Ahn Min-suk's 'Phone-Free,' 'RAS,' and 'Breaking Walls' Awakens Europe

The Gyeonggi Office of Education (Superintendent Ahn Min-suk) announced that Superintendent Ahn visited the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Directorate for Education and Skills in Paris, France on the 25th (local time), where he explained core policies of Gyeonggi education and discussed ways to promote global educational cooperation.

The OECD Directorate for Education and Skills oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the 'Future of Education and Skills 2030/2040' project, and is an international organization that substantially influences the design of educational curricula in various countries.

Discussing Direction Shift in OECD 'Education 2040' and Diagnosis of Global Literacy Decline

The OECD explained the direction of advancement and major changes in 'Education 2040,' which succeeds the existing 'Learning Compass 2030,' and opened discussion. It then shared a diagnosis of the global decline in literacy revealed in recent PISA results, and outlined plans to substantively address this issue in curriculum research during 2027-2028 and at the Global Forum in December.

Both sides reviewed the position of the Gyeonggi Office of Education's 'RAS Gyeonggi Arts, Physical Education, and Integrated Humanities Education' within the OECD Learning Compass framework and examined similar cases of international integrated education. They also jointly reviewed major national cases where student agency and transformative competencies have been reflected in national curricula.

The Gyeonggi Office of Education plans to actively participate in the OECD Global Forum scheduled for December, where literacy and curriculum are expected to be key agenda items, and will expand Gyeonggi education policies to the world.

"What Can a Smartphone Never Give to Alpha Generation Children?"

Superintendent Ahn introduced Gyeonggi education's three core policies under the theme of 'Gyeonggi Educational Transformation for the Alpha Generation,' posing the question: "What do Alpha Generation children truly need that a smartphone can never provide?"

▲Phone-Free School is a policy that restores the essence of education, draws participation from families and local communities, and elevates the issue of children and social media to the level of public discourse. ▲RAS Gyeonggi Arts, Physical Education, and Integrated Humanities Education centers on holistic education and character education through Reading, Arts, and Sports, with the AI Lee-eum Platform providing multifaceted support. ▲Breaking Walls is a policy that removes administrative and institutional barriers between schools and local communities, with its core focus on attracting human and material resources from the community into schools, opening school facilities to the community, and doubling joint educational expenses with local governments.

Superintendent Ahn emphasized that all these policies are being promoted on the solid foundation of 'restoring teacher authority,' and stated, "I will create schools where students look forward to attending, teachers are respected, and parents have peace of mind."

UNESCO Meeting and On-site Visits to French Arts, Physical Education, and Integrated Humanities Education

Prior to the OECD meeting, the delegation visited Condorcet Middle School in Dourdan and observed an international exchange class on the theme of 'Korean Culture' involving students from Shinheung Middle School in Gyeonggi Province with local students. They also visited Janson de Sailly High School in Paris to examine how French schools operate their arts and physical education programs.

That same evening, the delegation met with Sobhi Tawil, Director of UNESCO's Futures of Learning and Innovation (FLI) division, and the Education Futures team to discuss future education discourse and mutual cooperation. On the 26th, they held a meeting with the 'Sarangbang Association,' a gathering of Korean language teachers in France, and the director of the Paris Korean Education Center to explore ways to expand Korean language education.

This European visit took place from September 20 to 27, spanning five nights and eight days, and was attended by a total of 17 people including Superintendent Ahn Min-suk and 11 superintendents of education support offices throughout the province. The delegation confirmed advanced cases in Estonia (digital transformation and AI-based educational infrastructure), Germany (democratic civic education), and France (arts and physical education), and the provincial Office of Education plans to actively reflect these in the mid- to long-term plans for 'Gyeonggi Educational Transformation.'

Superintendent Ahn Min-suk stressed, "The compass presented by the OECD shows direction, but the classroom is where the actual journey is walked," and emphasized, "Since reading, arts, and sports are values that a smartphone can never replace, I will ensure that the path Gyeonggi has pioneered becomes a common agenda for global education."