Comprehensive Integration of Policy, Organization, and Budget
First in the Nation: Implementation of Integrated Youth and Lifelong Learning Policy
Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Donggeun) has become the first local government in the country to establish an innovative education model that integrates youth education and lifelong learning, and has begun full-scale implementation.
According to Uijeongbu City on July 6, this integration involves a complete overhaul of existing youth and lifelong learning policies, creating a new educational framework that spans the entire life cycle. It is the first case in which intergenerational communication and lifelong learning have been implemented on a single platform.
To achieve this, the city officially launched the "Uijeongbu Urban Education Foundation" (CEO Lee Sung) on July 1, and has completed a local government-led education policy model that unifies everything from policy planning to organizational management and budget structure.
This initiative is attracting attention as a benchmark for local governments nationwide, as it goes beyond simply linking programs and instead integrates the entire implementation system. In fact, inquiries about adopting similar policies have been received from other municipalities.
Mayor Kim Donggeun emphasized, "Learning is not a privilege reserved for a particular generation, but a basic right that all citizens should enjoy together," and added, "This integrated policy will be the first step in laying the foundation for a sustainable educational city where everyone can learn and grow."
The foundation has implemented a unified structure that goes beyond simply operating programs, establishing a local government-led integrated education governance model that covers everything from policy planning to budgeting and organizational management. This is the first such case among local governments nationwide, and inquiries for benchmarking have already been made by other cities and counties.
During the integration process, Uijeongbu City actively gathered opinions from various citizen groups?including youth, middle-aged and elderly residents, and education experts?through a CI citizen contest and the operation of an urban education policy working group.
These opinions have been reflected in the foundation’s vision and mission statements and the setting of key tasks, laying the groundwork for citizen-led education policies.
The "Uijeongbu Urban Education Foundation" plans to hold an inauguration ceremony and announce its vision and mission in mid-July.
After its launch, the foundation will focus on expanding a participatory educational ecosystem with programs such as: ▲intergenerational learning programs for youth and general citizens, ▲joint project-based education, and ▲the creation of community-based learning communities.
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