Participation Rate at 82.2%, Higher Than National Average of 80.0%
Customized Services for Students and Parents by Time Slot
In the second semester, 7,122 first-grade students will participate in the Neulbom School, which will be fully implemented in all elementary schools in the Ulsan area.
This number accounts for 82.2% of first-grade students in Ulsan (8,665 students), which is higher than the national participation rate of 80.0%.
The Neulbom School is a comprehensive educational program that integrates existing after-school and care services for elementary students, supporting their growth and development in a safe environment outside of regular classes.
The Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Cheon Changsu) piloted the Neulbom School in 24 elementary schools during the first semester and will expand it to all 121 elementary schools in the second semester.
This year, support is provided so that any first-grade elementary student can use the program, and the target grades will be expanded annually, with the goal of including all elementary students by 2026.
The Neulbom School is operated not as a choice between existing after-school or care services, but as a customized service tailored to the time-specific needs of students and parents.
The Office of Education organized the Neulbom School support team and a dedicated team at the district office in February to prepare for the full-scale implementation in the second semester.
By the end of July, on-site inspections were conducted at all elementary schools in Ulsan to assist with their preparations for the Neulbom School.
First, in cooperation with the district Neulbom School support team, dedicated personnel, space creation, and programs were provided to ensure smooth operation at each school.
To reduce the administrative burden on teachers and allow them to focus on regular classes, 121 Neulbom and academic administration assistants (one per school) were assigned by the end of June to handle both existing after-school and new Neulbom School tasks.
To create child-friendly spaces in first-grade classrooms, floor heating was installed in about 190 classrooms at 50 schools during the summer vacation, based on demand surveys.
Seventy-two new Dodam Classrooms (for the Dodam Dodam program tailored to first graders) were established, and 29 teacher research rooms were set up in 27 overcrowded schools for teachers to use.
To provide high-quality educational programs that satisfy students and parents, 557 Dodam Dodam programs were prepared in cooperation with local universities, institutions, and companies for use in the second semester, with 571 instructors participating.
The Office of Education is currently working to assign a Neulbom Support Office Director to establish a dedicated Neulbom School system by 2025.
The "Neulbom Support Office" is a system in which a current teacher is selected to serve as the head of the office for a fixed term (two years), temporarily transferring to an educational researcher position, and then returning to their original teaching position after the term ends.
Based on the 59 positions allocated by the Ministry of Education, 36 will be selected in the second half of this year and assigned to schools in 2025, with an additional 23 to be selected next year, completing the dedicated Neulbom School system by 2026.
If a vacancy arises due to the selection of a Neulbom Support Office Director, the number of new teacher hires will be adjusted annually to compensate.
An official from the Ulsan Office of Education stated, "We are supporting the stable operation of the Ulsan Neulbom School by maintaining consistent communication with schools," and added, "We will strive to minimize challenges on the ground and provide high-quality Neulbom School services tailored to Ulsan."
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