"Parents Ask, County Governor Answers": Hoengseong Education Town Hall Successfully Held

[Financial News, Hoengseong—Kim Ki-seop] Hoengseong County Governor Jang Sin-sang successfully held an education town hall meeting where he listened to current education issues from parents for nearly two hours.
According to Hoengseong County on the 17th, the education town hall meeting titled "Parents Ask, County Governor Answers" was held on the 16th at Boram Hall on the first floor of the Hoengseong Branch of the Education Training Institute of the Gangwon State Office of Education. About 40 people, including the presidents of parent associations and chairs of school steering committees from elementary, middle and high schools in the county, attended.
Governor Jang sat down with parents that day and listened to education-related issues for nearly two hours. A wide range of proposals emerged, from expanding support for special education to developing student-led local festivals.
The event was organized to strengthen the implementation of key education policies, a core task of the county's ninth popularly elected administration, and to directly incorporate parents' voices into policy. Following a briefing on major education policies, the governor spent about an hour communicating openly with representatives of parent associations and chairs of school steering committees.
Participants raised a wide range of issues, including expanding special education support; creating housing conditions for rural school exchange programs; developing elementary education programs to foster talent; adjusting the age eligibility criteria for Dream Start; establishing study spaces for middle school students; expanding support for slow learners with borderline intellectual functioning; developing student-led local education festivals; and strengthening parent outreach regarding education support policies.
After the discussion with the county governor ended, an additional hour-long session was held on specific education support matters of practical interest to parents. The session was organized by the Planning and Budget Officer, with the heads of the Education and Sports Division and the Talent Development Scholarship Foundation's secretariat in attendance.
The participants held in-depth discussions on specialized support measures, including detailed operating guidelines for the Talent Development Center, ways to invigorate the Education Development Committee, expanded support for arts and physical education, and career and higher education exploration programs for students. The county plans to review all questions, including those answered that day, by the relevant departments and notify the councils of parent associations and school steering committees of the results in writing.
Planning and Budget Officer Do Man-jo said, "We will closely review the opinions raised today with the relevant departments, from expanding special education support to developing local education festivals, and incorporate them into actual policies. We will continue pursuing open administration by meeting county residents in person and listening to their opinions."

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter