Mengmu Sanqian Zhijiao (孟母三遷之敎). This phrase means that Mencius's mother moved three times for the sake of her child, emphasizing the importance of the growth environment. Parents with school-age children, like Mencius's mother, consider creating a good educational environment for their children to be very important. In fact, many parents frequently choose their residence based on their children's education.
Ultimately, the educational environment is a crucial factor considered in the real estate market. Apartments located in areas with excellent school districts tend to maintain their prices even when the market is unstable. This affects not only sales prices but also rental prices. In Seoul, areas such as Daechi-dong and Mok-dong, and expanding to the metropolitan area, places like Bundang in Seongnam or Pyeongchon in Anyang, which have excellent school districts, maintain a stable real estate market.
In Daegu, Suseong-gu is recognized as a representative school district area. It is an area centered around Beomeo-dong with a concentration of academies and prestigious schools such as Gyeongsin High School, Daeryun High School, and Deokwon High School. It is known as the "Daechi-dong of Daegu," reflecting parents' strong interest in their children's education and an educational level comparable to Seoul. Especially, Beomeo-dong, with many academies clustered, is famous for having the highest housing prices within Suseong-gu.
However, as changes in Korea's public education system are anticipated, parents' concerns are deepening. According to the Ministry of Education's announcement in 2021, starting from the 2025 academic year, the high school credit system will be implemented for first-year high school students (currently first-year middle school students). Additionally, for the 2028 academic year, there is consideration to shift the college entrance exam to focus on essay and oral exams. These changes in the evaluation system require students to engage in self-directed learning and develop logical thinking skills.
In fact, most advanced countries implement self-directed education and have replaced college entrance exams with essay-type tests, and Korea is also striving to benchmark this. Consequently, the "IB curriculum" is rapidly emerging in Korea's education sector.
IB stands for International Baccalaureate, an educational curriculum and college entrance examination developed by a non-profit private foundation operating regional headquarters worldwide, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It is not a simple rote learning method but promotes education where learners can actively apply what they have learned through inquiry-based classes grounded in conceptual understanding. It fosters self-directed learning abilities by encouraging learners to seek solutions independently in various real-life problem situations within a global context.
IB was originally created in Switzerland, where many international organizations are headquartered, to allow children of international organization employees to complete a consistent curriculum despite frequent international relocations. However, due to its educational value and excellence, it is increasingly being adopted worldwide in both private and public schools attended by elites.
In Korea, schools adopting the IB curriculum are also increasing. In February this year, Daegu Jungang Middle School, located in Suseong-dong, Suseong-gu, Daegu, was officially designated as the first private school in Korea to offer the IB Middle Years Programme as a World School. Based on the belief that "learning how to learn is important," Daegu Jungang Middle School designed its curriculum to teach students how to learn throughout the entire educational process. ATL (Approaches to Learning) consists of cognitive, affective, and metacognitive skills, helping students develop self-knowledge and skills necessary for lifelong learning enjoyment.
Additionally, the school uses an LMS (Learning Management System) to communicate with students and organize their learning portfolios effectively for classes, assessments, and record-keeping. Furthermore, an online class environment is established to enable real-time interactive classes across all subjects, and students are encouraged to use various digital platforms in both academic classes and school activities.
Principal Jung Sung-yoon of Jungang Middle School said, "The fundamental reason for being the first private school to adopt the IB program is that it offers great sustainability as a school curriculum in an unpredictable and variable future educational environment and can serve as a significant stepping stone for student growth and teacher professionalism development." He added, "Belief and confidence in the introduction and implementation of IB are deepening among teachers, staff, and parents. We will actively strive to ensure there are no shortcomings."
As the birth of new school districts aligned with the changing education system is anticipated, interest in nearby real estate is also growing. This month, Shinsegae Construction launched "Belive Heritage" in Suseong-dong 4-ga, Suseong-gu, Daegu, which achieved the remarkable result of all large-sized units over 50 pyeong (approximately 165.3 square meters) being fully subscribed within the ranking despite the unstable current Daegu real estate market.
Belive Heritage, composed entirely of large units over 50 pyeong, is a high-end apartment for the top 1% of Daegu's wealthy. In the subscription held on the 8th and 9th, all large units over 50 pyeong, except for the smallest early 50 pyeong type, were fully subscribed within the ranking, with the 223㎡ type recording a competition rate of 2 to 1.
This complex is assigned to Daegu Jungang Middle School, which has adopted the IB curriculum (assignment by preference and lottery), generating significant demand from parents with children. This is interpreted as many affluent buyers being interested in their children's education.
Meanwhile, Belive Heritage is planned to be constructed with two buildings, 146 households, from two basement floors to 29 floors above ground, and as a post-sale apartment, quick move-in will be possible around July next year.
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