Gwangsan Education Support Center Opens: Gwangju's First Administrative Support Center Under the Office of Education

The Gwangsan Education Support Center, designed to provide tailored solutions to educational issues in the Gwangsan-gu area of Gwangju, began operations on July 1. The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education's Western District Office held an opening ceremony on June 30 in Hanam 3 District, Gwangsan-gu, officially announcing the start of full-scale operations.

Jeongseon Lee, Superintendent of Gwangju Education, and other officials unveiled the signboard at the opening ceremony of the Gwangsan Education Support Center held on the 30th of last month in Hanam 3 District, Gwangsan-gu. Photo by Gwangju Office of Education

This marks the first time that an educational administrative support center under the jurisdiction of a metropolitan office of education has been established at the metropolitan city level. The opening ceremony was attended by Superintendent Jeongseon Lee, Myungjin, Chair of the Education and Culture Committee of the Gwangju City Council, and Kim Myungsoo, Chair of the Gwangsan-gu Council. The event included a progress report on the project, an introduction to the center's operations, and an on-site inspection.

Educational administration in Gwangsan-gu came under the jurisdiction of the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education in 1988, when Gwangsan-gu was incorporated into Gwangju as a directly governed city, and the Gwangsan Office of Education was integrated into the Western District Office of Education. Since then, the need for a dedicated center has grown due to increasing demand for educational administration that reflects local characteristics, such as the rise in the number of multicultural students.

The center will operate with three teams: the Lifelong Education Support Team, the International Education Support Team, and the Kindergarten Support Team. It will address local issues such as the Special Zone for Educational Internationalization, the integration of early childhood education and care, and multicultural education, while also supporting Gwangsan-gu’s customized policies and educational administration systems.