Busan Office of Education Operates 'School119 Emergency Support Team' to Prevent Academic Dropout

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will fully operate the ‘School119’ project from March to support students at risk of dropping out in continuing their studies.

First implemented in 2015, this project targets elementary, middle, and high school students in Busan who are at risk of dropping out. It provides outreach counseling to enhance these students' school adaptability and create an educational environment where students can pursue their dreams anywhere.

Counseling professionals belonging to the Emergency Support Team visit schools to conduct consultations, offering specific intervention methods and tailored counseling for students at risk of dropping out.

Busan Office of Education.

The project is divided into ‘Reflection Counseling’ and ‘Crisis Counseling.’ ‘Reflection Counseling’ is provided to students granted a reflection period, with counseling sessions held twice a week for more than four hours. ‘Crisis Counseling’ is offered to students at risk of dropping out who are not subject to the reflection period, with sessions held once a week for at least one hour, up to a maximum of ten sessions.

In addition to students at risk of dropping out, the program will also support close counseling linked with external specialized institutions for students who have attempted self-harm or suicide, victims of school violence, students from single-parent families, and those from divorced families.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education plans to increase the number of professional counselors in the Emergency Support Team from 40 to 62 this year to reduce the workload of homeroom and counseling teachers and to provide focused counseling for students at risk of dropping out and those subject to the reflection period.

Last year, the School119 Emergency Support Team conducted 2,896 counseling sessions for 1,125 students at risk of dropping out and those subject to the reflection period across 98 elementary, middle, and high schools, resulting in approximately 82% of the students returning to their studies.