In the future, more local residents will use the facilities of elementary, middle, high schools, and universities, and regulations on the use of closed schools will be eased.
On the 1st, the Ministry of Education announced the '2nd Basic Educational Facilities Plan (2027-2031)' with these contents in mind.
The basic plan for educational facilities contains the direction and key tasks of educational facility policies for the next five years in accordance with the 'Act on Safety and Maintenance of Educational Facilities, etc.'.
The Ministry of Education emphasized that this plan focused on transforming educational facilities into 'core infrastructure that connects the region and the future' in the face of social changes such as the decline in the school-age population, the crisis of regional extinction, the great transformation of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital, and the deepening climate crisis.
First, in order to make schools into regional growth bases, 'Education Innovation Leading Regions' will be designated and operated, focusing on non-metropolitan areas.
In areas leading in educational innovation, offices of education, local governments, and local communities work together to promote educational innovation suited to local conditions, and the Ministry of Education supports this with financial support and consultation.
In the case of university campuses, we plan to expand joint research institutes and cutting-edge experiment and practice spaces linked to high-tech industries such as AI, semiconductors, and bio, and establish a joint utilization system among universities, companies, and research institutes.
The regional opening of schools will also be greatly expanded.
School facilities such as playgrounds, gymnasiums, and libraries will be opened to residents, and educational and residential conditions will be improved by increasing the financial support ratio for school complex facilities located in areas with population decline (of interest) and agricultural, mountainous, and fishing villages.
In addition, the Ministry of Education announced that it will improve regulations so that closed schools can be used for various purposes.
We plan to expand the scope of special provisions, such as free loans related to the use of closed schools, and change the regulations on use to minimum regulations (negative regulations).
For the closed school utilization project promoted jointly by the Office of Education and local governments, 12 billion won will be provided annually in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
In addition, a revision of the ‘Law on the Use of Closed Schools’ is being promoted to establish a procedure for residents to participate in the use of closed schools.
In addition, the Ministry of Education is promoting a plan to install solar power facilities in all national and public elementary and middle schools, excluding small schools, by 2030.
By linking this with climate and ecological transition education, we plan to support students to directly check the school's energy data and use it for learning.
In addition, schools will increase energy efficiency by ▲ expanding the use of high-efficiency air conditioners and high-performance insulation materials and windows, and ▲ introducing an energy management system based on AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The university decided to gradually expand solar power facilities using idle spaces such as building rooftops and parking lots and establish an energy production, storage, and utilization system linked to energy storage systems (ESS).
Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin said, "The 2nd basic plan for educational facilities goes beyond simple facility improvement and is a future strategy that comprehensively connects education, regional and industrial connections, and response to the climate crisis. We will create a safe and sustainable educational environment that can be experienced by both students and the local community."
