Complete Cut of Future Education District Budget ... Gyeongnam Office of Education: "Lost Opportunity to Overcome Educational Gap and Population Decline"

"The decision to completely cut the budget without any discussion, despite the achievements of the Future Education District, has squandered educational opportunities that could have helped close the educational gap and overcome the population decline crisis."

On December 16, the Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education expressed strong regret over the complete cut of the budget for the "Operation of Future Education Districts to Respond to the Population Decline Crisis," which was decided at the 6th plenary session of the 428th regular meeting of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council.

The Future Education District project, designed to address the population decline crisis, was intended to support 14 cities and counties in the province facing population decrease and regional extinction, through a one-to-one matching investment between local governments and the provincial office of education.

Previously, the Education Committee of the Provincial Council had approved the original plan on the condition of strengthening the project and securing investment commitments from local governments. However, the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts cut the entire budget, citing insufficient justification.

Subsequently, at the final plenary session of the council this year, the 2026 Gyeongsangnam-do Education Special Account Budget, which confirmed the complete cut of 2,636,260,000 won, was passed.

Last year, the Future Education District project also suffered a complete budget cut after the ordinance supporting the activation of village education communities, which served as the legal basis for the project, was abolished. The reasons cited included undermining educational neutrality, implementing ideological and value-based education, and inadequate standards for hiring and managing instructors.

Park Jonghun, Superintendent of Education of Gyeongnam Province, is expressing his position immediately after the passage of the 2026 Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education Special Account Budget, which included the complete cut of the future education district budget, at the 6th plenary session of the 428th regular meeting of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council. Photo by Lee Seryung

Regarding the handling of the budget bill on this day, the provincial office of education issued a statement, saying, "The cut of the Future Education District budget runs counter to the government's policy direction and trend of overcoming the crisis of regional extinction through regionally tailored educational innovation."

The statement continued, "The village education community project has made significant contributions to the development of regional education by expanding educational diversity, providing opportunities for students to build future competencies, offering field trip programs reflecting local characteristics, improving curriculum quality through school-community linkages, promoting the growth of schools and communities, and expanding the public nature of school and regional education."

It further argued, "The complete budget cut without any official inquiry or policy debate is not just a matter of budget reduction. It raises serious questions about whether the council's fundamental function of verifying and deliberating on policy outcomes was fully exercised."

Immediately after the budget bill was passed, Superintendent Park Jonghun stated at the council, "Given that the entire discretionary budget of the superintendent was also cut in this budget, I hope you will understand that I could not even offer formal words of thanks to the various assembly members."

He then shared a personal anecdote, recalling how as a child, he was once urinated on by a drunken relative at a family gathering. He explained, "I endured it because I was worried that if I got up or turned on the light and the adults saw what happened, the relative would feel sorry and the situation would become more complicated. I have spent each day over the past four years, including today, with this mindset. I think I have served as superintendent for too long."

Later, in an official statement, Superintendent Park said, "The Future Education District project is not just a policy to protect a particular program, but rather a direction for education to prepare Gyeongnam students for the future. We believe it has produced positive effects, as evidenced by a satisfaction rate of over 90% among participating students."

He added, "Future education should expand learning from schools to the local community, utilizing the good resources of the village and transcending the limitations of time and space. The Gyeongnam Provincial Office of Education believes that policies to ensure the growth of each and every child in cooperation with schools and the community must continue to be pursued as essential educational policies."