"Irresponsible Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Stop Shifting Responsibility"
Reference Materials Distributed Containing Strong Criticism
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Released Statement on 12th of Last Month
Seoul City and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education are engaged in a 'blame game' over the potential collapse of plans to establish a middle school within the Dunchon Jugong reconstruction apartment complex (Olympic Park Foreon).
On the 8th, Seoul City announced that it will maintain the designated middle school site as is until the Ministry of Education's central investment review is completed in April next year. In the reference materials distributed that day, the city revealed this plan and strongly criticized the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, stating, "The irresponsible Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education should not shift the blame for the failure to establish the school onto Seoul City."
According to the city, the middle school site was designated as part of the redevelopment plan in November 2006 at the request of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and the Gangdong-Songpa Education Support Office during Mayor Oh Se-hoon's term. However, during the Moon Jae-in administration in April 2020, the school establishment was canceled after failing the Ministry of Education's central investment review proposed by the education office.
Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated in a position paper released on the 12th of last month that it was considering establishing an 'urban campus'?a kind of branch school concept?on the designated school site. The education office also requested the city to withdraw its internal policy, arguing that if Seoul City changes the school site to a public open space, the establishment would become impossible. The urban campus policy aims to preserve schools at risk of closure by converting them into branch schools and to establish new branch schools in densely populated areas.
In response, Seoul City refuted the education office's claims through the distribution of reference materials on the same day. The city first pointed out, "Since failing the central investment review, the education office has wasted four years without any countermeasures." It added, "As concerns about the lack of schools among residents arose ahead of the apartment complex's move-in, the education office issued a statement on June 12, just five months before completion, irresponsibly blaming Seoul City for the failure to establish the school."
In particular, the city noted, "Looking at the school establishment plan presented by the education office, it cannot shake the impression that it was hastily created to avoid criticism." It criticized that although the education office urgently announced plans to submit the proposal to the Ministry of Education's central investment review in April next year, no concrete plans for the school establishment were mentioned. The city added, "The only detail is the goal to open the school in March 2029 with 12 to 24 classes, which is at a level where even the specific number of classes has not been reviewed."
The city urged, "From now on, the education office must develop a meticulous plan to ensure the middle school construction proposal passes the Ministry of Education's central investment review smoothly." It also called for "simultaneously disclosing the construction plan to Seoul City and residents, collecting opinions, and improving any shortcomings."
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