Soongmoon High School, Which Filed Lawsuit Against Autonomous Private High School Cancellation, to Convert to General High School Next Year

Soongmoon High School: "Our Existence Is Threatened Due to Student Recruitment Difficulties"
80% of Parents Support Conversion to General High School, Survey Shows
Third Case in Seoul This Year of Autonomous Private High School Relinquishing Its Status
First Among Eight Schools in Lawsuits to Voluntarily Convert

[Asia Economy, reporter Han Jinju] Soongmoon High School, which has been engaged in a lawsuit against the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to nullify the cancellation of its autonomous private high school (autonomous private high school) status, has decided to convert to a general high school.

On August 17, Soongmoon High School announced that it had decided to change its school type to a general high school starting from the 2022 academic year. This is the third case in Seoul this year of a school voluntarily relinquishing its autonomous private high school status, following Dongsung High School and Hangaram High School. Soongmoon High School is located in Daehyeong-dong, Mapo-gu, and has operated as an autonomous private high school since 2010.

Previously, Soongmoon High School conducted a survey among parents regarding the conversion to a general high school. Among the parents of first- and second-year students, 56% responded, and of those, 80.4% expressed support for the conversion. In addition, the school collected opinions by holding ten rounds of meetings and general assemblies with students and parents.

Principal Jeon Heungbae of Soongmoon High School explained, "Autonomous private high schools are facing difficulties in student recruitment, and our school has reached a point where its very existence is threatened. We have not been able to fill the general admissions quota for each grade, and there are also significant shortages in the admissions quota for socially disadvantaged students, with a considerable number of unfilled spots."

Principal Jeon added, "Due to the sharp decline in the school-age population, the simplification of student record documentation, the introduction of the high school blind admissions system, new university admissions policies, and the implementation of free high school education, autonomous private high schools have struggled to recruit students. Furthermore, the scheduled abolition of autonomous private high schools in 2025 is expected to make the situation even more difficult."

He continued, "With the implementation of the revised curriculum and changes in the educational environment to introduce the high school credit system, there are now far fewer aspects of curriculum management that allow autonomous private high schools to differentiate themselves from general high schools. Once the high school credit system is fully implemented, Soongmoon High School will be able to realize the curriculum and educational activities it pursues without having to maintain the autonomous private high school framework."

Officials from the Seoul Autonomous Private High School Parents' Association held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on July 1, 2019, before submitting a petition opposing the abolition of autonomous private high schools. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Soongmoon High School received a cancellation order for its autonomous private high school designation from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in 2019 and filed a lawsuit to nullify the cancellation. Although the school won the first trial on March 23, maintaining its status, it has now voluntarily relinquished its autonomous private high school status and chosen to convert to a general high school. Among the eight schools currently pursuing lawsuits to nullify the cancellation of their designation, this is the first case of a voluntary conversion to a general high school.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also expressed its support for Soongmoon High School's decision to convert to a general high school.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated, "It is very meaningful that Soongmoon High School has voluntarily decided to convert to a general high school, joining the policy of horizontal diversification of the high school system. We expect that Soongmoon High School will now be able to move beyond the exhausting disputes, conflicts, and uncertainties associated with the lawsuits and focus on operating as a general high school true to the essence of education."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also announced that, once Soongmoon High School's conversion to a general high school is finalized, it will form a 'General High School Conversion Council' with participation from the school, the foundation, parents, and the education office to support the transition and the operation of a combined curriculum during the transition period.

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon stated, "With Soongmoon High School's decision to convert to a general high school while still in litigation with the education office, I hope that other autonomous private high schools currently involved in lawsuits will also put an end to exhausting disputes and conflicts and voluntarily convert to general high schools before 2025, joining the path toward realizing inclusive education where no one is left behind in a horizontally open and coexistent high school system."