Yoon pledges to expand after-school care program this year

President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted the state's role in public child care on Monday, promising that more after-school care will become available in elementary schools nationwide this year.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center back, poses for a photo with students after observing a dance class, a part of the pilot Neulbom School after school care program, at Shinwoo Elementary School in Hanam, Gyeonggi on Monday. He later presided over the ninth public livelihood debate on education reform at the school. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted the state's role in public child care on Monday, promising that more after-school care will become available in elementary schools nationwide this year.

"School care is necessary to enable parents to leave their children with peace of mind and allow them to engage in economic and social activities to their heart's content," Yoon said during a town hall meeting on education reform at a public elementary school in Gyeonggi. "We must move from 'parents' care' to 'public care.'"

To this end, Yoon pledged to expand Neulbom School, an integrated program combining after-school child care and education for students before and after classes from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., alleviating the burden on working parents amid the country's low birthrate crisis.

The government will implement the Neulbom program for first graders in 2,000 elementary schools starting next month, allowing young students to receive before and after-school care through various extracurricular programs at school.

The program will be expanded to all first graders in 6,000 elementary schools nationwide starting in the second semester this year. It was initially expected to be fully introduced next year.

The program will be expanded to second graders by next year, and by 2026, it will include all elementary school students from the first to sixth grades.

"Public education must be at the center of education in a democratic society, and ultimately, the center of public education is the school," Yoon said. "National care utilizing good school facilities is absolutely necessary."

Yoon presided over the ninth public livelihood debate at Shinwoo Elementary School in Hanam, which focused on public care for students and involved education officials, parents, teachers and principals.

"Since the last election, I have promised that the state will definitely take responsibility for the care and education [of children]," Yoon said, saying this issue has been adopted as a national task which he continues to pursue.

On Jan. 22, Yoon, in a meeting with senior secretaries, instructed aides to arrange a public livelihood debate on the topic of Neulbom School "to listen to a wide range of parents' opinions and wishes."

He noted that in a recent survey of parents, 83.6 percent of respondents hoped to participate in Neulbom School.

Unlike the current after-school care system, which prioritizes dual-income, low-income or single-parent families, the Ministry of Education decided to allow any elementary school student who wishes to use Neulbom School to do so.

All first-grade students using Neulbom School can undergo customizable programs for two hours daily.

To reduce teachers' workloads, 2,250 temporary teachers will be assigned to schools on a rotational basis in the first semester of this year, and a Neulbom support office will be established in all schools next year and draw staff from civil servants and retired teachers.

The Education Ministry plans to allocate 1.1657 trillion won ($875 million) to expand programs, facilities and staffing to support the student care system.

"As president, my top priority is to create a country for children and a country where children are happy," Yoon said during Monday's meeting. "The government should not leave children dejected after school because it cannot properly care for them. Care is the responsibility of our entire community and that of the national and local governments, and above all, it is the president's constitutional responsibility to ensure the sustainability of our society."

"We will support the healthy growth and development of each child and provide an opportunity for a rebound in the birthrate by alleviating the burden of child care and private education on parents through the Neulbom School policy," Lee Joo-ho, the deputy prime minister who doubles as education minister, said during the meeting.

After listening to various opinions from parents and teachers, according to the presidential office, Yoon emphasized in his closing remark, "We will invest sufficient funds and cooperate through both the central and local governments."

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]