Forum to discuss implementation of Jung's second-term campaign pledges
34 elementary schools to receive specialist literacy teachers next year
Learning diagnosis centers to expand across all 25 districts
Student mental health and welfare support to be strengthened
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is set to discuss how to implement Superintendent Jung Geun-sik's second-term campaign pledges, which aim to connect students with support in foundational learning, mental health and after-school care.
The office announced it will hold a forum Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the conference room on the third floor of its building to discuss the implementation schedule and action plans for Jung's second-term pledges. The event is titled "Forum on Fulfilling the Campaign Pledge to Realize Basic Education for All."
The forum focuses on how to bring the vision of "basic education for all and happy cooperative education" to life in schools. Presentations will cover five areas: holistic education, accountability in education, democratic citizenship education, education welfare, and building safe and peaceful school communities.
In the area of foundational learning, the office plans to expand individualized instruction for students who struggle to keep up in class. Next year, specialist foundational-learning teachers will be placed at 34 elementary schools to support those students. These specialists work alongside homeroom teachers, observing where individual students face difficulties and providing instruction tailored to their level.
A "two teachers per classroom" model — in which a co-teaching instructor joins first- and second-grade elementary classrooms — will also be phased in through 2030. While the homeroom teacher leads the lesson, the co-instructor helps students who struggle with hangul reading or basic math. After school and during vacation periods, learning-support tutors will work with students one-on-one or in small groups.
Diagnostic capabilities will also be strengthened to identify the root causes of learning difficulties. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to expand its Seoul Learning Diagnosis and Growth Center to all 25 autonomous districts. The centers conduct in-depth assessments for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and borderline intellectual functioning. Based on the results, they provide tailored learning guidance, referrals to specialist institutions and consultations for parents.
On mental health policy, the office will focus on identifying at-risk students early and connecting them with counseling and treatment. It plans to run a peer mental health alert program in which students report warning signs in friends to teachers and professionals, and will also conduct training sessions for school staff and parents. The office is also pursuing a plan to provide at least 15 sessions of social-emotional education at every school.
For students facing overlapping academic, emotional and financial difficulties, the office will strengthen its integrated student support program. Under this approach, schools, the education office and community organizations jointly monitor students' situations and coordinate learning guidance, counseling and welfare support. Efforts to help out-of-school youth return to education and assist students with immigrant backgrounds in adjusting to school life will also be expanded.
AI and digital education will be advanced with a dual focus on practical skills and ethics. In democratic citizenship education, students will have more opportunities to voice opinions on school operations and participate in discussions and decision-making.
At the forum, the office plans to review the budget and staffing needed to fulfill the campaign pledges and streamline overlapping projects. It will also discuss ways to reduce the administrative burden on schools by linking programs currently managed separately across departments.
"We need to review the budget and personnel required to fulfill our pledges, consolidate overlapping projects and support schools' educational activities," Jung said. "A student's learning, mental health, care and safety are all interconnected, so the agencies within our office that work to realize these goals will coordinate their objectives and roles together."
brunch@heraldcorp.com
