News
Busan is now a special education zone
On Jan. 23, Mayor Park announced the "Aeji-Jungji" project.
On Feb. 28, the Ministry of Education designated Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan and Jeju-do Island as special education zones. Under the pilot education program, each area will receive between 3 billion and 10 billion won in funding and have various regulations lifted to help revamp their education systems.
The move allows City Hall, local governments, education offices, universities and industries to cooperate and autonomously create education policies that align with the needs and characteristics of local communities.
The pilot education program is part of efforts to promote balanced development nationwide, reverse the nation's low birthrate and stem regional migration. Officials believe new education policies will encourage people to stay in Busan and contribute to the local community.
As a special education zone, Busan is focused on providing greater access to childcare services, enriching the student experience and increasing citizens' global competitiveness.
First, the city and the Busan Office of Education have created an "edu-care" system that will alleviate the burden of childcare on families. The plan, dubbed "Aeji-jungji," will expand afterschool programs at elementary schools to cover more children for longer hours. It will also launch a 24-hour childcare center for newborns to sixth-grade students. Finally, kindergartens and daycare centers will operate longer hours to accomodate working parents.
Second, Busan's English-Friendly City campaign is expanding English-language learning for children. "Play with English" is a preschool program offered at 40 Deullak Nallak centers. Furthermore, Busan Global Village operates the English Consultation Center to provide counseling for elementary and middle school students.
Finally, Busan will bolster vocational schools, colleges and universities to give students the skills required to advance local industries and compete in the global economy. A new project named Busan Institute of Technology and Science, BITS, will see a consortium of higher education institutions train students in logistics, marine mobility and clean energy.
<Voca Spotlight>
revamp: 개편
autonomously: 자율적으로
align: 정렬
alleviate: 완화하다
bolster: 강화하다
vocational school: 직업학교, 전문학교