93.9% Participation in Busan Public Elementary School Preliminary Assembly
Location Confirmed for 1,310 out of 1,321 Absentees
A total of 1,321 children, accounting for 6.1%, were absent from the preliminary enrollment gathering for public elementary schools in the Busan area. Among them, the whereabouts of 1,310 children were identified, but investigations have been requested for 11 children whose status remains unknown.
Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Ha Yoon-su) announced on the 18th the results of the preliminary enrollment gathering for children eligible to enter school in 2024, held from January 3 to 6 at 298 public elementary schools in the Busan area.
To accommodate the convenience of eligible children and their guardians, the Busan Office of Education conducted the preliminary gathering over four days and also operated during weekends and evenings for working couples.
Out of 21,560 children eligible for enrollment, 20,239 attended the preliminary gathering, showing an attendance rate of 93.9%. The number of eligible children decreased by 2,833 from 24,393 last year, and the attendance rate slightly dropped from 94.1%.
Among the 1,321 absentees, the whereabouts of 1,310 were identified. Reasons for absence included exemption from enrollment for 767 children, deferral of enrollment for 101 children, transfer to other schools for 414 children, and overseas enrollment or other reasons for 23 children. For the remaining five children, overseas residence was confirmed through community centers, but contact with guardians was not established; investigations have been requested and responses are awaited.
Currently, 11 children eligible for enrollment are presumed to be residing overseas or elsewhere, but their residence has not been officially confirmed.
The Busan Office of Education is continuously contacting these children in cooperation with community centers and has requested investigations from the local police stations to ensure the whereabouts and safety of the children.
Kang Jun-hyun, Director of the Student and Parent Support Division at the Busan Office of Education, stated, “The preliminary enrollment gathering is an important procedure marking the first step of compulsory education for students and parents,” adding, “We will thoroughly verify and secure the whereabouts and safety of all children eligible for enrollment who did not attend the preliminary gathering in cooperation with related agencies.”
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