Busan Education Office Temporarily Halts Appointment of Neulbom Support Office Directors Amid Concerns Over Mid-Career Educator Exodus

Busan Education Office Suspends Appointment of Neulbom Support Office Directors for Next Year
Amid Widespread Confusion Following Large-Scale Appointments
Task Force Launched to Address Staff Exodus and Operational Challenges

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to temporarily suspend the appointment of Neulbom Support Office Directors for next year, aiming to address the exodus of mid-career educators to administrative positions and the resulting confusion in schools following the recent large-scale appointments to these roles.

Currently, there are a total of 152 elementary education professionals (excluding Neulbom Support Office Directors) working at the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, five district education support offices, and affiliated institutions. This year, 66 Neulbom Support Office Directors were simultaneously appointed as education professionals, causing difficulties in curriculum management at schools.

The selection process for Neulbom Support Office Directors, which awards an additional 0.25 points per year toward promotion, resulted in the highest competition rate in the country at 3.8 to 1, further fueling dissatisfaction among teachers.

Additionally, the current system, in which each Neulbom Support Office Director is responsible for rotating among two to three schools, has been criticized for its limitations in responding to the specific needs of individual schools and for making it difficult to ensure the stable operation of Neulbom Schools centered on each institution.

In response, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has formed a task force to gather input from school administrators, Neulbom Support Office Directors, and parents, and is working to develop measures to reduce workloads and ensure stable operations. The new measures are scheduled to take effect starting in 2026.

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education