Gyeonggi Province Develops Customized Animal Protection Education Program for Young Children

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 18th that it will begin development and dissemination of a customized animal protection education program for young children ages 3 to 5 in the province starting this year.

This project is part of the "2021 Animal Protection and Welfare Policy Implementation Plan" announced through an online press conference in February this year, which reflects the government philosophy of the seventh popularly elected administration on animal protection and welfare: "A world where humans and animals coexist."

Recognizing that education during early childhood plays a significant role in developmental stages, Gyeonggi Province intends to systematically develop and disseminate educational programs to foster correct values about animal protection and respect for life among children.

Particularly noteworthy is that this is a "civic-government cooperation-type resident participation budget" project, which was proposed by the Gyeonggi Province Veterinary Medicine Association last year and subsequently underwent evaluation by the civic-government cooperation committee, online citizen voting, and final confirmation through the provincial assembly.

To this end, Gyeonggi Province will begin program development in May this year with the Department of Industry-Academia Cooperation of Hansei University, selected as a project operator through public recruitment and deliberation. Following a pilot operation from June to September, the province will begin dissemination from the latter half of the year.

The education program will consist of animal protection education activities applying play-centered learning, health and safety, and principles of family and community connection based on the Nuri Curriculum. It is expected to cover methods of animal protection in daily life, precautions when interacting with animals, and knowledge about respecting animals.

Additionally, teaching guidance materials for instructors will be provided with each activity to enable immediate application in childcare centers and kindergartens.

The developed program will be supplemented through pilot operation and consultation for verification of suitability, and "animal protection education training" will also be conducted to enhance the competence of childcare center and kindergarten teachers.

Training will be conducted in non-face-to-face format with field teachers, 10 sessions per year (100 or more participants per session).

Additionally, starting in November when the program is completed, it will be posted on the Gyeonggi Province Lifelong Learning Portal website (GSEEK), making it available for use by all childcare centers and kindergartens as well as residents highly interested in animal education.

Lee Eun-gyeong, head of the Animal Protection Division at Gyeonggi Province, said, "Today, our society is experiencing increased demand for education on coexisting with animals. The province plans to develop and disseminate a customized animal protection education program suited to the development of children ages 3 to 5 based on the Nuri Curriculum." She added, "It is expected to contribute to building a social and cultural foundation that practices respect for life by establishing a systematic foundation for animal protection education in childcare centers and kindergartens."