Universities chosen for education funding revamp amid declining teacher demand

The Ministry of Education has selected universities to receive funding aimed at improving their teacher education programs, with some institutions focusing on creating curricula that extend beyond training future teachers.

Test takers walk into an elementary school in Suseong District, Daegu, where a teacher employment examination was held in January. [NEWS1]

The Ministry of Education has selected universities to receive funding aimed at improving their teacher education programs, with some institutions focusing on creating curricula that extend beyond training future teachers, as demand for the profession declines.

The Education Ministry announced Tuesday that it selected 20 teams and universities for the funding project, which will award 400 million won ($292,000) to consortia and 175 million won to individual universities over the next year.

Of the 20 recipients, four are consortia: Gyeongin National University of Education, Seoul National University of Education and Chuncheon National University of Education; Daegu National University of Education, Busan National University of Education and Chinju National University of Education; Cheongju National University of Education, Gongju National University of Education, Gwangju National University of Education and Jeonju National University of Education; and Korea National University of Education and Jeju National University.

The remaining 16 recipients are individual universities: Catholic Kwandong University, Kyung Hee University, Keimyung University, Kongju National University, Daegu University, Dongguk University, Mokwon University, Seowon University, Sungshin Women's University, Soonchunhyang University, Ewha Womans University, Inha University, Jeonju University, Chosun University, Chung-Ang University and Hanyang University.

A total of 38 universities and teams applied for the funding program.

Ewha Womans University, Inha University, Jeonju University, Chung-Ang University and Catholic Kwandong University plan to use the funding to create non-teacher certification programs.

Currently, students who graduate from a four-year degree program at a university or college of education automatically receive a teaching certification, allowing them to take the teacher employment examination.

However, the new programs at these five universities will focus on preparing students for career paths beyond teaching. For instance, Chung-Ang University will create a new degree program centered on digital education.

Mokwon University will establish a new interdisciplinary program focused on edtech.

The consortium led by the Cheongju National University of Education will expand its program to prepare students to become teachers not only in Korean public and private schools but also in schools that follow the International Baccalaureate program.

These changes are being made in response to a decreasing demand for teachers amid a population decrease.

The Education Ministry announced last year that it plans to hire between 2,900 to 3,200 teachers annually in 2024 and 2025, compared to the 3,561 hired in 2023. The number is expected to drop to between 2,600 and 2,900 annually in 2026 and 2027.

"The role of teacher training institutes is crucial for us to innovate education," said Lee Ju-ho, Minister of Education. "We will actively support the selected teams and universities in implementing their plans and will also work to spread these innovations to other universities."

Universities wishing to contest the funding selection results can do so until Aug. 23, with the final list of recipients to be announced at the end of August.

Selected universities will officially begin discussions on curriculum changes or implementations in early September, with the Education Ministry hosting a progress review meeting in December.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]