학원에서 학교로

The Transformative Adaptation from “Hag-won” to “School” - A Case Study on a Technical Institute within the System of Lifelong Vocational Competency Development

기술계 학원은 1950년대부터 실용지식 분야에서 인력을 양성해 온 민간의 직업능력개발 기관이다. 그러나 1990년대 이후 평생직업능력개발 체제가 등장하면서 직업능력개발의 축이 고역량, 전문인력 양성으로 옮겨갔고, 주로 고졸자 대상의 단기 자격증 취득과정을 운영해 온 기술계 학원의 존립 기반이 흔들리게 되었다. 이에 일부 기술계 학원은 학습자들의 요구를 충족하고 평생직업능력개발 체제의 특성에 적응하기 위한 적극적인 형태변환을 시도했다. 이 과정을 확인하기 위하여 기술계 학원인 A 항공학원에 대한 사례연구를 수행하였으며, 다음과 같은 단계적인 변화가 이루어졌음을 확인하였다. 1)학점은행제를 도입하여 고등교육의 학위를 부여하고, 2)직업전문학교로 전환하여 ‘학교’ 명칭을 획득하였으며, 3)평생교육 기관을 함께 운영하면서 학점은행제를 보완하여 학습자 인식 면에서 완결된 학교의 형태를 갖추었다. 이러한 변화를 통해 A 항공학원은 고등교육 학위를 주는 학교로서 인식될 수 있었고, 성인 대상의 계속교육 기관으로 기능하게 되었다. 즉 A 항공학원의 변화는 직업능력개발 기관으로서 전문성을 유지하면서 고등교육의 기능과 형태를 획득하고, 평생학습의 특질을 내면화하는 융합적인 형태변환이라는 의미를 갖는다.

The technical institute is a private vocational competency development institute that has cultivated industrial manpower in the field of practical knowledge for decades. However, since the 1990s, a lifelong vocational competency development system has emerged, and the axis of vocational competency development has shifted to the development of high-capacity and specialized human resources. Therefore, the technical institute, which mainly has been providing short-term education for high school graduates for the purpose of acquiring technical qualification certificates, has gradually become neglected. Some technical institutes have actively attempted transformations to meet the needs of potential learners and adapt to the characteristics of lifelong vocational competency development system. In order to explore the transformed form and the transformation process of the technical institute, a case study was conducted with regards to A institute for aviation studies, and it was confirmed that the following gradual changes were made: a) By adopting the credit banking system, it started to provide the acquisition of a degree in higher education. b) It changed its format into a professional vocation school from the previous format of a technical institute. This means that the institution acquired the official name of a “school”. c) A lifelong education center was established and operated together with a professional vocation school. The achievement of an integrated academic management system is possible by supplementing the restrictions of the credit banking system. Through these changes, A Institute was recognized as a school offering higher education degrees and function as a continuing educational institution for adults. In sum, the change of A Institute for aviation studies was a convergent transformation that acquires functions and forms of higher education while maintaining professionalism as a vocational competency development institution, and internalizing the qualities of lifelong learning.