▲ Seoul Learn 3rd Anniversary Homecoming Day Event
The eligibility for 'Seoul Learn,' Seoul's flagship educational welfare policy, will be expanded from approximately 120,000 to 170,000 people starting at the end of July.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has recently completed consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare regarding changes to the social security system, and will ease the criteria for Seoul Learn support from the current 60% or less of the median income to 80% or less.
With this measure, the number of eligible recipients will increase by approximately 52,000, from the existing 117,000 to 168,000.
This is the first step in implementing Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's 9th popularly elected administration pledge to "expand Seoul Learn support to the bottom 70% of income earners" in phases.
Seoul Learn is an educational welfare project by the Seoul Metropolitan Government that provides online learning content and career and college counseling programs to youth from vulnerable social groups.
The city expects this expansion to help reduce blind spots in educational welfare and alleviate gaps in starting opportunities.
The new eligible recipients include children from multi-child families, children using local child centers, grandchildren of national merit recipients, and residents of single-parent family welfare facilities.
In particular, for children using local child centers, support will be expanded from those using only certain centers to all children using local child centers across Seoul.
As a result, the scope of support will widen from the current level of approximately 2,000 children at 165 centers to 12,000 children at 419 centers in the future.
Eligible youth can choose and use up to eight learning sites, including online learning content from providers such as Megastudy, ETOOS, Daesung MyMac, and MilkT.
Future competency development programs are also provided, including career campuses, university-linked specialized arts and physical education courses, communication lectures, AI and digital competency enhancement programs, and career mentoring for young adults entering society.
Seoul Learn is also spreading to other local governments.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that it is currently cooperating with seven metropolitan and local governments, including North Chungcheong Province, Incheon, and Gimpo, and that 71 local governments across the country have inquired about or are considering the introduction of Seoul Learn.
To commemorate the expansion, the city will hold a flowerpot distribution event at the Seoul Learn Garden in July and conduct a congratulatory comment event on the Seoul Learn website.
The city will also operate 'Seoul Learn Supporters,' where Seoul Learn members create content about their learning experiences and growth stories.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, "Seoul Learn is not just an educational support project, but an educational ladder to create a society where poverty is not passed down," adding, "The Seoul Metropolitan Government will provide full support until the end so that a child's starting line is not determined by their parents' economic status."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.