Park Jong-hoon, Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education, "iTalkTalk Learning Results to be Released in September"

"We will unveil a surprising work this coming September."

Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Park Jong-hoon said this at the press conference commemorating the first anniversary of his inauguration held on the 27th.

Superintendent Park said, "Since implementing the big data and artificial intelligence (AI) platform iTalkTalk in 2021, learning data has been accumulated up to this year," and added, "A digital report card, which shows the results of AI analyzing children's learning tendencies, learning processes, achievement levels, strengths, and weaknesses based on the accumulated data, will be released in September."

He continued, "The digital report card can be viewed anytime, providing teachers with information and clues helpful for students' career paths and college admissions, and informing parents of their children's weaknesses, strengths, and areas for improvement to understand their achievement levels."

He also shared news that although the platform itself was canceled due to differences of opinion with the Ministry of Education regarding the distribution of iTalkTalk developed by the Gyeongnam Office of Education, it has been decided to open iTalkTalk to schools nationwide.

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, is listening to reporters' questions at a press conference commemorating the first anniversary of his inauguration.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

Superintendent Park then explained the operational direction of the Gyeongnam Future Education Center, which will open in September.

The Gyeongnam Future Education Center was constructed at a total project cost of 52.5 billion KRW on a 14,144.73㎡ site in Uiryeong-eup, Uiryeong-gun, with a three-story building above ground.

He said, "Currently, educational content worth about 8 billion KRW has been installed in the completed building and is undergoing test operation," adding, "From the last week of July, pilot operations with a small number of students will begin, followed by an international conference around mid-August, and the opening ceremony is scheduled for early September."

He explained that the center will mainly operate regional linkage programs where up to 1,000 students at a time are divided into groups of 500 to alternately participate in in-house production experiences and community-linked programs.

"We will provide accommodations at the Gyeongnam Student Education Center in Uiryeong where families of four can stay overnight on weekends to experience the programs," he said, adding, "This year, the center will operate without breaks on weekends and holidays, and next year it plans to close every Monday."

Regarding questions about the recent decision by the provincial council to cut the entire supplementary budget for the Happy Education District and Happy Village School, he said, "I am very angry, but I cannot teach children with anger."

At the education office's Monday meeting on the 26th, he said, "You should not take away children's happiness just because you don't like Park Jong-hoon," and added, "The Happy Education District project was a policy carried out with 18 mayors and county heads in the province to support children in enjoying after-school hours happily through various experiential activities."

On that day, he criticized, "More than 50% of the 400,000 students in the province enjoyed happiness through various play and experiences with village teachers, but the provincial council misinterpreted this due to factional and ideological issues and took away those children's happiness," and said, "The provincial council is promoting private education."

He added, "The budget for visiting digital sex education was also cut, apparently because the provincial council does not like the sex education instructors," and expressed regret, saying, "It is very unfortunate that children in island areas or with urban accessibility issues are excluded from benefits because they cannot receive proper sex education."

Gyeongnam Office of Education Mobile Workshop Experience Vehicle 'Dream-Car-melon'.
Photo by Gyeongnam Office of Education

Superintendent Park said, "In September, the Happy Village School will close, and the mobile workshop experience vehicle, Chameleon, will stop," adding, "We will work with education support offices, departments, affiliated institutions, and public libraries to find ways to supplement children's happiness so that they can spend better after-school hours."

Regarding the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, he emphasized, "Personally, I oppose the discharge, but as a superintendent of education, the focus should be on preventing radioactive contaminated food materials from entering."

He stated, "Even if the contaminated water does not currently exceed standards, once discharge begins and accumulates, it will have adverse effects on children," and announced measures including a full survey of radioactivity for 15 frequently served seafood items in school meals, separate ordering of seafood, instructions to schools to verify radiation inspection certificates, and warnings and alerts to all schools in the province in case of contamination.

Regarding confusion in the education field over killer questions in the college scholastic ability test, he said, "I refrained from making public remarks fearing joining the ranks that amplify confusion in the education field, but removing 22 killer questions will not solve the problem," and added, "We do not have time to waver now; I want to ask each school to prepare well for the CSAT as we have done so far."

On rumors about running in next year's general election, he firmly stated, "I have not thought about it at all."

"When influential people in Yangsan, Gimhae, and Jinhae asked, I replied that being a superintendent of education is better than being a member of the National Assembly," he said, adding, "It has only been one year since I was elected for the third term as superintendent, so it is not right to think otherwise."

At the end of the conference, Superintendent Park said, "With the thought of laying the foundation for future education and considering the children 30 years from now, I will do my best to finish the remaining term well so that Gyeongnam education can have a positive influence," and added, "I will do my best to remain as a leading office of education in Korea and as the superintendent who led it."