Gwang Myeong Stimulus Paper

There has been substantial learning city development in Korea, aided by a strong government interest in this. Gwang Myeong as the first Korean city in PIE is particularly welcome.  It was also the first city chosen as a Korean learning city in 2001 so that its experience has influenced Korean learning city development...

1. Introduction 

The lifelong learning city project in Korea fundamentally began in 2001 just after the enactment of the Lifelong Education Act in 2000. The project designated 76 local governments until 2007 including 3 local governments firstly designated in 2001. The designation was stopped from 2008 to 2010 due to the budget reduction. The project budget had been increased every year, but started to be reduced as the designation process stagnated. However, the government newly designated 6 local governments in 2011 and added 8 more in 2012 which led to the budget increase. There are 90 local governments appointed as lifelong learning cities among 230 local governments existing in 2013.

As mentioned above, the lifelong learning city project was actively promoted by the central government as the Lifelong Education Act was established. Nevertheless, the Gwang Myeong city already had been developing its own lifelong learning city project. The Gwang Myeong city was chosen as the first lifelong learning city in 2001. Therefore, the Korean lifelong learning city plan has its roots in this city. The following characteristics of the Korean lifelong learning city project may be observed in the Gwang Myeong city case.

2. Background

The Gwang Myeong city is one of the satellite cities of Seoul Metropolitan City which has the population of about 360,000. As most satellite cities take the role of dormitory towns, many citizens work in Seoul and sleep in Gwang Myeong. Thus Gwang Myeong city has fixed limits to regional development and independence. Citizens mostly think of moving to somewhere else if their economic situation gets better.  There is no college or university although the willingness of people to be educated is very enthusiastic. In this case, the city does not fulfill a self-sufficient function as its citizens have separate workplaces and hometowns. Consequently, the Gwang Myeong city started to promote its lifelong learning city project in order to create a more ecofriendly and well equipped city atmosphere. A candidate for the mayor of Gwang Myeong proposed a lifelong learning city plan as a policy and announced Gwang Myeong as the first Korean lifelong learning city in 1999. Gwang Myeong city has its aspiration of activating education as the fundamental right of all and providing the best possible education to all citizens.

Gwang Myeong city is the first lifelong learning city which has continued lifelong learning as the key policy from 1999 to 2013. This project never rests even though the mayor changes and his party changes.

3. The Progress

The announcement as a lifelong learning city and establishing related facilities

Gwang Myeong city started the research regarding lifelong learning as the mayor in 1999 had a strong desire to construct a lifelong learning system. As the ‘Green Gwang Myeong 21’ proposal which was led by regional citizen organizations included the activation of lifelong education, the project was boosted by the demands of citizen organizations.

The most important functions of the Gwang Myeong Lifelong Learning Center in 1999 were running educational programs based on the participation of citizens, educating more regional activists, providing information related to lifelong learning, promoting lifelong learning for business, looking for coordinating projects, opening its classes to the outer organizations to use them freely. Opening facilities was the key factor as it generated learning places for citizens.

The Lifelong Learning Center changed its name to Gwang Myeong Lifelong Learning Community Center as the new building was built in 2002 and fundamentally began the project. The city was planning to expand the original lifelong learning center structure run by the city itself, but decided to entrust expert organizations in 2010 in the light of the lack of expert knowledge of government employees.

Continuation of the lifelong learning business

The Gwang Myeong Lifelong Learning Community Center was the first local government supported plan in the first lifelong learning city. Thus, the initial management philosophy and method influenced the lifelong learning institutions created afterwards. The management of the Center had the crucial responsibility and burden to assure the fundamental construction of the lifelong learning city system.

At that time, the key business tasks were estimating the demand of citizens for lifelong learning through research and policy development, building the vision and philosophy of the learning city, developing specialized programs, structuring learning club management, networking with outside activities and institutions by opening facilities, and so on.

The vision and philosophy of lifelong learning city was extended into development of lifelong learning policy, the citizen college, activating learning clubs, citizen proposed programs, and citizen led lifelong learning lectures. However, the role of local government was unclear and trouble with the city council occurred. As a result, the focus of the lifelong learning project came to be centered on independent program management.

Lifelong learning consultative group

The Lifelong Learning Community Center formed a networking consultative group to lead the transformation to a lifelong learning city with interactive networking with lifelong learning organizations. The group includes 141 institutions or groups which consist of regional citizen centers, social welfare and cultural facilities, youth organizations and facilities, schools and citizen social groups. The lifelong learning network consultative group was divided into 5 different regions for efficient promotion in conducting many specific projects.

City centered structure

The Lifelong Learning Community Center changed the main system to a city led structure in 2011 after 11 years of the commission management system, and selected the principal by open selection to guarantee professionalism of the institution. As a consequence, a consultative group was created linking each region. Discussion on how to run lifelong learning that is lively takes place in coordination between citizens and officials.

The 4050 Gwang Myeong village teacher cultivation project for the 40-50 years old baby boomer generation is the most representative case enabling the network to put participants in one of the regional resources.

The Lifelong Learning Community Center has supported many learning clubs. 151 clubs are run and about 1,829 citizens are participating in each different club.

Apart from that, the Community Center provides diverse information through cellular phones by the mobile webpage and leads citizens to be more engaged with active advertising.

The implementation of an academic credit bank

The academic credit bank is managed despite the fact that there is no college or university in the region. The academic credit bank is the system recognising diverse learning and qualifications done inside and outside of a school and enabling the acquisition of an academic degree which is at the same level with a college and university qualification.

This system provides an opportunity of acquiring university degrees and develops a learning process to assist second chance learning.

Gwang Myeong Lifelong Learning Community Center has supported citizens to attain academic credits and degrees through opening academic credit bank programs. .

Advance of lifelong learning business to foreign countries

This specialized education project is effective in third world countries like Bureukina Paso, one of the poorest countries of Africa, Western Sahara and Tongt'imorŭ in Southeast Asia through domestic NGOs. Gwang Myeong city signed a MOU treaty with Bureukina Paso for the development of Bureukina Paso citizen’s lifelong learning and youth, and cultural exchanges on 1^st March 2013 in the education department building of Bureukina Paso. Gwang Myeong city would be assisting by sharing lifelong learning knowhow and educational content like literacy education and teacher training programs. The Bureukina Paso education department is planning to build a teacher training institute and name it the Gwang Myeong Lifelong Learning Center. Gwang Myeong city supports facilities like computers and beam projects.

4. Future Development Plan

The Gwang Myeong Lifelong Learning Community Center with 14 years of project experience has nevertheless recognized that poor learning environments continue to exist in the industrial areas of the city. Hence, the city decided to move the Center building by 2015.

The Gwang Myeong city is planning to expand its new image by building cultural and historic parks with easy access for citizens to create the sustainable green environment city.

References

Choi, Don Min (2003). Trends and Tasks for the Lifelong Learning Society in Korea. Lifelong Education and Libraries. 4, March; 63-73. Kyoto University.

Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development(2006). Lifelong Education White Paper.

Song, Y. S., & Lee, H. S.(2011). Restructuring strategy of lifelong learning city based on a learning organization model. Journal of Lifelong Education 17(3); 165-191.

Yoo, Yong Shin(2008). Neo-liberal state  management approach and lifelong learning city.   Unpublished   doctoral dissertation.  Sookmyung  Women’s University.