Gyeonggi Shared Schools Introduced in Q1 This Year... Serving as 'Out-of-School Education Spaces'

Gyeonggi Shared School operated by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education is achieving significant results with the 'Gyeonggi Shared Schools' operating in 31 cities and counties across the province starting from the first semester of this year.

Gyeonggi Shared Schools are out-of-school learning centers linked with community resources to provide diverse learning opportunities in fields that are not easily accessible within regular schools. These take place in designated Gyeonggi Shared School classrooms after school, on weekends, and during vacations. Depending on the type, they are divided into region-customized programs, student-planned programs (Gyeonggi Irum School), and university-linked programs (Gyeonggi Irum University).

The region-customized programs utilize local educational resources. For example, at the Mirai Semiconductor Shared School in Yongin, semiconductor researchers serve as instructors every Saturday to provide specialized classes.

At the I-eum Shared School in Suwon, which aims to convey understanding and importance of career education, instructors include film directors, game developers, occupational therapists, and autonomous driving engineers.

These region-customized programs total 370, including 123 in Future & Edutech, 79 in Culture, Arts & Sports, 40 in Career, 36 in Basic Academic Skills, and 36 in Fundamental Character. Approximately 7,900 students participate. There are a total of 734 instructors, including 519 local experts, 102 university professors, 76 teachers, 26 local government officials, and 11 others.

The student-planned programs, which strengthen student autonomy through planning workshops, number 402 with about 4,000 students participating. The university-linked programs, which provide experiences in career exploration and design in collaboration with universities and specialized institutions, include 282 programs with about 6,400 participants.

Kim In-sook, the regional education officer at the Provincial Office of Education, stated, "Based on the needs and demands of students, parents, and the local community, we will design the necessary education directly and nurture future talents through the operation of Gyeonggi Shared Schools utilizing community resources."