Opening ceremony held at ‘Three Types of Love Bapteo’ in Jungwang-dong on April 22… After-school classes for children of multicultural families to be held…

◇ Gyeonggi Province held an opening ceremony for a “boundary-free town school’ at the free meal center “Three Kinds of Love Bapteo” in Gunseo-ro, Siheung City, at 2 p.m. on April 22. Pictured: Town residents and students who attended the ceremony ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

A town school for children of multi-cultural families has opened in Jungwang-dong of Siheung City, Gyeonggi Province, an area densely populated by foreigners. 

Gyeonggi Province held an opening ceremony for the boundary-free town school ‘KKumteul’ at the free meal center “Three Kinds of Love Bapteo” in Gunseo-ro of Siheung City at 2 p.m. on March 22.

Kkumteul is a facility that offers afterschool classes to children of multicultural families and less privileged families. Defined as ‘a frame filled with dreams’, Kkumteul seeks to encourage the healthy development and growth of children. 

Gyeonggi Province Multicultural Families Division Director Do Hyun-sun said, “Kkumteul is a town community that conveys respect for the differences between Koreans and foreigners.” Do added, “I hope that Kkumteul will be an exemplary model for the town community.”

Kkumteul’s targets children that use Three Kinds of Love Bapteo and 10 children from less privileged families; currently, half of the students at Kkumteul are from multicultural families. There are six teachers at Kkumteul, including marriage-based immigrants residing in the region as well as retired volunteers who can teach foreign languages like English and Chinese and help with school studies.

Siheung City Multicultural Family Support Center Chief Cha Sun-hwa said, “There was a strong need for a town school in order to realize the potential of children from multicultural families.” Cha added, “Kkumteul is very meaningful for the fact that it can offer job opportunities to the marriage-based immigrants who are fluent in foreign languages.”

Seventy-three percent of the population of Jungwang-dong and Jungwang 1 – dong in Siheung City is comprised of foreigners, amounting to over 19,000 people. The Siheung City Multicultural Family Support Center, which was in search of education services for the children of multicultural families in this area, was appointed as the beneficiary for the multicultural town community business that was promoted by Gyeonggi Province in January. The center will receive total funds of KRW 13 million for relevant operations.

With the support of the local merchant association, Kkumteul has occupied a building beside the center. The local merchant association has been operating Three Kinds of Love Bapteo (Interest, Sharing, Harmony), a free meal facility center for the children of less-privileged families, in mornings and evenings on a daily basis, and has agreed to utilize this location as an education center.

At the opening ceremony, town school teacher Irene, a 34 year-old woman from the Philippines who lives in Shinchun-dong, Siheung City, said, “The children of multicultural families need considerable attention and care.” She added, “I will try to take full responsibility for educating them.”

◇ At this ceremony, the Siheung City Multicultural Family Support Center signed an MOU with Three Kinds of Love Bapteo and the Gunseo Elementary School for the operation of Kkumteul. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

Concurrently, the Siheung City Multicultural Family Support Center signed an MOU with Three Kinds of Love Bapteo and the Gunseo Elementary School for the operation of Kkumteul.

Accordingly, the Siheung City Multicultural Family Support Center will design overall plans including town school operations and education curriculum. Three Kinds of Love Bapteo will offer space and meals, and Gunseo Elementary School will connect its students with the center. 

The opening ceremony was attended by 40 people including Gyeonggi Province Multicultural Families Division Director Do Hyun-sun, Three Kinds of Love Bapteo Chief Han Kun-seok, and Social Welfare Corporation Bokumjari Chairperson Shin Myung-ja, as well as town residents and students. 

Since January, Gyeonggi Province has appointed a total of 26 businesses including Kkumteul as a part of its initiative for multicultural town community businesses. The province provides funds of KRW 2 to 15 million to each business, amounting to KRW 100 million in total.

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Lee So-young leesy8127@naver.com 

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201504230854487055C048&s_code=C048