Ahn Byung-Young Minister of Education and Human Resources Development The Honorable Byung-Young AHN was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development on 24 December 2003. Dr. Ahn headed the education ministry from December 1995 through August 1997, in which he has initiated large scale education reform pursuing deregulation of education and educational welfare. Before joining the Ministry, Dr. Ahn was a professor of public administration at Yonsei University in Seoul and associated with professional associations in social sciences. He is an author of numerous writings on public administration and political science. He earned doctoral degree in Politics from University of Vienna, Austria.

High Quality Education to Actualize Best Potentials of Every Student

The Korean government has placed top policy priority on education in order to cope with the challenges of knowledge-based society. The guiding principle of education is to cherish the hope of every child and to foster fully-functioning individual.

At present the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development is in the process of implementing various educational reforms to raise academic standards and to achieve equity and excellence in education. The new education initiatives aim that every pupil actualizes his/her fullest potentials irrespective of socio-economic status of their family and locality.

Perceiving the advance of information technology as a valuable opportunity to achieve the above goals, the administration made enormous efforts to integrate ICT into education and developed e-learning programs to increase access to quality education to anyone at anytime and anywhere. In April 2004, Educational Broadcasting Service (EBS) lectures, utilizing the latest information technology such as Internet and multi-media devices, have been launched across the country.

Furthermore, greater emphasis has been placed on high-performing schools and teacher empowerment. The ministry strives to forge extra curricular activities for enrichment education service in the public sector. In particular, the direction of educational reform reflects quality teacher preparation and professional development, improving practices of teaching and learning and evaluation, innovation of college entrance procedures, enhancing career guidance, and developing national minimum education standards.

It is our hope for Korea to participate in the endeavors of UNESCO to realize the highest quality education for all in the 21st century and to share best practices of education with member states.

I wish the very success of the 47th International Conference on Education and laud the tireless efforts to improve education by the International Bureau of Education.