Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education to Add 14 Science-Focused Schools, Expanding Pathways to STEM Fields

Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education to Promote Science and Mathematics Education in General High Schools
Fostering Science and Mathematics Talent in General High Schools...
Plans to Newly Designate Science-Focused Schools

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Taehee) announced on June 16 that it will newly designate 14 schools as "Gyeonggi-style Science-Focused Schools" to promote science and mathematics education in general high schools.

Exterior view of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education Southern New Building. Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education

"Gyeonggi-style Science-Focused Schools" offer tailored "science-focused curricula" for students interested in and suited to science and mathematics, and are currently being operated at 50 general high schools in the province.

Over the past three years, 74.8% of students who completed the "science-focused curriculum" advanced to science and engineering fields, demonstrating that "science-focused schools" are helpful in career planning. These schools also report high student satisfaction with their academic advancement and strong trust from parents due to their specialized science and mathematics education.

Additionally, these schools are faithfully fulfilling their roles as centers of science education in their regions, and there have been continuous requests from schools and local communities to expand the "science-focused schools."

The Provincial Office of Education will select the 14 newly designated "science-focused schools" through a comprehensive evaluation of the school's commitment, teacher competency, school facilities, and plans for community collaboration. Selected schools are required to strengthen the completion of science, mathematics, and information-related subjects for three years, and to operate experiential learning programs for more than 30 hours annually.

In addition, each school will receive approximately 25 million KRW in basic support and about 4 million KRW per science-focused class to help operate a variety of science education programs.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education plans to use this new designation of "science-focused schools" to strengthen science education programs and sharing activities tailored to regional characteristics, and to expand science education opportunities for students in general high schools.

The screening for newly designated schools will take place after applications are received in early July, with results to be announced in mid-July. The operation of the newly designated "science-focused schools" will be applied starting with first-year students in the 2026 academic year.