Gangwon Office of Education Seeks Public Input on Plans for New Elementary School in Onui and Samcheon Districts, Chuncheon
The Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education announced on December 30 that it will be gathering opinions on plans for establishing an elementary school in order to expedite the establishment of a new elementary school, which has been the most pressing issue for the Onui and Samcheon districts in Chuncheon.
In March, the provincial office of education selected 101 Onui-dong as the site for the new elementary school. The developer of the Gangnam district urban development project is currently proceeding with the educational environment assessment and the process of amending the urban management plan for the 17,602-square-meter school site.
Initially, the project was to build a new elementary school on the selected site. However, due to the large-scale joint development project in the Onui and Samcheon districts, which will generate a significant number of new students, and considering the need for stable and prompt placement of these students as well as the expected downsizing of Namchuncheon Elementary School in the future, the provincial office of education believes it is also necessary to review the option of relocating and replacing Namchuncheon Elementary School with a new facility.
If the school is newly established as originally planned, the provincial office of education expects that, after undergoing the central investment review by the Ministry of Education, the school could open in March 2032. However, there are concerns that if the developer's housing construction plan approval is delayed or if the project fails to pass the central investment review in one attempt, the opening may be postponed beyond the original schedule.
On the other hand, the option of relocating and replacing the existing school has the advantage of potentially shortening the timeline compared to the original plan, as it can proceed without the central investment review by the Ministry of Education, thanks to the revision of the Ministry's guidelines for fiscal investment projects for local education administrative agencies in October of last year. Furthermore, by relocating Namchuncheon Elementary School, which is expected to be downsized once the new Onui and Samcheon district elementary school is established, the school’s history and tradition can be preserved while providing equitable curricula and educational environments for students in the area.
Accordingly, the provincial office of education, in cooperation with the Chuncheon Office of Education, plans to collect preliminary opinions from parents, faculty, school operation committee members, and alumni regarding the establishment plan for the Onui and Samcheon district elementary school. It will also hold briefings and conduct surveys to determine the final direction of the project.
Kwon Myeongwol, Director of Administration, stated, "We will expedite the establishment of the elementary school in the Onui and Samcheon districts by deriving the optimal plan through sufficient deliberation and public discussion," and added, "We ask for the cooperation of the local community and the educational community to create conditions where students can be educated happily in a safe and pleasant environment."
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