JBNU Department of Child Studies (Department Chair Professor Ri‑jin Kim) announced on the 29th that, in line with the Ministry of Education's 2026 reform direction for in-service training for childcare staff, it has successfully implemented the nation's first Type B (Autonomously Organized Curriculum) general job training in the Namwon area, leading innovation in early childhood education.

This training was carried out by fully reflecting this year's newly introduced guideline to expand recognized in-service training courses, following close consultations with the local government (Jeonbuk Provincial Government Office). In particular, the 'Type B' model, in which in-service training providers autonomously organize the curriculum, was piloted most proactively in the country, drawing attention from academia and the childcare field.

Until now, most in-service training for childcare teachers in the Jeonbuk area has been held primarily in mid-northern cities where universities and key infrastructure are concentrated, such as Jeonju, Gunsan, and Iksan. As a result, childcare teachers in small southern towns and rural areas have faced significant inconvenience, having to travel long distances after work or on weekends. The fact that this training was held directly in Namwon overcomes those geographic limitations and carries important meaning for regional balanced educational welfare.

Professor Jin‑suk Lee of the JBNU Department of Child Studies, who currently operates the Namwon City Comprehensive Childcare Support Center under commission, said, “Since 2024 JBNU has continuously expanded on-site training in the southern part of Jeonbuk to substantially improve childcare teachers' access to education. It is particularly moving that the nation's first autonomous training model has taken its first successful step here in Namwon.”

The training fully applied the Ministry's revised core guidelines aimed at reducing childcare teachers' workload. Up to 12 hours of online uploaded content and up to 8 hours of real-time video conferencing training are combined and recognized as external accredited courses for a maximum of 20 hours. The remaining hours are filled with autonomously organized face-to-face training, completing a total of 40 hours of professional training.  

Professor Tae‑yeon Kim, Head of JBNU's in-service training program for childcare staff, said, “This course is the first experimental attempt to maximize trainee choice by organically linking non-face-to-face accredited courses (up to 20 hours) with the university's autonomously organized 'Type B' curriculum. As this is the introduction phase of a new system, the local government (Jeonbuk Provincial Government Office), the educational institution (JBNU), and participating teachers all experienced considerable confusion in initial design and administrative processing. However, through close communication we were able to complete the program successfully. Having confirmed the overwhelmingly positive response to the high degree of autonomy and choice, this first step will be an important opportunity to transform the childcare education paradigm.”  

Participant childcare teachers also reported very high satisfaction. In surveys and testimonials, they cited as key strengths the ability to take high-quality university courses locally in Namwon close to their workplace; the appropriate mix of online and face-to-face instruction that allowed efficient management of personal schedules; small class sizes of under 30 that enabled participatory action learning—discussion, presentations, and practical exercises—rather than traditional lecture-based teaching; and the offering of a diverse 29 hours of new courses from which they could directly choose subjects matching their interests and field needs.  

Based on the successful Type B pilot operation data collected in the Namwon area, the JBNU Department of Child Studies plans to further refine customized and elective manuals for childcare teachers in education-disadvantaged areas across Jeonbuk Province and to continuously expand field-centered efforts to strengthen the professional capacity of childcare staff.