Songdo School Perplexes Parents, Students
First Int’l Institute in Free Economic Zone May Conduct Exam in Selecting Korean Nationals
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Just about three months away before the planned opening of the first-ever international school in the Free Economic Zone in New Songdo City, how to pick students remains uncertain.
Many parents are puzzled over how and what they should prepare for the enrollment of their children at the school that is to open in September.
``I hope to send my child to the school. But there is no information on how to apply for the school and what requirements are needed for admission. I am wondering whether the school is going to merely test English skills or take school records into the evaluation process,'' said a mother whose child is an elementary school student in Gyeonggi Province.
Park Jeong-sook, who has a daughter attending an elementary school, said: ``The school should come up with admission criteria as soon as possible.''
According to the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ), the new school will enroll all foreign applicants without any conditions but is likely to conduct English exam in selecting Korean students.
Two international middle schools in Seoul don't conduct any exams.
For its part, New Songdo International City Development (NSIC) says they cannot decide on admission criteria until the education ministry approves the establishment of the school.
NSIC submitted Monday documents needed for approval of the new school to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology last Monday. NSIC broke ground in March 2006 and will provide education programs from kindergarten to high school in a 40,000 square-meter area of the city, 40 miles west of Seoul.
``NSIC lacked some required documents for the establishment of the school. After it meets the necessary conditions, we will assess the documents and give the school a license as soon as possible as it plans to open in September,'' a ministry official told The Korea Times.
To draw foreign investment in Incheon Free Economy Zone, 150 billion won ($119 million) has been invested into the construction of the school, which includes a sports complex, a digital library and other facilities. The school can accommodate up to 2,100 pupils. For the fall semester, the international school plans to recruit a total of 280 students, 40 each for from Kindergarten through grade 6.
Vancouver International Primary and Secondary School (VIPS) will run the school and it also has to decide whether the international school will get certification for its graduates to advance to Korean universities from the ministry.
The new school, ``International School Songdo (ISS)'' is categorized as a ``foreign education institute.''
A foreign school is not allowed to enroll Korean students who have not stayed overseas, but a foreign education institute can admit Korean students under a special law for free economy zones.
ISS will be the first foreign education institute under the law.
Instead of the relaxed rule for individual student, the school is limited to having the number of Korean students equal to 30 percent of the total number of students.
A foreign school can admit Korean students who have lived overseas for more than three years and they may account for up to 50 percent of the admission quota, regardless of the number of foreign students.
The education authorities are revising regulations so that a foreign education school can receive Korean students up to 30 percent of the admission quota.
Critics said if the school can allow more Korean students, it contradicts the purpose of the school, which is to attract more foreign investors.
But Cheong Il-yong, director general of the ministry said ``It is true there are currently few foreign students for the school, but the number of foreign investors in the city is expected to increase and then the school will see more foreign students.''
NSIC last December selected VIPS as founder of the ISS and is now preparing for the opening of the school. For more information, call the ministry at 02-2100-6168.