Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City Office of Education Begins Full-Scale Operation of Control Tower for Descriptive- and Essay-Type Assessment

[Financial News, Jeonnam Gwangju = Hwang Tae-jong, reporter] The Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City Office of Education has formed and begun full-scale operations of the dedicated Curriculum Development and Assessment Team of the K-Education Integration Promotion Task Force, with the goal of implementing descriptive- and essay-type assessment next year.
 Superintendent of Education Kim Dae-jung said, "Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills are essential for students in Jeonnam and Gwangju to grow into talent who will lead future society. We will prepare thoroughly so that students in Jeonnam and Gwangju can grow into future leaders through descriptive- and essay-type assessment, which is driving a major transformation in education."
 According to the Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City Office of Education on the 21st, the Curriculum Development and Assessment Team of the K-Education Integration Promotion Task Force serves as the control tower dedicated to overseeing the descriptive- and essay-type assessment initiative.
 To minimize confusion in schools, the office began gathering opinions on the 7th by holding meetings with teacher organizations and public hearings for teachers, parents, and civic groups. It plans to establish an implementation plan based on the feedback.
 It will next form the Practical Support Team for Descriptive- and Essay-Type Assessment, consisting primarily of school teachers, to strengthen expertise and implementation capacity. The team will provide training to enhance assessment expertise and develop various materials so that teachers can focus on instruction and assessment while suitable educational conditions are established.
In particular, the Curriculum Development and Assessment Team of the K-Education Integration Promotion Task Force held a briefing on the 16th for officials responsible for assessment at the Jeonnam and Gwangju main offices and education support offices. It shared a roadmap for promoting descriptive- and essay-type assessment and agreed to pursue a unified assessment system in Jeonnam and Gwangju. The team also plans to prepare for the transition to a new assessment system by introducing an advanced assessment platform and distributing assessment materials and manuals.
 It will also develop comprehensive measures to reduce teachers' burden and support schools as the new assessment system is introduced. These measures will include curriculum and instruction innovation, customized practice-oriented training for teachers by school level and subject area, reductions in teachers' administrative workload, and the creation of a safe educational environment.
 At the same time, the office will review and revise relevant laws and guidelines to ensure teachers' professional authority over assessment is protected. In cooperation with relevant agencies, it also plans to establish separate guidelines at the education-office level.

[email protected] Hwang Tae-jong Reporter