Gwangyang Girls' Middle School to Become Coeducational Next Year... New School Name 'Heeyang Middle School'

Gwangyang Girls' Middle School announced on the 4th that it plans to change its school name to ‘Heeyang Middle School’ ahead of its transition to a coeducational system in March next year.

Gwangyang Girls' Middle School, which opened on March 1, 1970, operated as a single-gender education system along with the nearby Gwangyang Middle School. However, to implement an educational curriculum suited to social changes, alleviate students' commuting inconveniences, and expand school choice options, the school has been promoting the transition to coeducation since 2021.

Gwangyang Girls' Middle School, which will change its name to 'Heeyang Middle School' ahead of its transition to coeducation in March next year. [Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education]

Earlier this year, Gwangyang Girls' Middle School formed a School Name Change Promotion Committee consisting of students, faculty, parents, and local residents to conduct a public contest for the new school name. As a result, first-round candidates such as ‘Gwangyang Seocheon Middle School,’ ‘Heeyang Middle School,’ and ‘Bitsol Middle School’ were selected. Subsequently, an online survey was conducted from July to August, and ‘Heeyang Middle School,’ which received the highest number of votes, was finalized as the new name.

This change will be officially confirmed as ‘Heeyang Middle School’ once the amendment to the ‘Jeonnam Provincial School Establishment Ordinance’ passes in the second half of the year at the Jeonnam Provincial Council. Since its establishment, Gwangyang Girls' Middle School has produced over 17,000 graduates through 53 graduating classes and has played a pivotal role as a female education institution in the region. It will now disappear into history.

Chairman Seon Byeong-gil of the Operations Committee stated, “With the transition to coeducation, Gwangyang Girls' Middle School will newly emerge as a prestigious local school preferred by students and parents,” adding, “We will seek cooperation from parents and local residents to ensure the schedule proceeds smoothly.”

Principal Jeon Hyeong-gwon said, “By reviving the old Gwangyang name ‘Heeyang,’ we reaffirm the pride and identity of Gwangyang residents, and it also well encapsulates the aspirations and ideals of Heeyang people to ‘correct oneself, benefit others, and brighten the world.’” He added, “Taking this opportunity of the school name change, we plan to operate an educational curriculum aimed at nurturing creative future talents with a strong sense of local patriotism.”