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교육대학, '통합 14년 과제 진단 보고회' 개최
Review session held on 14 years after integration of education departments

Support for students and research strengthened, while securing faculty insufficient

Jeju National University’s Teachers’ College held a conference on Wednesday (Oct. 20) to identify the challenges of 14 years after the 2007 integration of the JNU Education Department and the Teachers’ College.

During the event, the Teachers’ College reported on its assessments in different areas, while collecting the ideas and opinions from the representatives of related sub-committees.

The briefing and opinion gathering sessions were followed by discussions between the head of the university’s Professors Association, the chair of the college’s alumni, the college’s student council leader, an official from the local education office, and a special education teacher.

Oh Hong-sik, chairman of the JNU Professors Association and head of the Global Teachers’ University (GTU) Center, introduced the GTU program as a successful project of engaging professors and students after the integration.

Specifically, the GTU program head introduced the two departments’ joint programs of interdisciplinary education, local talent mobilization, vulnerable class support, and after-school courses for international schools.

The education expert explained that the Teachers’ College held the nation’s first overseas training for the two departments, which was offered for over 140 students between 2010 and 2014. The education departments’ research institutes succeeded in co-publishing an academic journal registered with the National Research Foundation of Korea, he added.

The professor also suggested strengthening the two departments’ curriculum based on the accomplishments, particularly expanding the bilateral academic exchanges, as well as the exchanges with the local Office of Education and primary and secondary education facilities. In that sense, Oh highly appreciated the memorandum of understanding signed on Sept. 28 between JNU and the Jeju provincial Office of Education.

Meanwhile, Jeong I-woon, chair of the Jeju Teachers’ College Alumni, pointed out the two departments’ integration in a true sense has yet to be achieved.

Jeong claimed that linking the certificates for elementary school and middle and high school teachers needs to be reviewed from a forward-looking perspective. The Teachers’ College graduate pinpointed the physically separate campuses as the main cause of insufficient exchanges between the departments.

Jeong also stressed the decrease in the joint development fund from 5 billion to 3.5 billion won, which was supposed to be raised by 2011. Still, the fund lacks 1.7 billion won, calling for a separate development fund for the Teachers’ College, he added.

Kang Seung-won, president of the Teachers’ College Student Council, cited the Article 37(2) of the Integration Agreement, a mandatory clause on restructuring the Teachers’ College campus, which JNU failed to abide by.

Kang opposed to the university’s policy of allowing the transfer of students from other colleges to the education departments. He also urged the school to ensure student autonomy in using the two departments’ space and facilities, which should also be integrated upon the Teacher’ College students’ consensus. Above all, the student head called for the school’s efforts to secure the fund worth 43.3 billion won needed for relocating the Teachers’ College campus.

Kim Yeong-dae, chief of the education office’s Teaching Personnel Affairs division, emphasized the goal of the Teachers’ College that goes beyond just preparing for the elementary school teacher’s certificate. The education official demanded the university closely consulting with the education office concerning the restructuring of its teaching personnel incubation programs.

The official focused on the decreasing teaching job opportunities in elementary schools due to the shrinkage in the school-aged children’s population, asking the university to consider the changing circumstances in planning its curriculum.

With regard to the planned reformation of the nation’s teaching personnel development system, he called for a trilateral deliberation process between the Teachers’ College, the Office of Education, and the Teachers’ College students.

Yang Ga-ae, Gwangyang Elementary School’s special education teacher, criticized the absence of local training programs for special education teachers.

According to Yang, around 10 special education teachers need to be employed every year, but Jeju-based schools end up hiring general teachers with related certificates as temporary or part-time teachers. She pointed out that the university fails to meet the high demands in local child care facilities for special education teachers, calling for new undergraduate and postgraduate courses on special education in the university.

Based on the suggestions and demands, the Teachers’ College plans to identify and resolve imminent issues and challenges at the development promotion committee level.

The college will especially present the opinions and ideas in the November discussion session for the university’s presidential election.