Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Facing enrollment crisis, Seoul boosts funding, support for small schools
A student enters an elementary school in central Seoul, Sept. 4. Education officials in Seoul are stepping up support for the city's smallest schools as plunging student numbers reshape classrooms across the capital and beyond. Newsis
By Jung Min-ho
Shrinking birthrate points to continued drop in student enrollment
Education officials in Seoul are stepping up support for the city's smallest schools, as falling student numbers reshape classrooms across the capital and beyond.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced Tuesday that 11 elementary schools and one middle school were newly designated as “Seoul-type small schools,” expanding a program launched in 2017 to help such institutions operate more sustainably. Previously, eight schools had received financial support and other benefits under the initiative.
“We will continue to provide support through the Seoul-style small school policy so that small schools, in cooperation with their local communities, can grow into ones that satisfy students, parents and teachers alike,” Education Superintendent Jung Keun-sik said.
The announcement comes amid a drop in enrollment at many schools. These so-called small schools — elementary schools with 240 or fewer students and middle schools with 300 or fewer — are becoming increasingly common. Seoul now has 185 such schools, up from 101 in 2021, an increase of 84 in just four years.
Korea’s school-age population is expected to keep shrinking as its total fertility rate remains the world’s lowest level. According to the state-funded Korean Educational Development Institute, the number of elementary, middle and high school students stands at about 5.07 million this year, with projections dropping to roughly 4.25 million in 2029.
The newly designated small schools will receive personnel, financial and administrative support from the 2026 to 2028 school years, with the aim of helping them remain viable and eventually develop into “model institutions,” even as the nation’s school-age population continues to shrink.
The education office will give these schools priority when assigning sports instructors and, from the second year, run special recruitment procedures so teachers who want to work in small schools can be placed there first. Some schools could also be designated as research schools, with bonus points for teachers who play leading roles in innovation.
Financially, each school will receive 20 million won ($13,600) a year in dedicated funding to develop and run distinctive curricula tailored to the conditions of small schools. Officials say the additional money is meant to help schools offer richer, more customized education.
Administrative measures aim to make small schools more attractive and sustainable. The office will provide customized consulting to help each school refine its development strategy. For elementary schools, it will relax strict rules on school catchment boundaries, permitting students from outside the designated area to enroll in order to encourage families living in other parts of the city to choose a small school if they prefer that environment, according to the education office.
The education policy has gained stronger legal footing this year after a city ordinance on supporting small schools took effect in January. The rule provides a legal basis for continued funding and targeted assistance, reducing the risk that programs will be cut or downgraded due to budget issues or leadership changes.