1.7% of High School Students Drop Out... Increase in Expulsions Due to School Violence

1.7% of All Students in 2019 Academic Year
Voluntary Withdrawal, Maladjustment, Overseas Departure in Order
149 Expulsions Due to School Violence... 51 More Than 4 Years Ago

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The number of high school students dropping out of school has been steadily increasing. At the same time, the number of students expelled due to school violence is also on the rise.

According to the Education Statistics Service and School Information Service on the 6th, the number of high school students who dropped out nationwide was 23,894 in the 2019 academic year, an increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year. Compared to four years ago, it increased by 1,340 students.

In particular, the number of students expelled due to school violence, including perpetrators, was 149, one more than the previous year, and increased by 51 compared to four years ago (98 students). The numbers were 98 in the 2015 academic year, 146 in 2016, and 135 in 2017.

Among all reasons for dropping out, voluntary withdrawal (97.2%) was the most common. Among the reasons for voluntary withdrawal, early admission, religion, broadcasting activities, and other voluntary reasons for discontinuing studies (others) accounted for 51.3%, the highest proportion. The number of students who voluntarily discontinued their studies was 12,252, 124 more than the previous year, and has steadily increased since 2015.

The second most common reason for withdrawal was maladjustment (28.0%). Among maladjustment reasons, the order was ▲academic ▲interpersonal relationships ▲school rules ▲others. In addition, students discontinued their studies due to overseas departure (12.9%), illness (4.4%), and household reasons (0.6%).

By region, the school with the highest dropout rate was Sejong (2.4%), followed by Gyeonggi (1.9%) and Gangwon (1.9%).

Among all high school students, the type with the highest dropout rate was specialized high schools (3.4%), followed by autonomous private high schools (1.5%), general high schools (1.4%), and autonomous private high schools (1.1%).

Recently, the increase in high school dropout rates is influenced by the growing number of students choosing non-regular education paths such as GED exams or alternative education.

By region, the number of dropouts was highest in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with 405 students (2.2%) among 25 autonomous districts. In Gyeonggi Province, Goyang City had the highest number with 714 students (2.3%) among 31 cities and counties. Seocho-gu (2.1%), Bundang-gu in Seongnam (2.4%), and Haeundae-gu in Busan (2.1%) also had rates higher than the provincial averages.

Oh Jong-woon, director of Jongno Haneul Academy Education, explained, "From the perspective of college entrance exams, the strengthening of the selection system centered on student records from 2015 to 2020 increased the burden of school grades, which is one of the causes."