Daewon and Yeonghun International Middle Schools to Convert to Regular Middle Schools... "Will Attract Prestigious School Districts" (Comprehensive)

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Announces Performance Evaluation of Specialized Middle Schools
Two Middle Schools Fail to Meet Benchmark Scores and Lose Re-designation

From Next Year, Must Admit New Students as General Middle Schools
Opportunity to Explain During Hearing Process
Current Students Maintain Status

Admissions Experts Predict "Popular General Middle Schools in Prestigious School Districts"

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, is holding a press conference on the results of the specialized middle school operation performance evaluation at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 10th. (Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education)

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Daewon and Yeonghun two international middle schools will be converted into general middle schools starting next year. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 10th the results of the evaluation of specialized middle school operation performance and stated that it will proceed with the cancellation process of the designation of Daewon and Yeonghun International Middle Schools as specialized middle schools.

At a press conference on the same day, Seoul Superintendent of Education Cho Hee-yeon explained, "This operation performance evaluation is not part of a policy to abolish international middle schools as some have feared, but a fair and objective evaluation of the performance over the past five years."

The specialized middle school operation performance evaluation is conducted every five years according to the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This year's evaluation targets were Daewon and Yeonghun International Middle Schools and Seoul Sports Middle School. Seoul Sports Middle School will maintain its specialized middle school status.

In this evaluation, Daewon and Yeonghun International Middle Schools did not meet the standard score. The Office of Education explained that the biggest deduction factor was that the two schools received audit sanctions for violating academic-related laws and guidelines. It also cited the low efforts to nurture international professionals, which is the founding purpose, and to reduce educational disparities as major reasons. The standard score was raised from 60 to 70 points in this evaluation. The deduction for audit issues was also increased from 5 to 10 points.

Kang Yeon-heung, Director of Educational Policy at the Seoul Office of Education, said, "International middle schools conducted English immersion education through after-school activities until 9 p.m. and had stay activities like golf experiences and training trips abroad, but since the expenses were charged to the beneficiaries, only a very small number of students participated in international activities," adding, "It is difficult to say that efforts were made to nurture international professionals or to reduce disparities."

Superintendent Cho said, "It undermines the essential value of guaranteeing equal educational opportunities to all students of international middle schools at the compulsory middle school education stage and strengthening the public nature of education," and added, "Rather, it is perceived as a hierarchical school system that encourages private education." He continued, "International middle schools have become a middle school stage goal in the process of going to English academies for young children, private elementary schools, and specialized high schools," emphasizing, "The average annual tuition of four private international middle schools reaches 11 million won, which separates students at the compulsory education stage based on parents' economic power and deepens educational inequality." He also added, "The evaluation was conducted with the belief that evaluation is evaluation and abolition policy is a different matter," and said, "Education should be a path of growth, not just a path to success."

Students currently enrolled in Daewon and Yeonghun International Middle Schools will maintain their status as specialized middle school students until graduation. The Office of Education plans to apply for consent to cancel the designation to the Ministry of Education after a hearing process. During this process, the schools can go through a clarification procedure. During this process, the schools can go through a clarification procedure.

Attention is focused on whether Seoul's evaluation results will affect the review results of international middle schools in Gyeonggi and Busan, which will be announced later this month. Some oppose the cancellation of specialized school designations, saying it causes confusion in the education field. A representative of the Korea Teachers' Union said, "The creation and abolition are repeated depending on ideology or politics," and added, "Schools have been operated trusting the government's instructions, but if they are suddenly abolished one day, who can trust it?"

The admissions industry expects that due to concerns about academic decline caused by the free semester system, students will flock to more competitive prestigious general middle schools located in renowned school districts. Lim Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy Haneul Education, said, "Despite the two international middle schools selecting students by lottery, the competition rate remains high, which means their programs are evaluated as more competitive than general middle schools," and added, "It is highly likely that prestigious general middle schools will be formed within the region."

Yeonghun International Middle School declined to comment, saying, "We have nothing to say," and the person in charge at Daewon International Middle School could not be reached by phone.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.