Jeonnam Office of Education Announces One-Year Achievements of Glocal Expo 'K-Edu'

"2030 Classroom, Talent Development, and Student Allowances Realized"

On May 26, the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education announced the major achievements and future directions from the past year, marking the first anniversary of the '2024 Korea Glocal Future Education Expo' held last year in Yeosu.

Held under the theme of 'Education for Coexistence, a Sustainable Future,' the expo saw participation from 27 countries and attracted more than 460,000 visitors. It has been evaluated as presenting a blueprint for regionally driven future education led by Jeonnam.

Visitors gathered at the '2024 Korea Glocal Future Education Expo' are experiencing activities at the International Education Hall. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education

The '2030 Classroom,' which drew significant attention at the expo, has now been actively introduced across educational sites throughout Jeonnam, yielding tangible results. According to the provincial office, this year, '2030 Classrooms' have been installed at a total of 136 schools, including 51 kindergartens, 45 elementary schools, and 40 middle and high schools. The '2030 Classroom' is a future-oriented learning space designed to address Jeonnam's unique educational environment, such as declining school-age population, an increase in small schools, and a growing number of students from migrant backgrounds.

This space hosts a variety of innovative classes, including real-time remote lessons with Jang Bogo Station in Antarctica and humanities classes tracing the footsteps of Dasan Jeong Yak-yong. It also features a 'one classroom, multiple teachers' system, where several teachers collaborate in a single classroom, as well as AI-based personalized learning programs.

The provincial office is also turning the international exchange network established through the expo into tangible outcomes. Earlier this month, the 'Jeonnam Glocal K-Edu Center' opened at Troy University in Alabama, USA. This center serves as a hub to strengthen Jeonnam students' glocal competencies through the operation of joint online and offline curricula, teacher training, global internships, and cultural and sports exchanges.

The establishment of 'Jeonnam Future International High School' for international students is also underway, with the goal of opening in March next year. This year, as a pilot project, 77 international students from five countries are taking classes at five specialized high schools in Jeonnam.

Visitors are observing classes in the elementary future classroom at '2023 Classroom.' Provided by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education.

Multicultural education policies reflecting Jeonnam’s reality?where the proportion of students from migrant backgrounds is the highest in the country?are also receiving significant attention. Earlier this year, the Jeonnam Office of Education became the first in the nation to introduce a 'multicultural talent track' in the elementary teacher recruitment exam, drawing widespread interest. On the ground, customized Korean language education and bilingual programs are actively operated, and Jeonnam-style multicultural education is being recognized as a brand within the national education sector.

The core keywords of the expo, 'coexistence' and 'sustainability,' are being realized through various policies. Along with the 'Jeonnam Righteousness Education' project commemorating the 80th anniversary of Liberation, the 'Path of Coexistence (Waterway and Forest Trail)' project, themed on ecological environment, involves 354 clubs and more than 4,300 students in the province.

In particular, based on the 'ESG Education and Practice Ordinance,' the first of its kind in the country, the province has operated carbon-neutral leading schools and promoted the 'Ji9haneun School' campaign. As a result, Jeonnam has received the 'Korea ESG Award' for two consecutive years.

Superintendent Kim Daejung stated, "Jeonnam education is at the forefront of future education in Korea," adding, "We will do our best to ensure that the Jeonnam-style glocal education model, grounded in the value of coexistence, can spread as a new standard for national education."