Civil Society Protests Passage of Gwangju Foreign School Ordinance

"Encouraging Elite Schools... Must Be Voted Down at the Plenary Session"

The Education and Culture Committee of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council has passed the 'Gwangju Foreign School Ordinance,' which eases restrictions on the admission of Korean nationals, prompting strong backlash from civil society.

Screenshot of Gwangju Foreign School homepage.

On October 23, the Gwangju Education Civic Solidarity issued a statement urging the ordinance to be voted down at the plenary session, saying, "This ordinance not only contradicts the original purpose of foreign schools but also turns them into elite institutions for children from high-income families, severely undermining the public nature of education."

The group expressed concern that abolishing the admission requirements for Korean nationals and increasing their proportion to up to 50% would, in effect, expand the private English education market and intensify inequality by allowing parents' economic power to determine educational opportunities. They specifically pointed to the case of Daejeon Foreign School, where the proportion of Korean nationals exceeded 64%, warning that Gwangju Foreign School could similarly become a 'foreign school in name only.'

The Gwangju Education Civic Solidarity also stated, "It is incomprehensible that the city council pushed ahead with the ordinance despite the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education expressing concerns about fostering private education and English immersion education, and ignoring citizens' opinions." They added, "The ordinance must be voted down at the plenary session on October 24. If the will of the citizens is disregarded, we will never remain silent."