2006년도 유치원교육정책 홍보사업 결과보고서

Abstract

Kindergarten education in Korea has faced challenges as a result of the low birth rates and increases in the number of working mothers. There is a need to promote parental understanding of kindergarten educational policies. In order to promote public awareness of the policies and quality of kindergarten education, the Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MOEHRD) initiated a public relations (PR) campaign.

The PR campaign focused on governmental support for educational fees, the expansion of full-day programs, and the continuity of curriculum in elementary schools, as well as the legal establishment of mandatory kindergarten for children aged 3 to 5.

This project was undertaken for five months by producing and distributing PR media, such as radio commercial messages, posters, and parental guide booklets, nation-wide. Based on the given budgets, these media were selected. Throughout the process of the project, especially when producing the PR media, input and feedback from PR experts, representatives from public/private kindergarten associations, parents, and academia were reflected and recorded. In addition, a workshop was held for kindergarten directors/teachers and school inspectors in 182 cities in order to explain the rationale and purposes of the government’s PR campaign and to demonstrate the PR media. Questionnaire surveys were conducted, with a total of 2131 respondents (643 parents, 945 kindergarten directors/teachers, 198 school inspectors, 345 officials of MOEHRD), regarding the effects of and the needs for governmental PR on kindergarten educational policy.

It was found that there were differences in the overall PR effect as perceived by different respondent groups. While school inspectors considered the PR effect high, kindergarten directors/teachers perceived it to be only moderate. Both groups perceived the PR contents as highly appropriate and indicated the weak delivery system as the most serious limitation of the PR campaign. Although parents and officials of MOEHRD were not frequently exposed to the PR media, if exposed, they showed positive responses to the media. Through the PR, parents and governmental officials came to learn most about governmental support for educational fees and to acknowledge kindergartens as school for young children.

Based on these survey results and the experiences of the PR processes, eight key factors were suggested for the successful establishment of governmental PR on kindergarten educational policy in the future. These factors included the PR message, the medium, the cost, the delivery system, timing and target, expertise, and outcome evaluation.