Yangju City Proposes Expansion of Special Education and Public Childcare to Education Minister

Yangju Mayor Jung Deok-young met with Education Minister Choi Gyo-jin alongside National Assembly member Jung Sung-ho on the 8th to request government-level support for major education issues.

The meeting was arranged to request cooperation from the Ministry of Education in implementing education policies tailored to Yangju City's characteristics, given the widening gap in the local education environment due to increased educational demand from new city development and declining school-age populations in downtown and rural areas.

Key proposals include ▲expansion of special education infrastructure for students with disabilities ▲prompt implementation of kindergarten-to-care integration and strengthening of public childcare ▲support for spreading the outcomes of the Yangju Education Development Special District.

First, the city requested approval for central investment screening and financial support for establishing the new special school (tentatively named Yangju 1 Special School) currently being pursued to guarantee the right to education for students with disabilities and improve special education conditions.

The city plans to operate the new school centered on kindergarten and elementary school courses, while reorganizing the existing Yangju Dodam School to focus on middle school, high school, and specialized courses to create an education environment suited to the developmental stages of students with disabilities.

Additionally, the city proposed that follow-up legislation be promptly enacted to ensure stable implementation of kindergarten-to-care integration at educational sites, and that specific standards for resources and personnel required for transferring childcare operations be established.

The city also requested attention and cooperation from relevant ministries to advance the education cooperation system built jointly by schools, universities, and the community through the Education Development Special District operations, and to continually expand educational and career opportunities for students.

Yangju Mayor Jung Deok-young said, "As Yangju City grows, educational demands by region are becoming more diverse, but it is important to establish an education environment suited to these demands. We will gather regional educational capabilities so that children in Yangju can have better learning opportunities, and will work closely with the Ministry of Education to smoothly advance major education issues."