At the start of the school year, more than 100 schools will see no first graders
The 2007 academic year, which begins in March, will mark the first time more than 100 elementary schools begin the year with not a single first grade student. Korean elementary schools begin at grade one, not at the kindergarten level. According to figures from the nation’s provinces and independent cities released to the public on Wednesday, 101 schools will not have any first graders this year. Thirty-four of these schools are in South Jeolla Province. One of the 34 schools there without a first grader is a regular elementary school, of which there are 452 in the province. The remaining 33 schools sans a first grade student are "branch schools," sub-campuses that are for the most part fully functioning schools but are operated for tiny communities by nearby schools in larger villages and often employ largely the same teachers. South Jeolla has 154 such branch schools.The one regular school that will not have a first grader this March is Hwatae Elementary, in the city of Yeosu. In addition, several branch schools are being closed due to a lack of students overall. These schools include the all-girls’ branch campus of Yeosu Sora Elementary, the Songdo campus of Dolsan Elementary, the Jangdo campus of Beolgyo Elementary in Boseong, the Geumneung campus of Iyang Elementary in Hwasun, and seven other branch schools on islands or remote mountain areas. Several schools will get only one first grader this year; Yeondo Elmentary in Yeosu, Iseo Elementary in Hwasun, Gwanmae Elementary in Jindo, and some 28 branch schools. Twenty-three schools each in Gangwon and North Gyeongsang provinces will have no new first graders. In Gangwon Province, three of these schools are regular elementaries and 20 are branch schools. Sixteen of the 23 in Gangwon Province are "mini schools" with less than ten students total that are likely to begin school years in the future with no one in the first grade. In the case of North Gyeongsang Province, Jeonchon Elementary in Gyeongju, Daejeon Elementary in Cheongsong, Baeksan Elementary in Goryeong, and Samgeun Elementary in Uljin will receive no first graders, as will 19 branch schools, including the Jukbuk campus of Jukjang Elementary in Pohang. In South Gyeongsang Province, a total of nine branch schools will for the second consecutive year see no first graders. Six of these nine schools are in the city of Tongyeong, which encompasses several small islands, including the Suu Island campus of Saryang Elementary. In addition, five schools in North Jeolla and three schools each in North and South Chungcheong provinces will have no one in the first grade, as will Daeseongdong Elementary near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) near Panmunjom in Gyeonggi province. "The population is abandoning agriculture and the low birthrate is causing a drop in students in islands and remote mountainous areas," said Hwang In-hong of the South Jeolla Provincial Education Department. "Schools are the cultural center of their communities, so we are going to maintain at least one school in each myeon (township), as difficult as that may be." Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
