Goyang-si Learns Advanced Know-How on Kindergarten Integration and Education Development Special Zones

Promotion of Business Agreement with Charlton Brown, Prestigious Australian Childcare Teacher Training School
Benchmarking Integrated Curriculum for Daycare, Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, Nature-Friendly and Specialized Programs
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan “Expecting Smooth Yubo Integration and Creation of Premium Education Development Zone”

Goyang City Hall exterior.

Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) announced on the 20th that it will conduct benchmarking of advanced childcare policies to smoothly promote the full implementation of integrated childcare next year and successfully establish an education development special zone.

While preparing for the full implementation of integrated childcare next year, the city plans to visit Australia, which has an advanced education system, and New Zealand, which has implemented integrated childcare ahead of Korea, to examine daycare center operation systems, educational programs, and integrated training courses for childcare teachers. Additionally, the city plans to establish an education development special zone by reflecting integrated curriculum operations from daycare centers to elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as systematically provided curricula tailored to students' individual career paths.

The city was selected as a pilot area for the Ministry of Education's education development special zone in February and is promoting its leap to become a representative education city in Korea through public education innovation in cooperation with the Office of Education, local elementary, middle, and high schools, universities, and companies.

The onsite visit will be accompanied by directors from the Goyang Childcare Forum and the Daycare Center Association, as well as officials from the city's child care department. The entire schedule is from the 21st to the 28th, spanning 5 nights and 8 days. Mayor Lee Dong-hwan will attend from the 21st to the 24th for 2 nights and 4 days to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Charlton Brown and a Letter of Intent (LOI) for investment in building a smart farm.

On the 23rd, the city delegation will sign an MOU with Charlton Brown, a renowned vocational education school and professional childcare teacher training institution in Brisbane, Australia, to strengthen the capabilities of childcare staff.

Next, they will visit John Paul College, which operates three integrated schools?Childcare (daycare centers, kindergartens, elementary schools), Senior School (middle and high schools), and an international university?to review the integrated childcare system (daycare-kindergarten integration), organic connection of elementary, middle, and high school curricula, and systematic curricula tailored to students' individual career paths, and to assess the education development special zone promotion model.

At Palmwoods Early Learning Centre daycare, they will examine the environment suitable for play and learning, childcare learning guidelines, and early childhood learning systems.

Additionally, they plan to sign a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Australian smart farm company Earth Fix Australia to build a Goyang-style smart farm and discuss the discovery of next-generation agricultural models and investment attraction possibilities. They will also meet with international exchange officials from Gold Coast City to promote friendly cooperation with Gold Coast City.

Following this, there will be a meeting with officials from the Hamilton branch of the New Zealand Ministry of Education to learn about New Zealand’s education system and know-how, which completed integrated childcare in 1986. They will then visit BestStart, New Zealand’s largest early childhood education organization, to benchmark programs specialized in nature-friendly and play-centered education.

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City stated, “In preparation for the full implementation of integrated childcare next year, we expect this to be an opportunity to establish a foundation for a premium education development special zone by referencing advanced education system operation know-how and trial and error, smoothly driving policy implementation, and strengthening cooperation with overseas educational institutions to introduce creative educational programs.”