Ulsan Office of Education Selected for Ministry of Education's 'Wee Project Pilot Program'

Operating Four Projects in Four Fields for One Year with a Budget of 250 Million Won

Plan to Establish Integrated Support and Management Safety Net for Student Psychological and Emotional Well-being

Ulsan Office of Education (Superintendent Cheon Changsoo) has been selected for the Ministry of Education's Wee Project pilot program.

The Ministry of Education held an open call last June to select education offices for the pilot program aimed at strengthening and reorganizing the Wee Project, which provides integrated management and support for students' psychological and emotional issues.

Four education offices?Ulsan, Daegu, Gyeonggi, and Chungnam?were selected for this pilot program. Each selected office will receive 250 million KRW in funding and will operate the project for one year, from July 2024 to June 2025.

Ulsan Office of Education will pursue four main tasks for the pilot: 'Expanding the scope and focus on mental health,' 'Establishing an integrated support system inside and outside schools,' 'Strengthening the capacity of Wee Classes and Centers,' and 'Creating an environment for supporting students' psychological and emotional well-being.'

In the 'Expanding the scope and focus on mental health' area, all students will be proactively screened for psychological and emotional issues and provided with appropriate support. The office will increase the placement of professional counseling teachers and establish support systems to promote student counseling. Early identification of students at risk for mental health issues will be prioritized, and social-emotional education programs will be implemented.

The Wee Center will expand its role from primarily supporting victims of school violence to serving as a mental health hub, providing multifaceted support for students' psychological and emotional concerns.

In the 'Establishing an integrated support system inside and outside schools' area, a psychological safety net will be built within schools, connecting classrooms, Wee Classes, and the School Integrated Crisis Management Committee. Outside of schools, cooperation with local specialized agencies will be strengthened and integration will be supported.

In the 'Strengthening the capacity of Wee Classes and Centers' area, the expertise of professional counseling teachers will be enhanced through training, consulting, operation of regional councils, and support for independent research activities.

In the 'Creating an environment for supporting students' psychological and emotional well-being' area, customized training will be provided to foster understanding and consensus on social-emotional policies. Additionally, the environment and facilities for Wee Classes and school emotional support spaces will be improved.

Going forward, the Ministry of Education plans to comprehensively reorganize the Wee Project based on the results of the pilot programs in Ulsan and other selected education offices.

An official from Ulsan Office of Education stated, "Recently, students' social-emotional and mental health indicators have worsened, and it has become increasingly difficult to guide students in crisis. As a result, the demand for psychological and emotional support for all students is growing. Through the reorganization of the Wee Project, we will provide more comprehensive support for students in crisis and expand the safety net to address students' psychological and emotional issues."