The "Great Transformation of Gyeonggi Education" championed by Ahn Min-suk, superintendent of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, faces its first test from the outset of his term. Ahn has put "Phone Free School" and "RAS (Reading, Arts, Sports) education," a Gyeonggi-style arts and physical education program, at the forefront, while also signaling the creation of an Education Activity Protection Bureau (informally known as the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau) and the introduction of an open recruitment system for district education office heads.
According to reporting compiled by Seoul Economic Daily on Thursday, the transition committee for the sixth popularly elected Gyeonggi superintendent, which concludes its activities on the 14th, is conducting final reviews of organizational restructuring, budget requirements, and detailed implementation plans to give concrete shape to Ahn's key pledges.
Although Ahn emphasizes sufficient consultation with education stakeholders, attention is focused on whether the policies will take root in the field, given their bold nature. At the core is a transformation of school culture. Phone Free School is a plan to reduce students' dependence on smartphones and increase concentration in class and the intensity of character education. It goes beyond simple usage restrictions, distinguishing itself from existing student guidance policies by filling the freed-up time with reading, arts, and physical activities.
RAS education is a policy intertwined with Phone Free School. Its aim is to ease the exam-centered culture through education that involves reading, expression, and learning through the body. The plan bundles together the recovery of basic academic skills, emotional stability, and strengthened physical activity to address the learning deficits and emotional crises that have accumulated since COVID-19.
Protecting teacher rights is another main pillar. The Education Activity Protection Bureau is an organization that will permanently establish a system for responding to infringements of teacher rights at the provincial education office level. It will integrate functions previously dispersed across schools and district education offices—such as complaint handling, legal support, and psychological recovery support—under the provincial education office.
The open recruitment system for district education office heads will also be pursued. The concept is to break away from centralized personnel practices and reflect regional education needs. The aim is to strengthen decentralized education administration by selecting individuals who understand the local community and school field as heads of district education offices.
Early public opinion has been favorable. In a poll conducted by the provincial education office, eight out of 10 respondents said collecting and storing smartphones within schools was necessary. The provincial education office plans to fully implement Phone Free School from September after completing the relevant procedures, and to significantly expand RAS education next year after supplementing it through pilot projects. The open recruitment system for district education office heads has already entered the public notice process, and the office plans to appoint 12 district education heads effective September 1.
Major teachers' organizations in the Gyeonggi region, including the Teachers' Union and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU), generally agree with the direction of strengthening teacher rights protection and expanding school autonomy. Expectations are particularly high regarding discussions on establishing the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau.
However, there are also calls for caution over the pace of policy implementation. Critics point out that smartphone restrictions could increase teachers' burden of student guidance, and that RAS education, if expanded without separate personnel and budget, could also lead to increased workloads. "While we sympathize with the aim of holistic growth through culture, arts, and sports, this could become another burden on schools, so careful consideration is needed," said Bok Won-kyung, spokesperson for the Gyeonggi Teachers' Union.
Regional gaps in education infrastructure are another variable. For RAS education to take root, libraries, gymnasiums, cultural facilities, professional instructors, and transportation conditions must provide support. Urban centers and new towns have relatively better conditions, but the situation differs in rural areas and old town centers. Citing the case of survival swimming classes introduced in the wake of the Sewol ferry disaster, Park Do-hyun, vice branch head of the KTU Gyeonggi branch, said, "There are large disparities in infrastructure and personnel by region, so a cautious approach is needed."
