Mayor Kim Sung-je of Uiwang City Discusses Educational Issues with Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education Lim Tae-hee

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Mayor Kim Sung-je of Uiwang City held a meeting with Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education Lim Tae-hee on the 8th at the conference room of Uiwang City Hall to discuss major educational issues in Uiwang City, including the separate establishment of Uiwang District Office of Education and the installation of an integrated elementary and middle school within Uiwang City's Baegun Valley.

At the "Uiwang Future Education Cooperation District Business Agreement Ceremony" held on that day, Mayor Kim requested active cooperation from Gyeonggi Province Office of Education for the swift promotion of major educational issues: ▲Separate establishment of Uiwang District Office of Education ▲Establishment of (tentatively named) Baegunhosoo Integrated Elementary and Middle School ▲Smooth progression of (tentatively named) Gocheon 2 Elementary School establishment ▲Substantive preparation of Naesonjoong-go Integrated Operations Future School.

In particular, Mayor Kim emphasized the necessity of the separate establishment of Uiwang District Office of Education, stating: "As Uiwang City is projected to grow into a mid-sized city of 290,000 residents by 2030 through large-scale redevelopment, reconstruction, and new town projects being promoted throughout Uiwang City, it is difficult for Gunpo-Uiwang District Office of Education, which is located in Gunpo City, to actively respond to Uiwang's rapidly increasing educational demands."

Furthermore, Mayor Kim presented concrete alternatives regarding the "establishment of an integrated elementary and middle school within Baegun Valley" and requested active support from Gyeonggi Province Office of Education.

Mayor Kim stated: "Since the Baegun Valley development project is currently continuing, when a total of approximately 6,200 households complete their move-in by 2027, the establishment of a middle school within Baegun Valley is absolutely necessary to meet the educational demands of junior high school students in the area."

Taking into account the lack of a dedicated middle school establishment site in the Baegun Valley area, Mayor Kim proposed an integrated elementary and middle school operation plan that would utilize the kindergarten site adjacent to Baegunhosoo Elementary School to construct necessary facilities and relocate the existing Baegunhosoo Elementary School facilities.

Additionally, Mayor Kim requested cooperation to ensure the (tentatively named) Gocheon 2 Elementary School within the Gocheon Public Housing District proceeds without disruption to coincide with its scheduled opening to resolve student commuting inconveniences, and requested support from the Office of Education to ensure that the Naeson Middle and High School Integrated Operations Future School being constructed in Naesong-dong is prepared substantively in terms of curriculum including specialized education programs.

In response, Superintendent Lim Tae-hee said: "I deeply sympathize with the necessity of the requests made by Uiwang City, including the separate establishment of Uiwang District Office of Education and the establishment of an integrated elementary and middle school within Baegun Valley," and added: "I will make active efforts to ensure that the issues proposed by Uiwang City can be resolved."