An Min-suk's 'Phone-Free', 'RAS', 'Breaking Walls' Awaken Europe

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education announced that Education Superintendent An Min-suk visited the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Directorate for Education and Skills in Paris, France on the 25th (local time) to explain key policies of Gyeonggi education and discuss ways for global educational cooperation.

The OECD Directorate for Education and Skills oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the "The Future of Education and Skills 2030/2040" project, and as an international organization, it exerts substantial influence on each country's curriculum design.

OECD "Education 2040" Shift in Direction and Diagnosis of Literacy Decline Shared

The OECD explained the direction and key changes of "Education 2040" following the existing "Learning Compass 2030" and opened discussions. Subsequently, it diagnosed the global phenomenon of literacy decline evident in recent PISA results and shared plans to address this issue substantially in curriculum research for 2027-2028 and at the Global Forum in December this year.

Both sides reviewed the position of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education's "RAS Gyeonggi Liberal Arts, Arts, and Sports Education" within the OECD Learning Compass framework and examined similar international integrated education cases. They also jointly reviewed major countries' examples of reflecting student agency and transformative competencies in national curricula.

Since literacy and curriculum are expected to be addressed as key agendas at the OECD Global Forum to be held in December, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education plans to actively participate in the forum and expand Gyeonggi education policies to the world.

"What Can a Smartphone Not Provide to Alpha Generation Children?"

Superintendent An introduced Gyeonggi education's three core policies under the theme of "Gyeonggi Education Transformation for the Alpha Generation," posing the question: "What is actually needed for alpha generation children that a smartphone cannot provide?"

▲Phone-Free School is a policy that recovers the essence of education, draws participation from families and communities, and brings the issue of children and social media to the stage of public discourse. ▲RAS Gyeonggi Liberal Arts, Arts, and Sports Education centers on holistic education and character education through Reading, Arts, and Sports, with the AI Connect Platform providing multifaceted support. ▲Breaking Walls is a policy that removes administrative and institutional barriers between schools and communities, core to which are drawing human and material resources from communities into schools, opening school facilities to the community, and doubling joint educational expenses with local governments.

Superintendent An emphasized that all these policies are being pursued on the solid foundation of "restoration of teachers' authority," stating, "I will create schools where students look forward to going to school, teachers are respected, and parents can have peace of mind."

UNESCO Meeting and Visit to Local Liberal Arts, Arts, and Sports Education Sites in France

Prior to the OECD meeting, the delegation visited Condorcet Middle School in Dourdan and observed an international exchange class on "Korean Culture" in which students from Shinheung Middle School in Gyeonggi participated with local students. They also visited Janson-de-Sailly High School in Paris to examine how French schools operate liberal arts, arts, and sports education.

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

This European visit took place for 5 nights and 8 days from September 20 to 27, with a total of 17 people participating, including Superintendent An Min-suk and 11 education support office superintendents from within the province. The delegation confirmed advanced cases in Estonia (digital transformation and AI-based education infrastructure), Germany (democratic citizenship education), and France (liberal arts, arts, and sports education), and the Provincial Office of Education plans to actively reflect these in the mid- to long-term plan for "Gyeonggi Education Transformation."

Superintendent An Min-suk emphasized, "The compass presented by the OECD shows direction, but the actual path is walked in classrooms," and stated, "Since reading, arts, and sports are values that smartphones can never replace, I will ensure that the path Gyeonggi Province has walked first becomes a common agenda for global education."