Hanam signs cooperation MOU with Gwangju-Hanam education office at 'Breaking Down Barriers' ceremony
Plan calls for opening school gyms, restrooms, showers and other facilities to the public
Hanam and the Gwangju-Hanam Office of Education have officially designated the early, separate launch of a Hanam-only education office as a formal task under a new memorandum of understanding, moving to tear down barriers between local administration and education authorities.
Hanam said it signed a policy cooperation MOU with the Gwangju-Hanam Office of Education on Wednesday at a "Breaking Down Barriers for Win-Win Cooperation" signing ceremony held at the gymnasium of Wondong Elementary School's sports center in Osan, with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and all 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province in attendance.
The agreement seeks to move beyond the conventional view that education is solely the domain of schools and education offices, building a cooperative framework in which local governments and education bodies work together to identify and resolve local education issues.
The ceremony was attended by Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education Ahn Min-suk, Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin and Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae, along with the mayors and county chiefs of all 31 Gyeonggi cities and counties and the heads of 25 local education offices.
Mayor Lee Hyun-jae drew particular attention as the only city or county leader among Gyeonggi's 31 local government heads to deliver a solo congratulatory speech at the event. The honor was seen as recognition of Hanam's administrative leadership in resolving education issues and driving innovation — from building a new middle school on park land leased free of charge, to securing an interim building for the education office in advance, to providing 2.1 billion won ($1.57 million) annually in independent education funding.
"To ease overcrowded classrooms, Hanam leased city-owned park land worth 80 billion won free of charge, which led to the opening of Hanhol Middle School in March," Mayor Lee said in his speech. "We also secured an interim office on the sixth floor of a welfare complex near Hanam City Hall Station — a 495-square-meter space fully ready to begin operating the moment a sign goes up, even as early as tomorrow." He added, "That is why establishing the Hanam Office of Education is the most urgent task facing Hanam's 330,000 residents and parents."
He said that for the honorary teacher rights protection officer system commissioned last August to take root quickly, and for the win-win cooperation policy signed Wednesday to be carried out systematically, the independent Hanam Office of Education must be given priority to open within the year.
Superintendent Ahn had also signaled support for the priority opening of the Hanam Office of Education. Speaking at a Gyeonggi Provincial Council plenary session Thursday on the planned separation of six integrated education support offices in the province, he said, "We cannot open all six at once, and Hanam and Yangju are the most prepared." He added, "Since construction takes time, the priority should be securing spaces that can be used immediately once a sign is put up, so we can support education tailored to each region."
Under the new agreement, Hanam and the Gwangju-Hanam Office of Education also agreed to actively join the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's key initiatives — the "Phone-Free School" program and the "Hanam-style RAS (reading, arts and sports) character education" program. Hanam has already spent about 2.1 billion won annually since the launch of the eighth-term local government on programs giving each student two musical instruments and one sport to master. The city plans to combine resources from both institutions to establish Hanam as Gyeonggi's leading model city for the Phone-Free and RAS initiatives.
The two institutions agreed to jointly pursue 11 key tasks, including the priority opening of the Hanam Office of Education and building the model city. The remaining tasks cover: sharing school and community infrastructure; pushing for a joint school district with neighboring municipalities to ease overcrowded classrooms in the Wirye and Gamil new towns; building two multipurpose school complexes that include swimming pools; continuing to operate and expand five student shuttle bus routes; and opening school playgrounds, gyms, restrooms, showers and other facilities to the public in a meaningful way.
"Children's education is not the responsibility of the education office or schools alone — it is a critical task the entire community must share," Mayor Lee said. "This agreement is a firm pledge to tear down the invisible walls between administrative bodies and work together for Hanam's future generations, and we will carry out our key tasks, including the establishment of the Hanam Office of Education, without fail."
pjh@heraldcorp.com
