The Gunpo Uiwang Education Support Office has begun a program to open school sports facilities on weekends to support sports events for daycare centers and kindergartens.
On September 12, the office reported that the first weekend opening of the 'Support Program for Children's Sports Events Linked to School Facility Opening' took place at the Uiwang Naeson Middle and High School gymnasium.
The inaugural event saw participation from over 300 children and parents from Dream Tree Kindergarten.
This initiative aims to address the challenges daycare centers and kindergartens face in securing venues for sports events while also reducing the management burden on schools due to weekend facility openings.
Notably, seniors from the Uiwang Senior Club will participate in safety management for the school facilities.
They will serve as safety personnel during the weekend events, managing movement within the venue and preventing potential safety incidents during facility use.
Earlier, on June 17, the education support office signed a memorandum of understanding with the Uiwang Senior Club and two anchor schools, Naeson Middle and High School and Deokjang Middle School, as well as the Gunpo Uiwang branch of the Korean Kindergarten Association and the Uiwang branch of the Gyeonggi Province Daycare Association.
Through this agreement, the program aims to provide sports event spaces for early childhood education institutions while alleviating facility management burdens for schools and creating public job opportunities for local seniors, according to the education support office.
Parents participating in the event generally expressed positive feedback about the use of the school gym.
One parent stated, "It was great for the kids to engage in physical activities in a spacious and safe indoor environment. Having a space available even when the weather is not good is helpful for parents."
Another parent remarked, "I think it is meaningful that the school opens its space for local children, and since safety management is also in place, I hope this continues in the future."
The education support office plans to conduct a pilot operation until October 31 and will analyze the results.
Following this, they will discuss with local governments and related organizations, including the Senior Club, the possibility of expanding support for daycare centers and kindergartens for spring sports events in 2027.
Meanwhile, Education Director Jeong Suk-kyung stated, "We will continue to develop a local cooperation system that provides safe sports spaces for children, reduces management burdens for schools, and offers meaningful job opportunities for seniors."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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