Choi Junguk, Wando County Council Member: "Lack of Accessibility to History Education for Students"

A Substantial Program Needed to Foster Students' Affection for Their Hometown

There have been calls for a review of the 'Knowing Our Region Correctly' history education program being promoted in Wando County, Jeonnam.

According to the Wando Office of Education on the 20th, a history education program is currently being operated in cooperation with the Wando Cultural Center, Jangbogo Research Association, and related local institutions to enhance the quality of history, peace, human rights, and unification education.

Choi Jungwook, Wando County Council Member.

Wando is an area rich in historical resources, including relics of Master Jangbogo from the Unified Silla period and memorial halls related to Admiral Yi Sunshin. The 'Knowing Wando Correctly Project' is a program designed to promote these cultural heritages and foster pride in the region's patriotic history.

However, some have criticized the program for lacking effectiveness due to poor accessibility for local students and insufficient cooperation from local governments. In particular, programs run by certain civic groups have been pointed out as failing to resonate with students.

Choi Jungwook, a member of the Wando County Council (Democratic Party of Korea), explained that it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of the 'Knowing Our Region Correctly' history education program.

Choi stated, "Wando is a place where many historical contents such as the spirit of caring for the people and anti-Japanese spirit of Master Jangbogo, and the legacy of Yi Sunshin are alive," and emphasized, "We need to systematically organize traditional culture and history programs linked to the history education of all 12 towns and villages to enhance students' affection for their hometown."

He cited the example of North Jeolla Province, raising the need for administrative offices and education offices to jointly invest budgets to promote 'local history exploration experience events' in which students, parents, and local residents all participate.

Choi argued, "For Wando's history education to be effectively implemented, cooperation between the county and the office of education is essential," and added, "Agendas that can enhance the local settlement of the region should be developed through capable supervisors and dispatched teachers."

Meanwhile, Choi added, "The office of education needs to establish an educational plan so that history exploration field trips can be conducted once or twice a year at schools, and the county should support the budget so that proposals discovered by educational institutions can be practically implemented in schools." He also stated, "Towns and villages should join forces for Wando's future development by cooperating with village education communities and others."