Parents protest closure of 2 elite middle schools

Students walk through a front gate of Younghoon International Middle School, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

Seoul education office's decision to revoke two elite middle schools' licenses has been drawing backlash from parents and students who argue it deprives them of the freedom of choice guaranteed in the Constitution.

Although the decision is not final yet, the two schools ― Daewon International Middle School and Younghoon International Middle School ― are subject to the approval of the Ministry of Education (MOE), which will notify the schools of its decision within 50 days.

In the wake of the announcement from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE), Wednesday, many parents and students claimed the education authorities were removing the opportunity for middle-class students to climb the social ladder. Controversy over education reform has been ongoing nationwide because it is one of the Moon Jae-in administration's top education policy goals.

“I'm worried that it might be an ostensible evaluation for the abolition of the schools, just like when the education ministry decided to revoke the licenses of autonomous high schools last year. It would be more rational for the government to put effort into supporting regular middle schools to improve their quality instead of taking away varied opportunities for students,” said a parent of a student at an international middle school in Seoul, who asked not to be named.

The debate over these schools, centered on whether they are living up to their purpose of providing a diverse education or whether they have merely become a means to enter top universities, has been even more heated in an internet community where many parents are actively engaging in the conversation.

“It should have been an opportunity for students who can't afford to study abroad, but want a different environment from regular schools,” a user wrote on the community.

Another user also said “what the government should really work on is the college entrance system where many students are exploited in the cutthroat competition. Instead, they are barking up the wrong tree.”

International middle schools were established with the purpose of nurturing a global workforce in Korea and to prevent students from studying abroad from an early age. Most classes in the schools are conducted in English, but critics say that the schools are just focused on sending as many students to top universities as possible. Besides the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), there are other forms of recruitment to select students based on certain skills such as foreign language ability or other activities.

“International middle schools are undermining the fundamental values of education, including equal opportunity for education. Unlike the purpose of their designation, international middle schools are recognized as schools ranked above regular ones, encouraging private education for this purpose,” said the SMOE Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon during a press briefing Wednesday.

A parent of an elementary school student in Gangdong, Seoul, surnamed Yoo, said the education authorities' move only promotes private education businesses such as cram schools in Daechi, Gangnam District, which is a popular area for those seeking such private education.

“I heard the competition rate is so high that it reaches 20 to 1. It means that the government should increase such elite schools to meet the demand. What they're doing is blocking the way for students to get a good education,” she said.

If the education ministry approves the cancellation of the licenses, the two schools will lose their “international middle school” status and will be gradually converted into regular schools, starting next year.