Directions of civil childcare facilities in Gyeonggido : basis for a proposed development plan / Lee Man Soo. 6

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, 2010.;A dissertation presented to the faculty of Graduate School of Arts, Sciences and Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education major in Educational Administration. 56

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ABSTRACT: This paper intends to identify the problems encountered at Gyeonggido's mid-to-long term childcare development program. It also aimed to propose specific development methods for systematic and comprehensive childcare policies based on such problems. Specifically, it tries to seek what problems concerning the civil childcare facilities are encountered by the facility directors, teachers, and parents as regard Management, Politics, Economics, and Instruction. It also tries to solicit what problems are encountered by facility directors, teachers and parents as to the implementation of Childcare Act of 2005 along Regulation, Facilities, Policy and Budget, Operation Management, Guidance/ Supervision, Training of Teachers, Welfare for Workers and Punishment standards. A test on significant difference among the perceptions of the three groups of respondents were done using F -test One- way Analysis of Variance. The same was also done in computing the significant difference on the perceptions of three groups on the implementation of Civil Childcare Act of 2005. Based on the findings, a proposed development plan was created by the proponent. This research is making an important contribution to the economic development of the country through the prosperity of the lives of the families. The discussion in this study is limited to the ten cities of Gyeonggido namely: Gunpo-si, Uiwang-si, Ansung-si, Yichun-si, Yangpyeong-gun, Guri-si, Gimpo-si, Pochun-si, Yeoncheon. The descriptive method of research was used in this study. The researcher collected basic data and surveyed workers in civil childcare facilities in Gyeonggido. The actual working conditions and demands of the site were investigated to be able to identify problems and likewise present solutions for the development of civil childcare facilities in Gyeonggido, create a new history of childcare and propose a future-oriented, specific direction for policies. Stratified Random Sampling was used in selecting the one hundred childcare facilities which served as locale of the study. ten facilities were randomly selected in each of the ten cities in Gyeonggido. From each childcare facility, 1 facility director, 5 childcare teachers and five parents were chosen as respondents. A totsl of 1,100 respondents were surveyed consisting of 100 facility directors, 500 childcare teachers, and 500 parents. The researcher conducted a survey through the help of fourteen scholars from Goyang Educational Institute, Northern Gyeonggi Educational Institute, Pyeongtaek Educational Institute, Gangnam University Institute, and Northern Gyeonggi Information Center. The focus of the paper is on pure civil childcare facilities such as special childcare facilities that take care of infants, childcare facilities that take care of disabled children, extended-hour childcare daycare facilities, after-school childcare facilities, family daycare facilities and civil childcare facilities. The study used two researcher made instruments: the first instrument was used to evaluate the current status in civil childcare facilities in Gyeonggido. It consisted of management, politics, economics, and instruction. The second instrument was used to identify problems in the revision of the Childcare Act of 2005. It consisted of regulations, facilities, policy and budget, operation management guidance/ supervision, training of teacher and welfare for workers. Instruments were presented to the panel member for approval before they were tested in the ten cities of Korea. The following problems were identified in Childcare facilities: a. Management 1. Poor labor conditions for the childcare teachers as evidently shown in the number of working hours required to work, no faculty upgrading education for professional growth because of the hectic time schedule on the childcare facilities and low wages. 2. The creation of management committee which was made obligatory. 3. Quality Certification System is a burden because of high expenditures. 4. Poor environment of Childcare facilities. 5. The wealth gap is widening in the childcare business. Bigger facilities continue to become bigger while small facilities have to shrink down. 6. Childcare policy is centered on the suppliers for quantitative expansion of childcare. b. Politics 1. Civil childcare facilities need to win parent's trust. 2. Failure of the government to fulfill its responsibility to support the civil childcare facilities. 3. Lack of awareness of policy makers and lack of professionalism of public officials. 4. There are confusions with regard to laws and regulations 5. Provincial governor should put the childcare development in their policy agenda c. Economics 1. The need to solve child raising problem and child birth mean making Korea an advanced country. 2. The need for women to participate in economics activities may promote human welfare. 3. Intensified dependence on private childcare facilities. 4. Insufficient financial support from the government. d. Instruction 1. Negative perceptions about childcare facilities 2. The dissatisfaction regarding the standards for arranging the teacher to child ratio has been generalized. 3. The social status for teachers causes discontentment. The following problems were identified in the implementation of the Childcare Act of 2005. a. Regulations 1. Dissatisfaction of facility directors towards instruction and supervision. 2. Free childcare for children under five years old has not been implemented. 3. Undecided policies and lack of funds. 4. The regulation on childcare facilities with two or more floors is resulting to a serious controversy. b. Facilities 1. Very low supply rate of childcare facilities. 2. Multiple establishments of public childcare facilities cause difficulties for civil childcare facilities to gather children. c. Policy and Budget 1. Budget assistance is stated in the law but are not implemented. 2. Tax cuts for civil childcare facilities are spelled out but are not being enforced. d. Operational Management 1. No clear philosophies to be used in the operation of civil childcare facilities. 2. Lack of concern for the nation's childcare facilities. e. Guidance/ Supervision 1. Lack of childcare-related public officers responsible for guidance and supervision of childcare facilities. 2. Lack of expertise among public officers in charge of childcare is causing conflicts with the facility directors. 3. The management committee which was made obligatory in the revised Childcare Act has become controversial issue for civil childcare facilities. f. Training for Teachers 1. Promotion education causes conflict between teachers and facility heads because of teaching hour requirement. 2. Teachers can only take leave of absence as facility director allow them to. This failed many teachers to update themselves in the teachers development programs. g. Welfare for Workers 1. Improve the working conditions and environments for the workers. 2. Low wages / salary. h. Punishment Standards 1. Failure of Childcare facilities to comply with Quality Certification System means cancellation of permit. 2. Public apology for public officials who failed to implement laws/ policies stated in the Childcare Act. Based on the findings, a development program was proposed by the researcher entitled a Proposed Development Plan for the Civil Childcare Facilities in Gyeonggido.

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