North Gyeongsang education office holds forum with teacher groups on key policy issues

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education held a meeting Monday with representatives of major teacher organizations in the province to gather frontline opinions on pressing education issues and discuss possible solutions. The forum took place at the superintendent's reception room at the main office in Andong.

Superintendent Im Jong-sik attended along with other provincial education office officials. Six representatives and executives from the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations North Gyeongsang chapter, the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union North Gyeongsang branch, and the North Gyeongsang Teachers' Union also participated.

The forum was organized to hear directly from classroom teachers and develop effective policy responses to a rapidly shifting education landscape — including the spread of AI and digital learning environments and a growing number of small schools driven by a declining school-age population.

Key topics included strengthening teacher training to prepare for AI-driven future education, securing adequate teacher staffing to protect educational access at small rural schools, improving procedures for responding to official correspondence and handling meeting requests at the education office, and ensuring stable education funding amid proposed reforms to the local education subsidy system.

Participants agreed that building teachers' digital competencies and providing systematic support are essential for AI-based future education to take firm root in schools.

"We will continue to work closely with teacher organizations to actively support educators in their work and do our utmost to ensure that all students — including those in farming, mountain and fishing communities — have equal access to education," Superintendent Im said.