On the 6th, the publication celebration for Professor Sung Ki-sun's (Catholic University of Korea, former President of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation) book ‘Educational Turmoil’ was held at the Gyeonggi University Teleconvention Center. Sung was the 2022 Democratic Progressive Single Candidate for Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education. The event was a great success, attended by approximately 800 key figures from education, politics, academia, civic groups, and the public.
Attendees included Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-ik, former Minister of Education Kim Shin-il, former National Assembly members Kang Min-jung and Yoon Mi-hyang, actor Lee Ki-young, former Teachers' Union Federation Chairman Kim Yong-seo, Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Integrated Civil Servants' Labor Union Chairman Lee Sang-hyuk, Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education General Civil Servants' Labor Union Chairman Kang Dong-in, and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters Standing Vice Chairman Baek Seung-jin.
Professor Seong diagnosed the current state of Korean education as a crisis entangled by five types of chaos: ▲ideological ▲ideology ▲neoliberalism ▲system ▲future. He then presented a hopeful solution based on the BRG education model, which asserts that children's true growth is achieved when the foundation is solid (Basic) and relationships of trust (Relationship) are restored.
In his congratulatory address at the publication celebration, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated, stated, “Last year, we witnessed democracy crumbling under illegal martial law and civil unrest, and that unrest continues to this day.” He added, “The roots of this educational turmoil likely harbor structural problems that have been inherent for far longer than the unrest caused by illegal martial law,” expressing his hope that “today's event, alongside Professor Sung, becomes the first step in uprooting the causes of this educational turmoil.”
Furthermore, former Minister of Education Kim Shin-il, Professor Sung's mentor, recalled, “Even during his school days, Professor Sung showed an exceptional interest in the school environment, including students and teachers.” He assessed, “Building on that passion, his administrative experience as Director of the Yulgok Institute of Education and Director of the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation seems to have deepened his expertise.”
Professor Park Gu-yong (Department of Philosophy, Chonnam National University), who participated in the book talk, remarked, “Both students and teachers seem to have reached an extreme point of difficulty. The next progressive superintendent must absolutely find new alternatives to this.” He added, “I felt Professor Sung's sincerity in appealing not just to offer answers alone, but to find alternatives together with the educational community.”
[대한민국영어신문 박혜선 phs@kedupress.com]
