Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, "Making This Year the Cornerstone for Gyeongnam's Next 100 Years"

"As the superintendent, I will start this year’s Gyeongnam education by firmly laying the foundation for future education in Gyeongnam during the final full year of my entire 12-year tenure."

On the 7th, Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Office of Education, expressed these New Year aspirations at the 2025 New Year press briefing held in the main auditorium of the provincial education office.

Superintendent Park diagnosed, "Our society has achieved remarkable growth and development, but currently, due to declining economic growth rates, low birth rates, regional extinction, employment instability, economic polarization, and political conflicts, a dark shadow is cast over future generations, threatening social stability."

He added, "Important policies such as the full implementation of the high school credit system, controversies over the introduction of digital textbooks, integration of kindergarten and elementary education, and expansion of Neulbom Schools are being promoted, but there is a severe gap between national education policies and local education policies, as well as between national education policies and school sites."

"It is time to gather new transformative power starting from education," he said, announcing the core policies for Gyeongnam education this year.

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Office of Education, is answering reporters' questions at the 2025 New Year's press conference. Photo by Lee Se-ryeong

This year, the Gyeongnam Office of Education will promote ▲100-year education that cultivates future competencies ▲100-year education that fosters democratic citizens ▲100-year education that preserves publicness ▲100-year education that protects the region.

First, to strengthen future competencies, the provincial education office plans to open a ‘Career Education Center’ in Miryang to operate student-tailored education more systematically by linking curriculum operation and career education.

The Career Education Center will provide seven themes, 20 experience rooms, and 65 job experience contents aligned with the 2022 revised curriculum, covering self-understanding, career exploration, and career design, and will also offer a boarding program for students from distant areas.

Superintendent Park said, "The Career Education Center, along with the Future Education Center, will become a core strategic asset leading Gyeongnam education and future education," adding, "I expect it to be the cornerstone of Gyeongnam’s 100-year future education by developing, experiencing, and spreading educational content that cultivates students’ future competencies."

Alongside this, the provincial education office plans to enhance democratic citizenship awareness by conducting school arts instructor projects and socio-emotional programs to support students’ emotional development, balanced personality formation, and learning of democratic thinking and behavior.

To preserve educational publicness, the office will provide after-school and evening care through regionally tailored care models such as ‘Dabom’ in Miryang and ‘Aibit-teo’ in Namhae, and plans to expand these nationwide beyond Gyeongnam. Additionally, educational subsidies will be significantly increased to reduce parents’ educational expenses.

To enhance educational capacity in farming, mountain, and fishing villages and prevent regional extinction, the ‘Gyeongnam Joint School Project’ currently operated in Uiryeong will be fully expanded to Miryang city and all county areas, and through cooperative systems among small schools, curricula will be jointly operated to strengthen regional educational capacity.

Superintendent Park emphasized, "Designing a new 100-year education is designing a new 100-year future and requires our strength and effort," adding, "Education is for children who will lead a world we have never experienced, which is why it requires constant new thinking and continuous investment."

He continued, "Over the past decade, Gyeongnam education has laid the foundation for new education through innovation," and said, "Based on past achievements and reflections, we will embark again on the path toward a new 100 years."

Gyeongnam Superintendent of Education Park Jong-hoon is announcing the direction of Gyeongnam education for this year at the 2025 New Year's press conference. Photo by Lee Se-ryeong

On this day, Superintendent Park strongly criticized government education policies such as the introduction of AI digital textbooks and teacher recruitment issues.

He pointed out, "AI digital textbooks should be introduced after at least a one-year or two to three-year pilot operation period," adding, "Setting a start date and forcing it in inevitably causes confusion."

He said, "We plan to select about 50 to 100 leading schools using digital textbooks, focusing on hopeful schools, to apply them directly in the field," and added, "Our Gyeongnam, which operates iTalkTalk, has stronger digital literacy than other cities and provinces, but there are concerns about materials being hastily produced and distributed, so we decided on pilot schools."

He also criticized, "While the number of elementary school teachers was maintained at last year’s level early this year, about 400 more secondary school teachers need to be hired to maintain last year’s level. If 400 are cut, the quality of education inevitably declines," and said, "However, the government mechanically reduces the quota citing a decrease in student numbers."

Superintendent Park said, "When we try to use contract teachers outside the quota, the Ministry of Education threatens to retaliate by reducing next year’s quota," and sharply criticized, "It seems the government either has no thoughts on education or has abandoned it."

Regarding Neulbom Schools, he said, "In fact, the city and provincial education offices just rename what frontline schools were doing and present it as a government project," and added, "In Gyeongnam, it is not necessary to assign them to every school, but the government does not grant the superintendent the authority to assign Neulbom School support directors and researchers, undermining educational autonomy."

Regarding the ordinance supporting the activation of the Gyeongnam Village Education Community, which was abolished by the provincial council last year, he said, "The provisional injunction for the suspension of the ordinance abolition filed with the Supreme Court is expected to be decided in January this year," and added, "If the injunction is accepted and the ordinance survives, we plan to persuade school principals to first support the Future Education District and Village Learning Center projects with school operating funds and later include them in the supplementary budget."

He said, "If the injunction is not accepted, the ordinance will effectively not exist until the main lawsuit ends," and added, "Since there is no budget related to the ordinance abolition, using school operating funds is unreasonable, so I believe the related projects cannot proceed."

Park Jong-hoon, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Office of Education, is answering reporters' questions at the 2025 New Year's press conference. Photo by Gyeongnam Office of Education

Finally, Superintendent Park said, "I prepare the last full year hoping that my 12 years will be the cornerstone, foundation, and cornerstone of Gyeongnam’s 100 years," adding, "Although political uncertainty continues, my task this year will be to fulfill my role as superintendent so that at least education can maintain its place and the education community members can move forward with hope."

He said, "I will find and take care of everything I can do as superintendent so that all teachers, staff, and public officials involved in Gyeongnam education can stand joyfully before our children," and added, "I will fulfill the superintendent’s role solely for Gyeongnam education and Gyeongnam students, and if any role is given or required in any situation, I will fulfill that role."