Gov't designates pilot special education zones to promote balanced regional development

Jang Sang-yoon, senior presidential secretary for social policy, speaks on pilot special education zones during a press briefing at Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The government will designate six metropolitan cities and 43 local areas as pilot special education zones to contribute to balanced regional development, the presidential office said Wednesday.

These trial zones will be eligible to receive between 3 billion and 10 billion won ($7.5 million) in funding through the Ministry of Education, said the office.

The designated zones, including cities like Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon, will establish detailed action plans with the Education Ministry, a regional development committee and policy experts, and based on this, be able to receive this grant and have various regulations lifted.

"We will create an outstanding local education model through sufficient policy support," Jang Sang-yoon, senior presidential secretary for social policy, said in a press briefing at the Yongsan presidential office, including "resolving regulation issues requested by each region."

The measures come as a part of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's pledge to revive provincial areas through the strength of education amid a regional extinction crisis and low birthrates.

These special zones will be run through the cooperation of local governments, education offices, regional universities, industries and other organizations to prepare educational policies catered to residents, said the presidential office. The central government will provide additional umbrella support for such educational policies, including budget and deregulation.

Applications were submitted from last December to February, and a committee comprised of education policy and regional development experts evaluated the applicants based on the plans submitted by each local government.

The office said nine other local governments that were not selected this time will be earmarked as preliminary designation areas next time, likely to occur in May.

In a town hall meeting in Busan on Feb. 13, President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the importance of the special education zones, promising to create a "virtuous circle" to nurture talented personnel locally who will later contribute to regional development.

Through establishing a special zone, the Busan Metropolitan City government and the Busan Office of Education will cooperate to launch a 24-hour child care center for newborns to sixth-grade students. The city also plans to launch a tentatively named "Busan International K-Pop High School," specializing in performing arts, to attract foreign students.

South Gyeongsang's Jinju, Sacheon and Goseong are planning to establish special education development zones specializing in aerospace, as the nation prepares for a space economy era.

Gyeongsang National University plans to partner with specialty high schools linked to companies in the aerospace field.

Gangwon's Kangwon National University and Hallym University are collaborating to establish a "food technology and biotech department" to boost employment and entrepreneurship education specialized for local businesses.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]