[Report] Children Staying at School Instead of Hagwon... "Reduced Private Education Expenses"

Visiting Daegu Neulbom School Site
First Graders Staying After School
Neulbom Where Play, Education, and Care Coexist
Full Implementation in Second Semester, Considering Facility Expansion

"It's so much fun to make friends with classmates and eat snacks together!"

Around 1 p.m. on the 26th, another class began after regular lessons ended in a first-grade classroom at Samyoung Elementary School in Buk-gu, Daegu. About 15 first-grade students sat in the classroom, filling in a picture labeled 'Mind Diffuser' with various colors using their small hands. The children spent their time freely, either concentrating on coloring or chatting noisily. One child proudly showed the colored result to the reporters.

At the same time, another classroom held a Neulbom School English class. Similarly, nine first-grade students gathered from different classes were seated and listening to the lesson. At Neulbom instructor's question, "How many rabbits?" the children raised one arm with all their might, eager to answer. The child who answered correctly smiled happily at the instructor's "Very good."

On the afternoon of the 26th, Neulbom class is being conducted in a first-grade classroom at Samyoung Elementary School in Buk-gu, Daegu.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

The children who stayed at school after regular classes were first-grade students who enrolled in Samyoung Elementary this year. At this school, 81 out of 94 new students (86.2%) applied for Neulbom classes. They attend various Neulbom tailored programs, customized and after-school programs, and care programs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. after school. Between classes, snack time, personal activities, and special aptitude programs take place. A total of five dedicated Neulbom staff, including contract teachers and volunteers, were assigned to teach the children.

Neulbom classrooms at Samyoung Elementary, mainly for first and second graders, offer classes such as reading, creative development, origami, music, and art activities. Additionally, the after-school programs available to all grades include 19 programs such as drums, baduk (Go), and science experiments. Out of 597 students in the entire school, 402 participate.

On the afternoon of the 26th, Neulbom class is being conducted in a first-grade classroom at Samyoung Elementary School in Buk-gu, Daegu.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

Neulbom School is an educational program that connects schools and community educational resources to provide students with learning opportunities beyond regular classes. It integrates existing after-school and care programs to offer care services at school even after dismissal. The government introduced Neulbom School in March this year for first-grade students at selected schools nationwide. The plan is to expand it to all elementary schools nationwide in the second half of the year and to include second graders next year.

After the Neulbom classes that day, Vice Minister of Education Oh Seok-hwan and Daegu Superintendent of Education Kang Eun-hee participated as Neulbom one-day instructors. Vice Minister Oh and Superintendent Kang wore headbands decorated with dandelion flowers and tigers, respectively, and conducted storytelling sessions for the children. Currently, various ministries are promoting Neulbom staff recruitment by having ministers, vice ministers, and high-ranking officials participate as one-day instructors. President Yoon Suk-yeol also conducted a picture book reading class on space and rockets at an elementary school in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on the 29th.

On the afternoon of the 26th, Oh Seok-hwan, Deputy Minister of Education, and Kang Eun-hee, Superintendent of Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education, are conducting a Neulbom class as guest instructors at Samyoung Elementary School in Buk-gu, Daegu.
[Photo by Park Joon-yi]

Parents sending their children to Neulbom School positively evaluated the fact that their children can stay safely at school after dismissal. After observing the classes that day, at an on-site meeting, Lee Joo-hee, a parent of a first grader, said, "I was glad to reduce the burden of private education expenses by sending my child to Neulbom classrooms instead of academies," adding, "I am satisfied that my child can spend time safely at school and participate in various learning and play activities."

Another parent, Ahn So-hyang, who has a second grader, explained, "I am about to return to work, and I am satisfied just knowing that the Neulbom system exists," adding, "It seems my child is adapting to school life more quickly."

However, as the full implementation is scheduled for the second semester, the Ministry of Education and local education offices are facing difficulties in recruiting Neulbom staff and expanding facilities. This is because sufficient dedicated personnel are needed to manage the increasing number of participants. It also appears that there will not be enough classrooms within the school to diversify the lessons.

Regarding this, Superintendent Kang said, "Samyoung Elementary has many special rooms, but if the Neulbom classrooms expand, there will still be a lack of spaces like the gymnasium where students can move actively." He added, "To fully implement Neulbom classrooms, the Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education is preparing agreements with several nearby public institutions," explaining, "We plan to secure support for the insufficient spaces by recruiting public institutions within 100 meters and expand local care."

Vice Minister Oh also responded, "The central government is holding inter-ministerial support headquarters meetings, discussing how each ministry will actively discover and utilize various public facilities," adding, "We will share the details as soon as they are organized."

Regarding staff reinforcement, Vice Minister Oh explained, "We have identified excellent resources available in each ministry," and "We are establishing a collaborative system to enable their participation in our program."