▲ 김상동 경북교육감 예비후보     ©

【브레이크뉴스 경북】진예솔 기자=김상동 경북교육감 후보가 경북 교육의 위기를 ‘실력 저하와 인성 교육 부족’에서 찾으며 교육 체계 전반의 혁신 필요성을 강하게 제기했다. 특히 대학 총장 출신이라는 이력을 바탕으로 수업과 평가, 입시를 연계하는 ‘AIB 교육’을 핵심 공약으로 내세우며 차별화된 교육 모델을 제시했다.

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[Break News Gyeongbuk] Reporter Park Young-jae = Kim Sang-dong, a candidate for Superintendent of Education in Gyeongbuk, identified the crisis in the province's education as stemming from "declining academic performance and a lack of character education," and strongly raised the need for innovation across the entire education system. Leveraging his background as a former university president, he presented a differentiated educational model by putting forward "AIB Education"—which links classes, assessments, and entrance exams—as his core pledge.

In a joint interview with Break News, Newsmin, and OhmyNews on the 30th of last month, Candidate Kim stated, "The biggest problem with Gyeongbuk education is the severe lack of both academic performance and character education." He pointed out, "The fact that Gyeongbuk students rank 12th, 13th, or 14th nationwide on the CSAT is a dismal result that does not match the image of 'Gyeongbuk, the Great Province.'" He further emphasized, "We must not tolerate a decline in average academic performance."

He also took a sharp stance on the issue of character education. He stated, “While compromise, respect, and communication are important, looking at the various incidents that occurred under the current superintendent’s administration, it is questionable whether the values ​​of honesty and responsibility were truly upheld,” adding, “Those in charge of education must feel the value of character education, mandated by law, more heavily than anyone else.”

Regarding the Korean-style IB education currently being promoted in Daegu, he expressed both criticism and agreement. Candidate Kim pointed out that “an approach aiming to create a global standard for education is difficult to sustain given that education varies according to each country’s philosophy and goals,” yet stated that he “sympathizes with the intent of the IB, which is centered on discussion and inquiry-based learning.” However, he emphasized that “under the current structure, it is difficult for IB education to provide practical advantages for university admission,” and that “evaluation methods and the admissions reflection system must be improved through consultation with universities.”

In this regard, he proposed “AIB education,” which combines the “Active Class Learning System” with AI, as an alternative. The AIB is a structure in which teachers proactively intervene to design student questions, discussions, and presentations while managing the entire learning process, allowing students to utilize AI learning tools. Candidate Kim explained, “It is not merely a change in teaching methods, but a future-oriented education model that connects classes, assessments, and entrance exams with a focus on student participation.”

He cited the issue of school closures as another key challenge for education in Gyeongbuk. He stated, “After visiting various regions, including Ulleungdo, I found that school closures were the biggest problem,” adding, “I hope that elementary schools will not be closed if possible.” He continued, “We must maintain the school to protect the village community, even if there is only a single student,” emphasizing, “While maintaining a school incurs social costs, elementary education is not an area to be judged on economic efficiency, but a matter that the state must take responsibility for.”

He also pointed out, “Elementary schools should ideally be located within the village,” noting that “eliminating schools at the township level robs the village of its vitality.” Regarding school consolidation, he stated, “Communication with residents, parents, and local governments is the priority. Consolidation is possible if even 10 students want it, but the principle is that if not, the school must be maintained even if only one student remains.”

He also presented specific measures to resolve the educational gap in rural and fishing villages. Regarding elementary schools, he explained, “Schools with a small number of students can supplement their social skills by collaborating with nearby schools to conduct joint activities one day a week.” Concerning secondary education, he stated, “To address the difficulty of opening courses in small schools due to the implementation of the High School Credit System, we will operate a ‘specialized teacher corps’ affiliated with the Office of Education to support itinerant classes.”

In addition, he presented plans to deploy support staff to enhance the efficiency of online education and to introduce a ‘process-based counseling system’ that records and manages a student’s growth journey from admission to graduation. He emphasized, “A system is needed where parents and teachers guide students together by systematically identifying their strengths and weaknesses.”

Regarding the direction of education in the AI ​​era, he stated, “Imagination, questioning skills, and debating abilities will be important in the future,” adding, “To this end, we will establish an active instruction system.” He further added, “We will strengthen student-centered classes through AIB education, an AI-based discussion-based IB-style education.” He also said, “We will create an environment where homeroom teachers can focus on student care by reducing their teaching hours and administrative duties.”

Regarding elementary schools, he explained, “Imagination, questioning ability, and debating skills will be crucial in the future.” Regarding policies for students with multicultural and immigrant backgrounds, he emphasized that “Korean language proficiency is the most important factor,” stating that “perfect communication is essential for improving literacy and naturally integrating into our society.” He added, “While multilingual proficiency is important, it must be grounded in Korean.”

Regarding teacher policies, he stated, “Compensation for teachers working in remote areas or mountain villages must be strengthened,” adding, “We will expand welfare support through ordinances in cooperation with the Provincial Council.” He also stressed, “In the event of malicious complaints, the Office of Education will intervene immediately to protect teachers’ right to teach and take full responsibility for handling the aftermath.”

Regarding school conflicts and the polarization of classrooms, he explained, “Sports and play are the best education,” noting that “respect is naturally learned in the process of following rules.” He continued, “Excessive parental intervention can hinder children’s relationship formation,” adding, “In the age of AI, making one more friend is more important than solving a few more problems.”

Regarding the background of his candidacy, Candidate Kim stated, “I gained comprehensive experience in education while serving as the president of Kyungpook National University and a provincial university, and I have broadly examined Gyeongbuk policies through activities such as the Local Era Committee.” He added, “I decided to run for office due to encouragement from those around me and a sense of responsibility.”

Finally, he said, “Education cannot be achieved solely through the power of schools; it requires the participation of the community and parents,” and pledged, “I will lead the transformation of Gyeongbuk education through policies that take responsibility for students’ desired career paths and employment.”