Providing Residential Spaces Such as Clinics, Vacant Houses, and Village Shelters
Mundeok Elementary School in Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, which was on the verge of closure, is being reborn as the number one destination for rural study-abroad through residential service support and specialized educational programs.
Boseong-gun established a cooperative system with local residents, including Mundeok-myeon and Naedong Village Association, to attract rural study-abroad students. They repaired four long-neglected spaces such as official residences previously used by staff, vacant houses, and village rest areas, and provided them as residential spaces.
Additionally, to support the stable study-abroad life of families visiting Boseong-gun and to attract young populations capable of school-age and economic activities, they linked rural study-abroad programs offering various leisure activities such as badminton classes, dance classes, and barista training.
Local residents also stepped up to lay the foundation for sustainable development of rural areas. The head of the residents' association became the school operation committee chair to encourage local interest, and residents, along with school staff and parents, conducted promotional activities by sharing school life through social networking services (SNS).
As a result, Mundeok Elementary School, which had only 15 students at the end of last year, increased to 23 students this year, attracting many urban families. Along with the increase in student numbers, the population of Mundeok-myeon is steadily growing.
The population of Mundeok-myeon was in the 900s until 2019 but decreased to 886 at the end of 2020. However, it increased to 893 at the end of 2021 (an increase of 7 from the previous year), 918 at the end of 2022 (an increase of 25 from the previous year), and currently stands at 928 in 2023 (an increase of 10 from the end of last year). Despite natural decreases due to migration and deaths, the population has increased for three consecutive years.
Boseong-gun secured 2 billion KRW from the Local Extinction Response Fund to strengthen rural study-abroad attraction and has planned to build modular houses sized 18 to 20 pyeong. Currently, eight houses are under construction in Mundeok-myeon and Gyeombaek-myeon.
Meanwhile, on the 2nd, the ‘Mundeok-myeon Harmony Festival’ was held at Mundeok Elementary School, where students and local residents participated together.
The event was attended by a total of 29 students from Mundeok Elementary School and its affiliated kindergarten, along with about 200 residents. The program included sports events such as relay races and tug-of-war, as well as performances showcasing students’ skills in taekwondo, English musicals, and Latin dance.
Park Sun-hee, principal of Mundeok Elementary School, said, “With the help of many people during the crisis of potential school closure, the number of students has increased, and the children’s laughter is growing louder.” She added, “We will continue to work hard so that children can have not only academic success but also healthy bodies and minds.”
A Boseong-gun official stated, “As rural study-abroad increases, not only does the number of students grow, but family-based migration with children also progresses, enabling greater population attraction.” He added, “We will consider various approaches and implement diverse projects to maximize the effectiveness of the Local Extinction Response Fund.”
Rural study-abroad is a project led by the Jeollanam-do Office of Education to revitalize small schools within Jeollanam-do by supporting students and families from urban areas nationwide to transfer and live for more than six months. It is emerging as an alternative for saving small schools on the verge of closure and for attracting youth and young populations.
Boseong = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Cheon-seok hss79@asiae.co.kr
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