Paju-si Selected as an Excellent Case in the Pilot Area of Education Development Special Zone... Awarded the Minister of Education Award

Strengthening the Educational Foundation with the Paju-Type Student-Exclusive Commuting Circular Bus "Paprika"

At the performance report meeting for the pilot operation of the Education Development Special Zone hosted by the Ministry of Education, the ‘Paju-type student-exclusive commuting circular bus Paprika’ was selected as an excellent case through the evaluation of the Education Development Special Zone Committee and received the Minister of Education Award.

On the 20th, Paju City’s student-exclusive circular shuttle bus, Paprika, was selected as an excellent case through the evaluation of the Special Education Development Zone Committee and received the Minister of Education Award from Lee Ju-ho. Photo by Paju City

Held on the 20th, this performance report meeting was organized to share the operational status of pilot areas of the Education Development Special Zone nationwide and to spread the achievements of the project by discovering excellent cases. Paju City vividly conveyed the process and achievements of the creation of ‘Paprika.’

‘Paprika,’ launched last year through the cooperation of Paju City, Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, and Paju Office of Education, is a project promoted under the student education foundation enhancement category among the 32 detailed tasks of the Education Development Special Zone. This project has received high praise for guaranteeing students’ commuting rights and operating customized routes reflecting regional characteristics.

Furthermore, as a solution to the nationwide common issue of commuting, it is attracting attention as a model that can be expanded to other local governments through project implementation within current laws and financial support via amendments to Gyeonggi Province ordinances, becoming a new milestone in education and transportation policies.

Kim Tae-hoon, Director of the Culture and Education Bureau, stated, “With the designation of the pilot area for the Education Development Special Zone as an opportunity, Paju City is laying the foundation as an education city,” and added, “We will continue to focus administrative efforts on developing policies to resolve regional educational imbalances and secure educational competitiveness, as well as fostering local talent.”

Meanwhile, besides Paprika, the city is accelerating the promotion of Education Development Special Zone projects such as establishing a Paju-type care infrastructure and integrated preschool model schools, fostering region-linked autonomous public high schools 2.0, and Paju-type segregated education to prevent school violence. The city plans to build a public-private cooperation system that incorporates diverse opinions and, based on this, strive for sustainable educational development.