage agreement with Gangnam-gu, ‘Gangnam Online Lectures’ will be provided, and the number of supported students will be gradually increased through 2026.
■ Creating a Safe and Healthy ‘Educational Environment Improvement’ Together
This year, the district has allocated a total of 8.1 billion KRW in the education expense budget, including 5 billion KRW for school meals, 1.4 billion KRW for facility environment improvement support, and 1.7 billion KRW for education program support, to provide safe food and improve aging school facilities, thereby offering a pleasant and safe educational environment for students.
In addition, through the Seoul City-Dobong-gu education cooperation project, efforts will be made to support programs that enhance academic achievement and career exploration opportunities for vulnerable groups. Dobong-gu is the first autonomous district in Seoul to operate the ‘Dobong Elementary Care Bus Tayo,’ supporting after-school care programs utilizing various educational spaces outside of school.
■ Learning and Growing Together: ‘Adult Learning Support’
A new adult literacy school will be established to provide compulsory education and academic qualification opportunities for adults who missed formal school education, and academic recognition programs for elementary and middle school levels will be gradually expanded by 2026.
Additionally, the district plans to increase the number of supported clubs in the ‘Dobong-gu Excellent Lifelong Education Program Contest,’ which discovers and fosters excellent programs and learning clubs at local lifelong education institutions, aiming for 30 clubs by 2026. The number of neighborhood lifelong learning centers for local residents will also be expanded from the current 11 to 14 by 2026.
Oh Eon-seok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, stated, “The new projects discovered through the establishment of the Dobong-gu 8th Term Comprehensive Education Plan will be systematically promoted under institutional frameworks through consultations with related organizations such as the district council, Seoul city, and the Ministry of Education. In this process, we will deeply collect opinions from schools, parents, and students on the ground to complement and develop education policies for Dobong, an educational city where all generations grow together.”
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