Guri signs 'wall-breaking' cooperation MOU with Gyeonggi education office, Guri-Namyangju education support office

Guri signed a policy cooperation agreement with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and the Gyeonggi Guri-Namyangju Office of Education on Wednesday at Wondong Elementary School in Osan. The agreement aims to break down barriers between administrative and educational institutions and provide students with more diverse and equitable educational opportunities. Officials from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, led by Superintendent An Min-seok, and the Gyeonggi Guri-Namyangju Office of Education, led by Superintendent Lee Ji-myeong, attended the signing. The agreement is titled the "Guri-Gyeonggi Guri-Namyangju Office of Education Wall-Breaking Cooperation Policy MOU."

The agreement was designed to move local governments and education offices beyond their separate roles and authorities, encouraging closer cooperation to resolve local education issues together. It also aims to build an educational environment in which schools and communities grow side by side.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will jointly pursue 10 key education tasks to ensure all students have access to fair and diverse educational opportunities.

The key tasks include jointly promoting a phone-free culture in schools and expanding Guri-style Reading, Arts and Sports character education, known as RAS. They also plan to operate a tentatively named "wall-breaking cooperation center" to share school and community facilities and resources, and to increase education budgets to improve education quality. In addition, they will cooperate on separating and establishing a dedicated Guri education support office to strengthen locally tailored education administration.

Until now, divided roles and authorities between local governments and education offices had limited comprehensive solutions to local education issues. In response, Guri and the Gyeonggi Guri-Namyangju Office of Education pursued the agreement to strengthen inter-agency cooperation and respond more actively to local education challenges.

Through the agreement, Guri plans to actively reflect local education demands. In cooperation with the education office, the city will continue developing education policies that students, parents, schools and the community can directly benefit from.

"Bold cooperation that crosses the boundary between administration and education is needed for the sake of children's education," Guri Mayor Shin Dong-hwa said. "I hope this 'wall-breaking' agreement becomes a starting point for tearing down barriers between us and advancing Guri's education environment to the next level."

He added, "If Guri and the education office work together to address local education issues, we can offer our children more opportunities and a better educational environment. Staying true to Guri's spirit of citizens as mayors, we will listen closely to the voices of students and parents, and actively cooperate with the education office in the belief that education is the most important investment in shaping the region's future."

Meanwhile, the agreement takes effect from the date it receives approval from the Guri City Council and will remain in force for five years. The two institutions plan to gradually carry out joint cooperation projects, including the 10 key education tasks.


pjh@heraldcorp.com