Goyang Mayor Donghwan Lee: "Establishing an Advanced Childcare System... Must Solve the Low Birthrate Crisis"

Goyang City - Korean Childcare Workers in Australia Meeting Held
Sharing Integrated Childcare Teacher Training and Play-Based Early Childhood Education Programs
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan Pays Tribute at Queensland Korean War Veterans Memorial in Australia

They are taking a commemorative photo after visiting Brisbane, Australia, together with directors belonging to the Goyang City Childcare Policy Forum and the Daycare Center Association, meeting with Korean childcare teachers and holding a meeting to share childcare issues between the two countries.

Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) announced on the 23rd that on the 22nd (local time), they visited Brisbane, Australia, along with directors from the Goyang City Childcare Policy Forum and the Daycare Center Association to meet with Korean childcare teachers and hold a discussion to share childcare issues between the two countries.

The city delegation, composed of representatives from childcare policy departments, childcare teacher training institutes, comprehensive childcare support centers, and various types of daycare centers, has been conducting an overseas study tour on advanced childcare policies in Australia and New Zealand from the 21st to the 28th to promote the integration of daycare and kindergarten and the establishment of an educational development special zone.

The discussion was organized to understand the current working conditions, social status, and teacher support policies of childcare teachers in Australia, and to systematically promote Goyang Special City's childcare policies and the integration of daycare and kindergarten by reflecting on field experiences and vivid opinions. Childcare professionals from both countries freely exchanged views on childcare issues in a warm and friendly atmosphere during the meeting.

A childcare teacher working at a daycare center in Brisbane, Australia, who attended the meeting, introduced, “Australia’s education system mainly locates daycare centers, kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools in one place, and operates a 12-grade system integrating elementary and secondary education.”

She continued, “In Korea, the qualification processes for childcare teachers and kindergarten teachers are separate, but in Australia, childcare staff qualifications are distinguished by degrees and certificates, categorized into various levels such as four-year, two-year, and six to twelve months, which can serve as a reference for establishing an integrated training system for childcare teachers. The education pursues play-based early childhood education and creates an environment that encourages children to actively participate in self-directed learning through a child-centered approach.”

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City said, “Korea’s childcare field faces difficult challenges such as the low birthrate crisis and the integration of daycare and kindergarten,” and added, “We hope to learn from and share Australia’s advanced childcare system so that Goyang City can take a step forward as a city that is good for raising children,” encouraging childcare professionals from both Korea and Australia.

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang City visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Queensland, Australia, and laid a wreath.

Prior to this, the city delegation visited the Queensland Korean War Memorial located in Cascade Park, Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia, to lay flowers and observe a moment of silence. Local Korean residents, including Min Chang-hee, president of the Gold Coast Korean Association, also attended to commemorate the spirit of sacrifice and dedication of Korean War veterans.

The Queensland Korean War Memorial was established in 2011 with support from the Korean government and the Queensland state government, as well as donations from local Korean residents, to honor the courage and dedication of 17,164 Australian soldiers who participated in the Korean War and to further strengthen the cooperative relationship between Korea and Australia forged through the war.

Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City expressed, “We deeply appreciate the noble sacrifice and dedication of the Korean War veterans who defended freedom,” and stated, “Goyang Special City will actively strive to develop the friendly cooperative relationship between Korea and Australia.”