Hwaseong's Education Innovation District Receives 34,000 Parent Signatures

Over 33,499 parents in the Hwaseong area have submitted signed petitions expressing their hope for designation as an Education Innovation District to the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education.

According to Hwaseong City on the 7th, a signature campaign was conducted among approximately 60,000 parents of elementary, middle, and high school students in the region to support the designation of an Education Innovation District.

The signed petitions received from these parents were submitted on the 2nd to the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education's Education Innovation District Selection Committee in a closed session.

So far, a total of 16 cities and counties have applied for the district, including Hwaseong, Suwon, Anyang, and Seongnam.

A city official said, "Though late, inquiries from parents wishing to participate in the Education Innovation District signature campaign continue, so we are sustaining the signature campaign."

The official also added, "We did not expect the enthusiasm of parents hoping for this district to be so great. While our academic rankings may lag behind some other cities and counties, our confidence and enthusiasm that we can become the best are higher than any other city or county."

The city plans to continue public relations efforts to secure the Education Innovation District designation going forward.

Thus far, the city has conducted daily citizen awareness campaigns, with Mayor Chae In-seok leading civil servants as well as social and civic organizations wearing promotional sashes.

In particular, the dedicated team for the Education Innovation District began each day by arriving at 7 a.m. to distribute promotional leaflets to local residents.

Parent Kim Jung-hee (35, Neungdong) said, "I was moved when I saw civil servants wearing promotional sashes while conducting awareness campaigns," and added, "It seems that parents within the region are also voluntarily participating in promotional activities based on this example."