Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) announced on the 9th that it will launch the "Task Force for Responding to the Decline in School-age Population" as a proactive measure against the national crisis of decreasing school-age population. The task force is scheduled to officially begin its activities following an organizational restructuring on September 1.
The task force will be led by the Deputy Superintendent, with the newly established Director of Planning and Budget serving as the deputy head, and the Policy Planning Officer acting as the control tower. The team will be composed of the Planning Team, Education Team, Project Team, and Infrastructure Team.
The Planning Team will be responsible for establishing basic plans, identifying key issues, and managing task forces and working groups. The Education Team will focus on student and parent education, the Project Team will work on attracting outstanding international students and supporting small schools, and the Infrastructure Team will handle integration of early childhood education and care, Neulbom School initiatives, and restructuring of school spaces.
Additionally, a separate working group will be formed to enhance interdepartmental cooperation, and support will be strengthened through policy research, forums, and resource development by research institutes.
The main agenda items for the task force include strengthening the educational capacity of schools amid increasing volatility due to declining and uneven student numbers, strategies to increase student enrollment such as attracting excellent international students, enhancing population education for students, and fostering a family-friendly culture throughout society.
Through the launch of the task force, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education aims to create a standard for responding to the decline in school-age population under the slogan "Children Grow Up in Gyeongbuk!" and to establish Gyeongbuk as an ideal place for raising children and as a hub for education and childcare. The office plans to address the century-long educational challenge of the population crisis and expects this to serve as a turning point for further advancement of education in Gyeongbuk.
Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Office of Education, stated, "The decline in the school-age population is the most fundamental issue that will affect the entire educational field in the future," and added, "By establishing and implementing policies based on clear data and feedback, we will make this a new turning point for Gyeongbuk education to prepare for the next 100 years."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
