Fostering global talents equipped with knowledge, virtue and athletic ability

Giving children a bowl of heart that contains humanity, intelligence, and emotions

Re-founded in early 1960, Gwantan school corporation is headed by Chairman Jo Meong-hae, Middle School Principal Kim Shin-nyeon and High School Principal Park Hong-geun. The school's motto is knowledge, virtue and athletic ability. The school aims to help students lead a happy life through thinking skills, rationality and reason with which they can deal with difficult and ever changing times. 

 

▲ Gwangtan (school corporation) / Chairman Jo Meong-hae

Grand Hope, Relentless Effort

Hongjikwan dormitory equipped with optimal learning environment

Under the motto of ‘Grand Hope, Relentless Effort’, the school aims to nurture students into global talents through substantial change rather than being satisfied with the present. Hongjikwan dormitory is the place where  newspaper reading, self-introduction guidance, discussion learning, 1:1 entrance exam consulting, and 1:1 career consulting are taken place. Small group lectures in English and Mathematics by external professional instructors are also held here. There is also a mind care program in which two professional superintendent teachers meticulously manage life and learning of students who should maintain psychological stability for their mental health.

 

Students choose their career path

Gwangtan Penta Curriculum

Gwangtan High School is operating a student-selective Gwangtan PENTA curriculum that is specialized for each department so that students can choose according to their own career path. In the PENTA curriculum, through classes by teachers in five fields, they help students to develop a variety of specialized knowledge and experiences. PENTA is a word derived from Personalized, Enthusiasm, Network & communication, Talent, and Art. It means that students develop their talents and grow into capable people with beautiful personalities. Depending on their aptitude and career path, students can choose to take courses they want, such as engineering, medical care, health, humanities, social studies, natural sciences, economics, and business administration. In addition, the school conducts performance management and progression analysis for top-ranked students, and operates a mock exam problem-solving class to prepare for the CSAT. 

 

Operating non-commissioned officers department

Military-related education and support with barracks activities

Gwangtan High School operates a non-commissioned officer department, taking advantage of the fact that there are many military bases nearby. The non-commissioned officer department, which has been in operation for 5 years this year, is running a curriculum that allows students to be commissioned as a non-commissioned officer upon graduation. Students can enter the non-commissioned officer academy from October of their third year, so they can be commissioned as a non-commissioned officer faster than a college non-commissioned officer or graduates with the military department they want to choose. When applying, students can receive additional points and support preparation for the exam through the elaborate curriculum. The required tuition is a specialized high school scholarship, and the entire tuition fee is subsidized by the government for three years, and excellent students receive a school scholarship also. 

 

Need support for education infrastructure

Old buildings need to be replaced so that students can run around and play

Chairman Jo Meong-hae said that although efforts are being made to provide the best educational environment for students, support from the government and educational institutions is urgent. Jo says "Gwangtan-myeon has a population of 12,000, so there are few young people. Therefore, there are many things that children do not have access to in terms of cultural facilities or IT. Due to COVID-19, there were some students who could not receive the communication even when taking non-face-to-face classes. All our dreams, hopes, and confidence will be created only when our future dreamers receive good education for 6 years. I would like more support from the government or the education office." Principal Park Hong-geun says "Although small support is provided by the education office, there is a limit to what we can do in the outdated part of the facilities. We can apply for various courses and programs, but it is difficult to provide a space for students to play. This is something that should be supported at the Ministry of Education level, not the school district level." Principal Kim Shin-nyeon "There is also a shortage of student club rooms. We need to provide opportunities for rural students to do a lot of activities, but unlike new cities, there is not enough space. I hope that it can help students develop their own career paths through hobbies and club activities."

강영훈  kangy423@naver.com