Pyeongtaek City Council Planning and Administration Committee Visits Dogok Elementary and Middle Schools to Discuss Korean Language Education Support

The Pyeongtaek City Council Planning and Administration Committee visited Dogok Elementary and Middle Schools, where the student population with immigrant backgrounds is rapidly growing, as its first field activity for the 10th term, and discussed methods to support Korean language education on the 28th.

At a meeting held at Dogok Middle School on the 27th, approximately 20 people attended, including Committee Chair Choi Joon-gu, Vice Chair Kim Rae-hyeon, Members Oh Chi-seong, Lee Jong-won, and Lee Hak-seop, Council Member Ryu Jung-hwa, and government officials from the Pyeongtaek Office of Education and relevant city departments.

The school explained that the proportion of students with immigrant backgrounds reaches 65% at Dogok Elementary and 33% at Dogok Middle, facing challenges such as learning gaps and shortages in interpretation and translation staff. Committee members showed consensus on introducing a 'pre-requisite system' that provides intensive Korean language education before regular classes and decided to review implementation measures including support for school buses. Additionally, they decided to review the formation of a support task force (TF) centered around Member Lee Hak-seop.

Committee Chair Choi Joon-gu stated, "Addressing difficulties arising from changes in the educational environment is an issue that the local community must solve together," and added, "We will concretize support measures so that students' differences become opportunities for learning rather than conflict."