Bucheon-si Selected as Preliminary Designation for Gyeonggi-type Science High School... Emphasizing Convergence of Culture, Arts, and Science

Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province, which is promoting the conversion of Bucheon High School into a science high school, has passed the first stage of screening.

On the 11th, Bucheon City announced that it was selected in the 'Gyeonggi-type New Science High School Preliminary Designation Stage 1' contest hosted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education. The screening committee decided to newly establish science high schools in two locations, Siheung and Icheon, and to convert two schools, Bucheon High School and Seongnam Bundang Jungang High School, into science high schools, and announced this on the same day.

Bucheon City applied for the conversion of Bucheon High School into a science high school and received excellent evaluations for ▲science-focused school capabilities ▲specialized curriculum in the robotics field ▲financial support from the city hall. In particular, it is analyzed that Bucheon City's differentiated strategy for establishing a science high school, the mobilization of local community capabilities, and the aspirations of civil society played a significant role in this preliminary designation.

Bucheon City chose the method of converting Bucheon High School into a science high school rather than establishing a new one, highlighting the advantage of saving time and budget compared to new establishment. Furthermore, it emphasized the possibility of nurturing creative convergence talents by integrating culture and science based on cultural and advanced industrial infrastructure.

By introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) robotics major track linked to the local robotics industry, it plans to operate an advanced science curriculum and presented specific curricula such as Bucheon Arts and Science Academy and Animation+Science.

At the 'Citizen Briefing Session for the Promotion of Bucheon Science High School Establishment' held last October at the Ojeong District Office of Bucheon City, Mayor Jo Yong-ik and citizens are holding hand placards wishing for the attraction of the science high school. Photo by Bucheon City

Bucheon City also worked hard to gather local community capabilities. Semiconductor companies such as Onsemi Korea and DB HiTek, four universities, five specialized local industry R&D institutions, and Bucheon Industrial Promotion Agency promised cooperation in science and research fields necessary for the curriculum. It also strengthened the arts curriculum by signing agreements with Bucheon Cultural Foundation and Gyeonggi Arts High School. More than 70,000 people, about 10% of Bucheon City's total population, participated in the citizen signature campaign.

A Bucheon City official said, "Mayor Jo Yong-ik was the only local government head to directly participate in the in-depth interview and actively expressed the necessity of establishing a science high school, which seems to have left a deep impression on the screening committee," adding, "We will do our best until the end of the remaining contest schedule to prove that Bucheon is the optimal site for a Gyeonggi-type science high school."

Meanwhile, the procedure for designating a science high school includes the second stage, the Special Purpose High School Designation and Operation Committee review, scheduled for mid-January next year. Then, in the third stage, after requesting the Minister of Education's consent, the designation and announcement by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education will follow around the end of March next year. The converted science high school from a general high school is scheduled to open in March 2027, and the newly established science high school in March 2030.