Four Century-Old Schools at Risk...
District Requests Meeting with Superintendent
"Free School District System and Flexible Urban Standards Needed"
Jongno District in Seoul (Mayor Jung Moonheon) has strongly opposed the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's plan to reduce the number of middle school classes due to declining student enrollment, describing the measure as "a step toward closing down century-old schools in the city center."
On the 12th, Jongno District announced that it had held an emergency meeting attended by the district mayor and the principals of Deoksung Girls' Middle School, Baehwa Girls' Middle School, Seoul National University Affiliated Girls' Middle School, Jungang Middle School, and Jaedong Elementary School. During the meeting, they discussed the problems arising from the education office's notification of class reductions and possible countermeasures.
Jung Moonheon, Mayor of Jongno District (center), held a meeting on the 12th with the principals of Deoksung Girls' Middle School, Baehwa Girls' Middle School, Seoul National University Affiliated Girls' Middle School, Jungang Middle School, and Jaedong Elementary School. Provided by Jongno District.
On December 5, the Seoul Metropolitan Jungbu Office of Education notified certain schools of its plan to reduce the number of classes through an official letter titled "Guidance on the Required Number of Middle School Classes for the 2026 Academic Year." As a result, four middle schools in the district each face the risk of losing one class. This year, Jungang Middle School saw a reduction in teaching staff, while Deoksung Girls' Middle School and Baehwa Girls' Middle School also experienced class reductions.
The participants unanimously agreed that the ongoing reduction in the number of classes and teachers makes it difficult to operate schools normally. One attendee expressed concern, saying, "To run the curriculum properly, at least four classes per grade are needed. If the scale drops below this, student interaction is lost, and even basic activities like sports events become impossible." Another participant warned, "If we keep reducing classes just because the number of students is declining, it will inevitably lead to a vicious cycle where more students leave the school."
Additional opinions were voiced: "There are many schools in Jongno with histories of over 100 years, and we cannot simply allow them all to close. Is it really reasonable to reduce classes and teachers in our district just to increase them elsewhere?" and "Adjusting the number of classes based on the same criteria without considering local conditions is unfair."
Parents and students are also strongly protesting. Complaints include: "Overnight, our children’s perfectly fine schools are at risk of disappearing. Instead of nurturing prestigious schools with more than 140 years of history and tradition, how can it make sense to reduce the number of classes?" and "If the number of classes is reduced, the number of teachers will also decrease, and the children will suffer the most. Unilaterally notifying us of such plans without any measures or discussion is an act of disregarding parents and students."
Currently, there are 36 elementary, middle, and high schools in Jongno District, of which 21 schools (58%) have histories spanning over 100 years. Some schools have maintained their long-standing traditions in the heart of the city for as long as 140 years.
Jongno District plans to request policy support from the education office to preserve the tradition and educational value of these century-old schools. The district will also propose special system revisions, such as the Free School District system, to allow students across Seoul to choose the middle school they wish to attend.
Furthermore, the district will assert that applying the same criteria to both large-population districts and city-center districts like Jongno to reduce the number of classes is unjust. The district will urge for flexible standards that reflect local characteristics and demographic structures.
On the 15th, Jongno District sent an official cooperation letter to the education office and plans to formally request a meeting with the Seoul Metropolitan Superintendent of Education.
Mayor Jung Moonheon stated, "Policies that focus solely on educational efficiency, without considering the efforts of schools and the local community to preserve century-old institutions, are questionable. Amid the decline in student and class numbers, we will seek ways to protect the educational environment and preserve the history and tradition of our schools."
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