Gwangju Bonnyang Elementary Overcomes Closure Crisis, Blossoms with New Students

Revived by Community Efforts
A Turnaround Achieved Through Unique Education

Bonryang Elementary School in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, which had been facing closure due to a sharp decline in student numbers, has succeeded in recruiting new students thanks to the efforts of its educational community.

Last year, students from Bonryang Elementary School experienced hand transplanting rice seedlings in a paddy field next to the school with the cooperation of the Bonryang Village community. Provided by Gwangju Office of Education

According to the Gwangju Office of Education on the 4th, Bonryang Elementary is a small rural school. The number of new students dropped from 6 in 2022 to 4 in 2023, and to just 2 last year. For the 2025 academic year, only one student is eligible for admission within the school district, and the affiliated kindergarten has none.

In the face of this crisis, faculty, parents, and the local community launched a campaign to "Save Small Rural Schools." Under the slogan "Independently, Together," they operated a distinctive curriculum and won the grand prize in the "2024 Gwangju School Autonomy Case Competition" hosted by the Gwangju Office of Education. Various activities were also held, such as roundtable discussions, rice planting experiences, festivals, and kimchi-making sharing events. By actively promoting the characteristics of a "Rural Autonomous School," vegetable garden cultivation, rural experiences, and the "one student, one instrument" program, Bonryang Elementary and its affiliated kindergarten welcomed 4 and 5 new students, respectively, this year.

Last year, students from Bonryang Elementary School visited Yongjin Mountain and Yongjin Pavilion in the village, where they listened to the principal's explanation about the Bonryang village militia activities. Provided by Gwangju Office of Education

Bonryang Elementary plans to publish "Happy Moments of Bonryang 2024," a collection of its achievements over the past year. Principal Kim Jungwoo said, "We are enhancing the school's competitiveness through communication with parents and the local community," and added, "We will create a school where children can attend happily."