Gwangju City is set to establish a talent development system tailored to local characteristics and responsibilities.
This new system will connect primary, middle, and high school education with college admissions, local industries, and residency, marking a significant overhaul of the current education framework.
On August 19, Gwangju City officials held a press conference at the Gwangju City Hall briefing room to announce the 'Joint Declaration for a Regional Responsibility Education Transformation in Gwangju.'
Attendees included Min Hyung-bae, the integrated mayor; Kim Dae-jung, the superintendent of Gwangju City; Lee Geun-bae, president of Chonnam National University; Lee Joo-hee, president of Dongshin University and chair of the Gwangju-Jeonnam University Presidents Council; and Lee Ho-kyun, president of Mokpo Science University and chair of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Community College Presidents Council.
This initiative was prompted by President Lee Jae-myung's remarks on August 5 during a report from the Ministry of Education and the National Education Commission, where he suggested reviewing education policies that align with regional characteristics.
The institutions involved aim to integrate the separated educational systems of Jeonnam and Gwangju, connecting schools, universities, industries, and talent over the past 40 years, to create a shared educational framework that allows local students to thrive as key contributors to their communities.
A collaborative development body involving local governments, education offices, and universities will be established to create a 'regionally responsible college admissions system' and gradually expand the target and selection ratio for local talent admissions.
To cultivate talent in strategic local industries such as semiconductors, they plan to jointly request the central government to ease regulations related to university enrollment and admissions processes, aiming to realize 'local production for local consumption' in education.
The institutions will also seek to enhance local autonomy within the educational curriculum.
They plan to request the Ministry of Education and the National Education Commission for special provisions to autonomously operate the Gwangju-type curriculum based on descriptive and essay-type assessments and absolute grading.
Additionally, they emphasized the principle of maintaining equity among regions and students while implementing policies gradually after thorough social discussions and validations.
Moving forward, Gwangju City plans to solidify the cooperation framework among local governments, education offices, and universities, continuing discussions on the regional responsibility college admissions system, curriculum special provisions, expansion of local talent admissions, and talent development in strategic industries.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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