Kim Dae-gi, Chief Secretary, "We Will Support to Create a Second Meister High School Boom"

Visiting Seoul Urban Science and Technology High School
Principals: "Challenging Conditions... Urgent Need for Government and Corporate Support"

Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to the President, promised on the 14th, "We will provide full support to create a second Meister High School boom."

On the same day, Kim held a meeting with principals of Meister High Schools and industry officials at Seoul Urban Science and Technology High School in Hawolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and the Presidential Office reported that he made these remarks.

The Seoul Urban Science and Technology High School, where the meeting was held, is the first Meister High School in Korea specializing in overseas construction and plant fields, established through cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Before the meeting, Kim met with students and encouraged them, saying, "I sincerely support students who have dreams of becoming core technical talents in the industrial field and are working hard."

Kim Dae-gi, Chief Secretary [Photo by Yonhap News]

At the meeting, Kim said, "Compared to when Meister High Schools were introduced, it is regrettable that they are facing difficult conditions such as a sharp decline in the school-age population and reduced government support."

Kim Bong-young, principal of Incheon Electronics Meister High School and president of the Meister High School principals' association, appealed at the meeting, "Stable and continuous interest and support from government ministries are urgently needed."

Lee Man-hee, principal of Seoul Urban Science and Technology High School, also requested, "It is necessary to expand the interest and cooperation of companies, including large corporations, that provide quality employment opportunities so that students can realize their dreams of becoming technical masters in their 20s."

Kim promised, "We will spare no effort in providing full support, including budget, to nurture technical talents in the global era. We will carefully ensure that more systematic government support is implemented."

Meister High Schools were introduced in 2008 during the Lee Myung-bak administration with the aim of nurturing technical talents who can be immediately deployed to industrial sites. This year, 54 schools are operating nationwide.

Meanwhile, the government announced the 'Secondary Vocational Education Development Plan' on August 24 to create a second Meister High School boom and enable secondary vocational education to make a leap forward through a pan-governmental effort.