Interest in Attracting Yeongjong International School Peaks Among Local Residents… Signature Campaign Underway
- BIEK News
- Mar 18, 2024
- 5 min read
At the 'Yeongjong International City International School (King's College School) Attraction Public Meeting' held at the Incheon Jung-gu Youth Center on the 27th, Henry, the representative of BIEK for the establishment of King's College School International School in the UK〈left〉, and Joseph Choi, the representative of the Korean branch, are making a greeting. [Herald Economy (Incheon)=Reporter Lee Hong-seok] Interest in attracting an international school to Yeongjong is spreading among local residents.
Yeongjong Parents Alliance Holds a Public Meeting on the 27th Inviting Kings… Preparing Against Other Local Governments' Competition for Kings Kings Representatives Explain Intent and Master Plan for Establishing Yeongjong International School Residents' Understanding of Kings Increases… Questions and Answers Clarify Doubts Yeongjong Parents Alliance to Deliver ‘Prestigious International School Attraction Signature Campaign’ to Incheon Mayor Incheon Mayor Urged to Decide on Attracting Prestigious International School as Promised to Residents
Residents, centered around Yeongjong parents, have shown great interest in holding a public meeting inviting King's College School (hereinafter referred to as Kings), a prestigious British school that has expressed interest in establishing an international school in Yeongjong. The political realm is also heating up with next year's general election pledges to attract it.
Especially as other local governments are also making swift moves to attract Kings, residents including the Yeongjong School Guardians concerned about this competition have even launched a ‘Prestigious International School Attraction Signature Campaign’, drawing attention to the outcome.
The Yeongjong Parents Alliance held a public meeting inviting representatives from the Korean branch of King's College International School at the Incheon Jung-gu Youth Center auditorium on the 27th.
Henry, the representing director of BIEK for the establishment of King's College School International School in the UK, and Joseph Choi, the representative of BIEK Korea, attended the meeting and explained the overall progress of establishing Kings International School in Yeongjong.
Henry, the UK headquarters representative, said in his greeting, "I am grateful to explain Kings at the Yeongjong International School Attraction Public Meeting. The plan to establish Kings International School in Yeongjong has been in progress for three years, but it has been delayed so much that we considered relocating to another local government."
He added, "But coming to the event today and seeing the enthusiasm of Yeongjong residents firsthand, I am happy. If the residents want it, we will actively pursue attracting Kings International School to Yeongjong."
Joseph Choi, the representative of BIEK Korea, through the meeting said, "Yeongjong International City, where Incheon International Airport is located, should definitely have a prestigious international school considering it's a gateway from Seoul, the metropolitan area, and from abroad. To be competitive, it's necessary to build a high-quality international school facility that uses the originally three plots of land for sports fields, playgrounds, and auditoriums for kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school use, not just the two plots reduced by the Incheon Economic Authority."
He emphasized, "The future plan depends on you. As we have shown over the past three years, we have expressed our intention to establish and have worked hard to establish an international school for the coexistence with the local community. If not the local residents, who else will step forward for the attraction of a prestigious international school that will be passed down from generation to generation?"
Furthermore, the international school plans to develop a scholarship admission system for Yeongjong children, making it a specialized international school for up to 10-30% of Yeongjong children.
Especially, scholarships will be provided to low-income children residing in Yeongjong and talented students in the arts field, and middle-class children will also be offered admission opportunities without the burden of tuition fees.
This means opportunities are given to Yeongjong children, so the King's Parents Alliance, local community, and others will work together to create regulations regarding King's scholarship system and admission conditions.
Joseph Choi also announced that on the 8th, a letter of intent was delivered to the Incheon City Office of Education from King's College School (main school) in the UK.
King's main school presented its vision for establishing Yeongjong International School to the City Office of Education and plans to enhance the teaching capabilities of Incheon educators by operating an IB teacher training program, aligning with the Korean government's recognition of the need to introduce international IB education in public education.
Especially, it was added that when hiring Korean subject teachers (Korean language, social studies, history), they would seek recommendations and cooperation from the Incheon City Office of Education.
Moreover, aligned with Yeongjong's status as an international tourism hub, it plans to construct world-class sports facilities, including an ice rink, fencing arena, rowing practice field, and swimming pool, which will be shared with local residents.
Kings also requested the City Office of Education to recommend students residing in Yeongjong when selecting scholarship students at Yeongjong International School.
In addition, during the summer break, a summer camp will be held for children residing in Yeongjong, offering a boarding school experience, various sports activities, and English education to provide students with experiences to grow their dreams and visions.
Joseph Choi stated, "What is most important is that as the competition to attract prestigious international schools in other local governments is getting hotter, residents in Yeongjong must jump into the competition to attract a proper prestigious international school to Yeongjong. Kings and the residents must become 'one team' to ensure the attraction of a prestigious international school."
Park Soo-hyun, the co-representative of the Yeongjong Parents Alliance who hosted the public meeting, said, "We have observed the process of attracting international schools for two years, but today is the first time we have arranged such a meeting where residents can directly listen." She added, "The reason is that parents and local residents can directly ask questions and answers to clarify their concerns."
She continued, "Seeing almost all the residents satisfied with the results today was meaningful. The 'Prestigious Yeongjong International School Attraction Signature Campaign' will continue and be delivered to Incheon Mayor Yu Jeong-bok at its conclusion, urging the fulfillment of the agreement to attract a prestigious international school promised to the residents in May last year."
Meanwhile, King's College School in the UK was established in 1829 under the Royal Charter by King George IV. It has continued its privilege and reputation as a member of the Eton Group, which leads British society with 12 schools.
Last year, it was recognized as the best private school in the UK (ranked 1st) by 'The Sunday Times School Guide.'
Its international academic capabilities are also ranked 5th among 5,400 IB (International Baccalaureate) schools in 159 countries worldwide.
Kings also has extensive experience in the field of international education. King's Bangkok International School, which opened in September 2020, currently has over 1,350 students enrolled and has received around 15,000 teacher applications so far.
Experienced staff from the UK main school are working at King's Bangkok International School, strengthening cooperation with the main school. The success of King's Bangkok International School proves that the main school has a specialized education support system for international schools.
King's UK main school has formed a team of 20 staff to guide and supervise education at King's International School, with full support from the board of directors. Furthermore, the King's main school board of directors is sparing no effort in supporting the establishment of King's International School in Yeongjong Incheon.
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