Over the Past 3 Years, About 85% of 33 Students Including 1 from Seoul National University Have Entered University... Academy Volunteer Association Signs Agreement with Art Academy Federation to Provide Free Classes for Low-Income Students
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that the ‘Nowon Dream! Hope Study!’ project, which provides free academy attendance opportunities to students from low-income households to reduce educational disparities, has achieved significant results.
The Hope Study project offers free academy attendance opportunities to low-income students with household incomes below 80% of the median income who cannot afford to attend academies due to financial difficulties.
Among the 10 high school seniors who participated in the Hope Study project last year and attended academies for free, 8 were admitted to universities such as Hanyang University, Kookmin University, and Dankook University in the 2020 college entrance exams.
Looking at the entrance exam results over the past three years, out of 33 high school senior attendees, 1 was admitted to Seoul National University and 10 to universities located in Seoul, totaling 28 students, about 85%, who successfully entered universities.
This achievement is the result of free attendance agreements made with academy organizations. The Hope Study, which began in 2013, established a support agreement for academy attendance with the ‘Nowon Dream Hope Study Academy Volunteer Association’ and the ‘Seoul Social Welfare Community Chest.’ Participating academies fully covered the tuition fees for comprehensive or single-subject classes for low-income students.
Expanding the range of free subjects also contributed. In 2016, the district and the Nowon-gu Entrance Exam Art Academy Association signed an agreement to support free attendance for arts subjects such as design, painting, sculpture, oriental painting, and comics.
The district created an educational environment conducive to studying by linking private resources and also supporting textbook costs. Although students bear the costs of textbooks and special lectures in addition to tuition, those who attend the academy continuously for more than three months receive 240,000 KRW in textbook support.
Post-management through learning evaluation reports was also systematically managed. The district reviewed students’ academic progress and attendance status through monthly evaluation reports prepared by the academies, striving to improve students’ academic achievement.
Last year, 128 students participated in the Hope Study, and the district and academies estimate that about 1.15 billion KRW worth of tuition support benefits were provided. For academies donating their talents, donation receipts amounting to about 30% of the tuition fees are issued through the Social Welfare Community Chest, fostering a voluntary participation atmosphere.
The Hope Study project targets elementary, middle, and high school students, with elementary students eligible to attend academies from the 5th grade. Students for subjects such as Korean, English, and Math are recruited every November, and art entrance exam students every July. This year, a total of 154 students, including 97 new students, are receiving free academy attendance benefits.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “We will create an educational environment so that children from low-income families with difficult economic conditions can achieve their dreams without feeling discouraged,” and expressed deep gratitude to the Academy Volunteer Association and the Art Academy Association for their participation in free tuition donations.
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