Yongin Allocates 3.2 Billion Won for Native English Teachers in 70 Schools

Yongin City's 2011 environmental-friendly free meal service, support for native English teachers, and educational environment improvement projects have been finalized.

The eco-friendly free meal service will receive 5.6 billion won, native English teacher support will receive 3.24 billion 8 million won, and educational environment improvement projects will receive 7.43 billion 5 million won respectively.

The eco-friendly free meal service will be implemented for all elementary school students in grades 3 through 6 (7,960 students across 96 schools).

Accordingly, the city plans to incrementally increase project funding for comprehensive eco-friendly free meals and expand the program to all elementary schools starting in 2012.

Plans linking local agricultural products will be pursued alongside school-based meal service promotion activities.

For this purpose, schools operating direct food services will receive subsidies covering the difference between the supply price of high-quality agricultural products and government grain prices.

This year, 164 elementary schools are expected to receive support of approximately 1.44 billion won.

The subsidy amount is based on the difference between the government grain price of 30,920 won per 20kg bag and the premium rice supply price of 46,500 won per bag, totaling 15,080 won.

Native English teacher support will provide full funding through city budget for all personnel and program operating costs for native English teachers at a total of 70 schools comprising 18 elementary schools, 36 middle schools, and 16 high schools in the region.

The core objective of the native English teacher support program is to improve the English education environment and activate communication-focused English education, thereby helping reduce parents' private English education expenses and strengthening English education competitiveness.

The educational environment improvement projects will receive 7.435 billion won in budget.

Detailed plans for educational environment improvement projects aimed at enhancing school educational conditions, improving academic achievement, and strengthening educational competitiveness have been confirmed.

First, in 2011, 30 schools will have dining facilities, sports and cultural spaces, English experience rooms, library facility improvements, informatization facilities, and after-school childcare services implemented.

In particular, sports and cultural facilities will be opened to the general public for leisure use.