Severely Lacking in Career and Academic Advancement Policies
Founding Purpose Rendered Meaningless
Scholarships for 105 High School Students in the First Half of the Year Touted as "Achievement"
Foundation Run for Administrative Convenience, Educational Expertise at Rock Bottom
Parents Say, "Just Change the Name to Senior Citizens' Foundation"
The Haenam Education Foundation in Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, is facing criticism for focusing on adult lifelong education while neglecting its original purpose of supporting the educational foundation of local students.
According to an Asia Economy report on September 8, the Haenam Education Foundation, chaired by County Governor Myung Hyun-gwan, has been found to be neglecting student-centered educational policies, contrary to its founding goal of transforming Haenam from a place people leave because of education to one they return to thanks to education.
Problems have been evident since the composition of the foundation's board. Of the 16 board members, including the auditor, a majority are administrative officials such as County Governor Myung Hyun-gwan, the superintendent of education, and the head of the general affairs division. Excluding ex officio members, there are only three actual education professionals, highlighting a severe lack of experts with firsthand knowledge of the educational field.
This structural issue has led to concerns that the foundation is operated more for administrative convenience than from an educational perspective. It is also cited as a fundamental reason why the actual educational needs of students are not properly reflected in the foundation's major policy decisions.
Compared to the Gokseong Future Education Foundation in South Jeolla Province, these problems become even more pronounced. The Gokseong Future Education Foundation is organized into four teams, with only one dedicated to lifelong education, while the other three focus entirely on supporting students' career paths and academic advancement. The foundation is also positively evaluated for running its programs in close collaboration with the local education office.
In contrast, the Haenam Education Foundation primarily offers adult-oriented programs such as literacy education and evening classes for office workers. Even its video English support project, which is supposed to benefit students, has been harshly criticized as an ineffective showcase policy that merely repeats failed approaches previously attempted at the school level.
While programs such as a gifted education center, invention education, and career experience centers are being operated, there are concerns that these are far removed from the career coaching and customized learning support that students urgently need. To address these issues, a team composed of the county office, the education office, and the foundation meets once a month for a policy discussion called "Hanaday," but no notable achievements have been observed so far.
The foundation's most significant "achievement" is considered to be the "Special Education Development Zone Project" and the provision of scholarships to 105 local high school students in the first half of this year. However, there is a complete lack of practical educational support such as systematic career planning, college entrance strategy development, and individualized learning coaching that students truly need.
Some parents have gone so far as to sharply criticize the foundation, suggesting that its name should be changed to "Lifelong Education Foundation" or "Senior Citizens' Education Foundation." There are even some who refer to it as an "Election Foundation." One parent stated, "Although it operates under the name Haenam Education Foundation, there are no real educational policies for local students. This is a clear violation of its founding purpose and a waste of budget."
Education experts are proposing solutions such as restructuring the board by recruiting professionals, establishing student-centered education policies, building a career coaching system, and preparing a customized learning support framework. However, given the current administration-centered operation and focus on adult education, it appears that a fundamental change will require a strong shift in commitment from County Governor Myung Hyun-gwan and the foundation's management.
Governor Myung has emphasized expanding scholarship programs and building a lifelong education system, but in reality, student-centered education continues to be sidelined.
An official from the local education community stated, "Whether the Haenam Education Foundation can truly become an education foundation, or will continue its current ambiguous operation, depends entirely on the determination of its management. For Haenam County to truly become an educational city, student-centered education policies must be established as the top priority."
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