Why Gwangju’s Education Needs a Revolution: Support for Candidate Jang Kwan-ho Grows

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The CEN News / Reporter Lee Jusang | Democratic civic groups across the Jeonnam and Gwangju regions officially declared their support for Jang Gwan-ho, a preliminary candidate for superintendent of the integrated Jeonnam–Gwangju Special City Office of Education.

The Jeonnam–Gwangju Democratic Civic Society Jang Gwan-ho Support Committee held a press conference at the Mujin Hall of the Gwangju YMCA on the 30th and released a declaration of support signed by 1,488 citizens.

They described Jang as the right person to fundamentally address the complex crisis marked by eroding public trust in public education and dysfunction in education administration. As a former classroom teacher with 25 years of experience and a policy expert, they said, he is a well-prepared candidate who can bridge the classroom, policymaking, and civil society.

Participants emphasized that education needs a comprehensive transformation rather than piecemeal reforms. They urged restoring public trust through integrity in education administration and a citizen-participatory model of shared educational governance.

At the press conference, parents and civic leaders also voiced their support.

Attendees highlighted urgent education issues — improving student commute safety, strengthening childcare and after-school care systems, and expanding parental participation — and expressed their support for Jang.

The committee said the declaration goes beyond endorsing a single candidate; it is a call for educational autonomy that breaks the concentration of power in a single superintendent. \”We must build an integrated education model that brings together local communities and school stakeholders,\” the committee said.

(The CEN News) Gwangju-Jeonnam — Reporter Lee Jusang eaglefood@naver.com