New Year's Message Lee Jae-jeong, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Province Office of Education

A new year of 2022, the Year of the Tiger, has dawned.
On this new year, I hope that the black tiger will awaken the world with its great roar and fill it with overflowing hope.

I wish all members of the Gyeonggi Province education family health and good fortune in their homes, hope that we all overcome the fear and threats of COVID-19, and look forward to our students creating a new year filled with joy and achievement.

Over the past two years, while the world has faced great hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic, our government and schools have continually made progress and changes without losing hope in education while protecting students' health.
Our society has also broken down boundaries while pursuing new values amid unprecedented confusion, disconnection, hatred, and despair. And in that place of life, we have built the path forward to the future 'together'.

In this context, we have urgently raised the following questions.

How can we realize educational values for life, coexistence, and cooperation?
What should education aim for after COVID-19?
How must schools change for future education?

Facing rapid environmental changes and an era of population decline, the world of artificial intelligence is opening new possibilities by turning the Metaverse into reality.

Once again, we pledge that we must move forward into the future without giving up on any single one of our children.

In the new year, we will love our children more, respect them more dearly, cultivate their empathy more, create more room for a cooperative spirit, and devote ourselves more than ever to enabling them to be confident and turn crisis into opportunity.

On March 9 of the new year, we will elect a new president and form a new government. And on June 1, through local elections, we will elect the fifth-term superintendent of education for our provincial office of education.

If we are to realize future education for our children in the post-COVID-19 era and amid political and social changes, we must increase educational investment further. If the state does not significantly increase educational funding beyond the current level, it will amount to the state abandoning education and, moreover, abandoning the nation's future.

Among OECD member countries, nations with much better educational conditions than us—such as Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Finland—have significantly increased national education spending beyond previous levels since COVID-19.

However, our government's budget authorities, while criticizing the education field for asking why education budgets are not being reduced as student numbers decline, have cut education grants by hundreds of billions of won in the 2022 budget.

This decision ignores the legislative intent and rationality guaranteed by law for education budgets. Some even ask why more teachers and budgets are needed when student numbers are declining. If we are to reduce the number of students per class, naturally we must increase the number of teachers, increase the number of classrooms, and expand school facilities.

First, we must raise the internal tax allocation rate from 20.79% to at least 20.94% in the Education Grant Act. This is the legislative intent established by law for education budgets. The National Assembly must amend and pass this law. This is not a future task but an urgent issue at hand. It is the minimum condition for education to survive.

Has the defense budget been reduced because of population decline?
Has the welfare budget been reduced because of population decline?
Have hospitals and medical staff been reduced because of population decline?
Have police stations, fire stations, prosecutors, and judges been reduced in number because of population decline?

While there are significant variations by region, there are still many schools where students find it difficult to receive proper education due to overcrowding and overfilled classrooms. There are countless schools with poor educational environments requiring urgent facility improvements.

We must immediately secure educational materials, research, and develop educational resources to enhance the efficiency of online classes. And the Green Smart Schools, which will begin construction starting this new year, must continue to expand after 2025 to convert all schools into smart schools.

Furthermore, for all schools in our province to fully expand the high school credit system, which begins in 2022, by 2025, urgent measures are needed including improvement of educational environments, establishment of information and education infrastructure, and multiple major programs and retraining for teachers for convergent education.

There is no time. We cannot delay any longer. Now the Republic of Korea must expand educational funding more boldly for the future. Have we not already entered the ranks of developed nations? If so, educational investment commensurate with this is urgently needed.

Gyeonggi Province education has thus far expanded 'innovative schools' with a focus on students and local initiatives, and 'community schools' including Dream School, Dream University, and Mongsil School have led educational change. Furthermore, Kunso Future International School and Shinnaneuneun School are opening new paths in school domains and education. Moreover, we are creating new alternative schools in fields such as arts, sports, and culture so that students can ignite their passions. The Second Campus, which begins in 2022, will be led by students in creating their own education.

We have no room for hesitation. A new era is opening before us. Please join us on this path. Then we will all become one, dedicate our sincerity and efforts toward the same goal, and surely open the way forward for future Gyeonggi Province education with strength.

I wish health and happiness, dreams and beautiful days to the students, parents, teachers and educators, civil service workers, and all 13.5 million residents of Gyeonggi Province who make up the Gyeonggi Province education family.

May you receive many blessings and remain healthy throughout the new year.

January 1, 2022.

Lee Jae-jeong
Superintendent, Gyeonggi Province Office of Education