The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has begun gathering feedback to set the future direction for its Daehangbok Schools, a type of innovative school in Busan. Currently, there are 49 Daehangbok Schools in the region, with a total integrated project budget of 1.33 billion won for this year.
On September 19, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education held the '2026 Daehangbok School Festival' at the Busan Education Research and Information Center, attended by over 200 staff members. The event, themed 'Innovative Education: Changing, Cultivating, and Dreaming of the Future,' aimed to share successful educational practices and explore future directions for school innovation.
The event concluded with a talk concert featuring a panel of educators titled 'Towards Our Dream of Daehangbok School 2.0.' However, the education office clarified that the term '2.0' does not refer to a finalized policy model.
A representative from the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "We are still in the 1.0 phase. Since Daehangbok Schools have grown based on feedback from the field, we are in a public discussion process to gather teachers' voices on what is most important for the 2.0 phase." The goal is to incorporate the experiences and needs of schools rather than presenting a new policy unilaterally.
The 49 Daehangbok Schools in Busan include four kindergartens, 22 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, six high schools, and one special school.
Funding for each school varies based on its operational model and the number of students and classes. Regular Daehangbok Schools receive a base support of 25 million won, with additional funding based on size, while the 'Autonomous School' model, which operates in eight locations, receives a base of 40 million won (some schools receive around 35 million won depending on class size). The total integrated project budget for this year amounts to 1.33 billion won.
The event featured an opening ceremony and keynote speech, followed by presentations of various verified innovative practices. During the morning keynote, Yoo Jae, the vice principal of Jeongwon Middle School in Gyeonggi Province, discussed 'Reflections on Daehangbok Schools and Directions for Future Education,' addressing practical changes and challenges in school settings.
In subsequent breakout sessions, teachers from kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools shared hands-on examples of community-linked project classes, creative curricula, student-centered learning designs, personalized support for students, and the operation of teaching support teams.
When evaluating the achievements of Daehangbok Schools, the education office emphasizes a comprehensive assessment rather than relying on a single performance indicator. Key evaluation criteria include the operation of community-linked curricula and the status of student autonomy and democratic school management (such as the activation of teacher meetings and professional learning communities).
The education office clarified that the 'Hope Education District' initiative, which collaborates with local governments, differs from the community-linked education of Daehangbok Schools. While the Hope Education District is centered on local government collaboration, Daehangbok Schools focus on directly connecting local community resources to classroom instruction.
Daehangbok Schools are designated as autonomous schools by the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education. They must undergo a comprehensive evaluation six months before the end of their designation period, and if the results are unsatisfactory, they may be excluded from re-designation. The re-designation process requires a survey of the educational community's wishes and deliberation by the school management committee.
An education office official noted, "There have been instances where schools did not apply for re-designation due to internal opinions or large-scale school construction during the designation period."
Meanwhile, while Gyeonggi Province's 'Innovative Schools,' Gyeongnam's 'Happy Schools,' and Busan's 'Daehangbok Schools' have different names, they share a fundamental philosophy of school autonomy, democratic management, and curriculum innovation.
Kim Seok-jun, the Superintendent of the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, stated, "This event is a meaningful opportunity to share diverse educational practices and community-linked achievements of Daehangbok Schools with staff members. We will continue to support the creative implementation of curricula and educational outcomes of Daehangbok Schools to ensure they spread throughout Busan's education system."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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