New Town Schools to Close Due to Student Shortage

65% Approval in Parent Survey Form

In Bundang New Town, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, a middle school will be closed due to a shortage of students. This is the first case of school closure among the first-generation new towns, including Bundang, Goyang Ilsan, Bucheon Jungdong, Anyang Pyeongchon, and Gunpo Sanbon.

According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Cheongsol Middle School conducted a survey from the 27th of last month to the 2nd of this month targeting all 41 parents to determine whether to promote the development of appropriately sized schools. Among the 38 parents who participated in the vote, 25 (65.79%) supported the promotion of appropriately sized schools. Thirteen (34.21%) opposed it. With the majority of parents in favor, Cheongsol Middle School is scheduled to close in February 2027 when the current first graders graduate.

Survey of Parents on the Closure of Cheongsol Middle School
Photo by Yonhap News

Cheongsol Middle School has Neulpureun Middle School nearby in Jeongja-dong, which has about 630 students, and considering the low demand for new schools, the survey was conducted on the premise of closing the main school rather than relocating or merging with another school.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has been promoting appropriately sized schools since 2016 by closing small schools below the appropriate size, relocating with new schools, or operating merged schools according to the ordinance.

Cheongsol Middle School opened in 1995 as Geumgok Middle School during the move-in period of apartment complexes 1 to 10 in the nearby Cheongsol Village. The following year, in 1996, the school name was changed to Cheongsol Middle School. Since then, as the number of students living in the Cheongsol Village apartment complexes decreased, the total number of students at Cheongsol Middle School dropped to 82 in 2022, 59 in 2023, and further down to 43 this year.

An official from the provincial education office told Yonhap News, "Although there are about 6,500 households in Cheongsol Village complexes 1 to 10 near Cheongsol Middle School, the lack of students around the school has led to no new admissions, prompting the promotion of appropriately sized schools."

Students currently enrolled at Cheongsol Middle School who wish to transfer can move to two other schools within a 1.5 km radius. Also, students who wish to graduate from Cheongsol Middle School can remain enrolled until graduation. The provincial education office plans to review ways to utilize the site after the school closure.