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| Lee Jae-joung, superintendent of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 30. / Courtesy of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education |
Liberal education chief strives to bring hope to students
By Chung Hyun-chae
Lee Jae-joung, superintendent of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, has vowed to press ahead with a "Dream School" project to help students discover their potential.
"I think it is important for students to explore their talent and potential, rather than engaging in a hectic competition with each other to get admissions to top-notch universities," Lee said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.
The liberal provincial education chief has regarded students as the principal players in education. So, he has actively advocated the establishment of "Dream Schools" in which students can find their aptitude and ability through diverse programs specially designed to meet their needs.
He is sure that the project will contribute to innovating schools and reforming the education system in order to bring hope to students who are the future of the nation.
Diverse opportunities
"Of all, the Dream School plan is the flagship brand that could symbolize my educational philosophy," Lee said.
The program, modeled after a Danish civic school, provides diverse opportunities for students to experience various fields ranging from music and art to literature and cinema.
"For example, students can opt for a music dream school where they can learn music and singing from big-name singers. They can also experience filmmaking or poetry from movie directors or poets," Lee said.
He already contacted singer Yoon Hyung-joo who is famous for the music cafe, C'est Si Bon, located in Myeong-dong, Seoul, in the 1960s. He said Yoon offered to teach pop music to students when the province opens a Dream School on a pilot basis as an after-school program.
The cafe, named after the title of a chanson, was home to a number of famous singers including Yoon, Cho Young-nam and Song Chang-shik back then.
"For the after-school program, students can come together with their parents or teachers, and they might be able to organize a choir or do something related to music together," Lee said.
Aside from Yoon, the liberal educator has met some notable figures from various sectors of society to discuss his Dream School programs.
"I'm also thinking about a Dream School for movies to be led by film directors so that students can learn about movie-making by practicing the actual process of writing screenplays and creating cinematography," he said.
Lee also has ideas of a Dream School for poetry, in which students can learn about how to understand poems while writing and reciting them.
In addition, he plans to set up a Hanok Dream School, where schoolchildren can experience hanok, traditional Korea houses, and participate in the construction process.
"I expect that many companies, organizations and individuals will support our programs," Lee said.
The education office plans to implement the Dream School project from March after screening proposals from those who are willing to participate in it by February.
The office has earmarked about 4 billion won ($3.6 million) for the project this year.
Who is Lee Jae-joung?
Lee, 71, was elected education superintendent of Gyeonggi Province in June 2014.
He was born in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, in 1944.
He received a bachelor's degree in German language and literature from Korea University in 1969.
He also attended a seminary of the Anglican Church from 1969 to 1971, and was ordained a priest in 1972.
Then he obtained his M.A. from the University of Manitoba and a doctorate in divinity from the University of Toronto in Canada in 1986 and 1988, respectively.
Lee joined the National Council of Churches in Korea in 1972 and after that he became a pro-democracy activist and worked together with civil leaders and opposition politicians.
He became a professor at Sungkonghoe University in Seoul in 1988 and served as the president of the university from 1994 to 2000.
His political career began in 2000 when he became a lawmaker of the-then ruling Millennium Democratic Party, a predecessor of the current opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.
Lee also served as the unification minister between 2006 and 2008 under the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration.
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