Seoul schools face closures, mergers as enrollment plummets

Social Affairs

Published: 18 Jan. 2024, 18:52 Updated: 18 Jan. 2024, 19:01

Seoul schools face closures, mergers as enrollment plummets

One of the last graduates of the special division of Duksoo High School in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, cries with her teacher at a graduation ceremony this month. [YONHAP]

Schools in Seoul face closure or mergers with nearby schools because of the dwindling school-age population.

Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education reviewed a plan to merge Haengdang Middle School with Dongma Middle School in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul. The office even thought of relocating the combined school to the location of Dosun High School, a 7 or 8-minute drive from both schools.

However, parents opposed the move and even took to the streets. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education eventually backed down.

Haengdang Middle School had 885 pupils in 2006. That number shrank to 230 last year.

“My daughter worried about her school shutting down for an entire year,” a mother of a Haengdang Middle School student said.

“School closures or mergers can impact students’ studies because they need to travel longer distances every day,” she said, complaining that “it does not make sense that schools are closing down because of the drop in student numbers” while ignoring the consequences on students.

A person holds a placard that reads, "I denounce the education office's irresponsible action that ignores students' rights for study," in front of the Seoul Seongdong-Gwangjin District Office of Educational Support in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul in 2023. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Education authorities will review the school closure and merger plan again this year after considering the opinions of students and their parents.

Dongmyung Girl’s Middle School in Seodaemun District, western Seoul, also faced a backlash from parents after raising the specter of closure at a parental assembly last year.

The school suspended the decision to close but added that “discussion to close the school will be inevitable if enrollment keeps declining.”

The school has admitted less than 100 students yearly for the last five years.

With the sharp decrease in the school-age population, school closures are no longer a rural problem. The school closure crisis is nationwide — even in Seoul and other metropolitan areas.

Seoul, the country’s biggest city with 9.4 million people, has the lowest regional birthrate.

According to Statistics Korea, Seoul’s total fertility rate — the average number of births a woman is expected to give during her reproductive years — was 0.59 in 2022. The country’s total fertility rate was 0.78 in the same year.

High school students fell from 334,123 in 2013 to 207,388 in 2022.

In 2013, there were 304,251 middle schoolers in Seoul. However, there were only 205,387 in 2022.

The number of elementary school students also slipped from 469,392 to 393,565 in the same period.

Local residents use Hwayang Elementary School’s field as a parking space after the school's closure in 2023. The school is located in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul. The photo was taken on Jan. 16. [NEWS1]

Ogok Elementary School in Gangseo District, western Seoul, was the first Seoul-based public school to close down in 1999.

In 2015, Heungil Elementary School was merged into nearby Sinheung Elementary School in Geumcheon District, southern Seoul.

Between 2015 and 2020, four schools closed in Seoul — two elementary schools in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, and one elementary school and one middle school in Gangseo District.

The elementary schools had less than 240 students, and the middle schools had less than 300.

Recently, four schools in Seoul — Dobong High School in Dobong District, northern Seoul, the special division of Duksoo High School, Sungsu Technical High School in Seongdong District in eastern Seoul and Hwayang Elementary School in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul — were either closed or are taking steps to close permanently.

Dobong High School is the first Seoul-based regular public high school to close its doors.

Duksoo High School's special division merged with Gyeonggi Commercial High School in Jongno District in central Seoul.

Sungsu Technical High School was annexed to Hwigyeong Technical High School in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul.

Graduates of Duksoo High School in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul pose for a photo on a pitching mound on the school’s field on Jan. 5. The high school’s liberal arts division relocated to Wirye New Town in Songpa District, southern Seoul, in 2022 and its special division, formerly known as the commercial division, will be annexed to Gyeonggi Commercial High school this year. [YONHAP]

Even after school closures, questions remain about using the empty facilities.

The city government’s ordinance on urban planning severely restricts the renovation or repurposing of closed-down school buildings.

Even if the city’s education authorities want to sell or refurbish a building, they often find it difficult, if not impossible.

Now-closed Gangseo District’s Yeomgang Elementary School tried to host a public kindergarten, however, it failed.

Instead, the city is pushing a plan to house the Seoul Early Childhood Education & Promotion Center in the former building of Yeomgang Elementary School.

Hwayang Elementary School opened its field for parking. Some classrooms are being used by the city’s education authorities after undergoing renovation.

Declining school enrollment also narrows opportunities for aspiring teachers.

According to the Ministry of Education’s data released on Friday, 1,473 students have dropped out of teachers colleges nationwide since 2019.

Gongju National University of Education in South Chungcheong had the most dropouts with 212.

Seoul National University of Education in southern Seoul followed with 195.

Education universities in Daegu, Gangwon, Gwangju, Incheon, North Chungcheong, Busan and North Jeolla had more than a hundred dropouts.

“The educational infrastructure and environment should be improved to minimize the adverse effects arising from school closures,” said Choi Seul-ki, a professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management.

BY SPECIAL REPORTING TEAM [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]