Chungnam Office of Education Selects Six Daycare Centers for 'Ieum Education' Program

Expanding Ieum Education
from Kindergartens to Daycare Centers

A scene of operating the Link Education connecting daycare centers and elementary schools as a pilot project this year. / Provided by Chungnam Provincial Office of Education

The Chungnam Office of Education has selected six daycare centers to operate the "Ieum Education (Ieum Semester)" program, which is designed to help young children adapt to elementary school.

"Ieum Education" is an educational program created to organically connect daycare centers and elementary schools, supporting the healthy growth and development of young children and facilitating their smooth adaptation when entering elementary school.

This is the first attempt to expand Ieum Education, which was previously centered on kindergartens, to include daycare centers as well.

The selected daycare centers will collaborate with nearby elementary schools to implement the following: application of the Ieum Education standard curriculum for five-year-olds, organization and operation of the Ieum curriculum, operation of professional learning community programs, and education for parents.

The provincial Office of Education plans to maximize the effectiveness of this pilot project and ensure its robust operation by providing multifaceted support, such as sharing educational information on-site, conducting interim evaluations and monitoring, offering capacity-building training, and supplying educational materials.

Additionally, the office aims to strengthen the educational and childcare capabilities of daycare centers and lay the foundation for a future full-scale expansion.

A provincial Office of Education official stated, "We will actively support five-year-old children so they can adapt well to elementary school and build positive learning experiences through Ieum Education, which brings together not only kindergartens but also daycare centers and elementary schools."