Gyeongbuk Office of Education to Establish and Expand 65 Special Education Classes This Year... 'Chilgok Special School' to Open in March 2028

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) announced on January 8 that, following the establishment and expansion of 61 special education classes last year, it has confirmed plans to newly establish or expand at least 65 special education classes for the 2026 academic year.

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education has consistently promoted the establishment and expansion of special education classes to improve the environment for special education. As a result, the proportion of overcrowded special education classes in the province in 2024 was 7.5%, which is lower than the national average of 10.1%. For the 2025 academic year, with the addition of 61 special education classes, the proportion of overcrowded special education classes has decreased to 3.9%.

Gyeongbuk Office of Education

This demonstrates that the establishment and expansion of classes is having a certain effect in alleviating overcrowded special education classes and improving the overall conditions for running these classes.

Building on this trend of improvement, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education plans to newly establish or expand at least 65 additional special education classes for the 2026 academic year.

This large-scale establishment and expansion aims not only to resolve the current issue of overcrowded classes, but also to proactively address potential new overcrowding that may arise from transfers or additional placements during the school year.

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education expects that, if the expansion proceeds as planned, the proportion of overcrowded special education classes in the 2026 academic year will fall below 3%.

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education will support the construction of new and expanded special education classrooms, and will continue to promote existing space innovation projects for special schools and classes. Classrooms that fall short of the standard area or restrict educational activities will be prioritized for improvement.

In addition, for overcrowded classes, full-time special education classes, and classes with a high proportion of students with severe disabilities, additional temporary special education teachers and special education support assistants will be assigned. The number of special education assistants will also be gradually increased to alleviate the teaching and work burden on teachers.

Meanwhile, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education is also pursuing mid- and long-term measures to fundamentally address issues such as overcrowding in special schools, long-distance commutes, and the concentration of students in special education classes within general schools.

Starting in 2026, a research project titled "Gyeongbuk Future-Oriented Special School Establishment Plan" will be conducted to comprehensively analyze regional demand and commuting conditions. Based on this, phased plans for the additional establishment of special schools will be developed.

In addition, a (tentatively named) Chilgok Special School is being promoted to alleviate overcrowding in the southwestern region of Gyeongbuk, with the goal of opening in March 2028.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, stated, "In response to the increasing number of students eligible for special education and changing educational conditions, we have continuously promoted the establishment and expansion of special education classes and the provision of personnel support. In the 2026 academic year as well, we will ensure the smooth expansion of classes, personnel support, and the establishment of special schools so that improvements in special education conditions can be stably maintained in the field."