Seminars

On November 11 (Friday), the Korean Institute of Child Care and Education (KICCE), together with the Korea Society for Education Law (KSEL), held the 5th KICCE Policy Forum at the 1st Meeting Room of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on the topic of “Exploring Measures to Realize the National Education Responsibility System for the Early Childhood Stage.” This forum was conducted in integration of the 2022 Annual Academic Conference of the KSEL and the KICCE Policy Forum. The forum has its significance in that it suggested the prospect of viewing the national task for consolidating early childhood education and care from the perspective of the National Education Responsibility System for the Early Childhood Stage, while related legal issues were also reviewed. In addition, the possibilities of free education for preschoolers and compulsory education (reformations of the education system), which are being discussed as alternatives after the withdrawal of lowering the elementary school entry age to 5, were also discussed.

In Part 1 of the event, Professor Noh Giho from the Kunsan National University moderated the topic presentation and the panel discussion sessions, and Research Fellow Park Changhyun at KICCE spoke about the topic of “Measures for the Realization of the Future Early Childhood Education System under National Responsibilties: Focused on Free/Compulsory Education and Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and Care.” Research Fellow Kim Ahreum (KICCE), Team Leader Ji Hye Jin (Taskforce on Preparation for Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and Care of the Minsitry of Education), Professor Park Ho Keun (Korea National Sport University), and Professor Cho Won Woong (Korean Civic Education Institute for Democracy) participated in the discussion.

In Part 2 of the event, Legislative Research Officer Lee Duk-nan of the National Assembly Research Service hosted the event, and two presentations were commenced under the main theme of “Legal Tasks to Reinforce the Guarantee of Educational Rights in Early Childhood.” Professor Hur Jong Ryul of the Seoul National University of Education spoke on the “Legal Review of Human Rights in Early Childhood”, while Park Hye Kyung, former Human Rights Officer of the Jeollanamdo Provincial Government, presented the “Legal Tasks for Improving the Treatment towards Kindergarten Educators and Childcare Educators.”

The following discussion was conducted in a conference format for presenting the sub-themes, and participants were Professor Yoon Dal Won (KSEL), Professor Hwang Hong-Gyuu (Seoul National University of Science and Technology), Professor Zen Zi Soo (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies), Professor Park Shin-Uk (Gyeongsang National University), Professor Kim Beop Yeon (Korea University), Professor Kim Yong (Korea National University of Education), and Professor Ha Bong Woon (Kyonggi University).