Seoul City Councilor Jeong Jin-cheol: "Bukwirye Area Deoksugyo and Others Must Open Before Move-in"

Geuam Kindergarten, Geuam Elementary, Middle Schools, and Deoksu High School in Bukwirye Area Target Opening in March 2022... Machon Middle and High Schools and Sanbit Elementary School (Tentative Name) Licensing Delayed Due to Unmet Establishment Requirements

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] As large-scale move-ins are scheduled in the areas of Geoyeo and Macheon-dong in Songpa-gu, the northern part of Wirye New Town, where new schools at various levels are planned to be established, voices are being raised to apply realistic school establishment standards due to delays in the approval process causing some schools to not be built on time and postponed.

At the main review of the 2021 Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Special Account Budget during the 298th regular session of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Budget and Accounts Special Committee held on the 7th, Councilor Jeong Jin-cheol (The Democratic Party, Songpa 6) stated, “It has been 10 years since the apartment complexes in Macheon-dong moved in, but middle and high schools have not been established on the originally planned school sites, causing residents great inconvenience as they have to commute long distances to schools in Ogeum-dong, and a petition campaign is currently underway,” and urged, “Since there is already sufficient land in Macheon-dong, please proceed with school establishment promptly.”

He also said, “Considering the move-in schedule of nearby apartment complexes and overcrowding issues in surrounding schools, Geoeam Kindergarten, Geoeam Elementary and Middle School, and Deoksu High School, which are planned in the northern part of Wirye New Town, should open normally by March 2022 without any setbacks,” and demanded, “In the case of Sanbit Elementary School as well, it has not been promoted yet because it failed to pass the Ministry of Education’s central investment review. We need to break away from the old standards that are tied to school demand and reasonably supplement the school establishment requirements by considering regional characteristics and the future reality of declining student numbers, and urgently establish the schools.”

Councilor Jeong continued, “Regarding school construction, replacement work for some materials vulnerable to fire, such as dryvit, should be expedited,” and added, “More meticulous attention from the education authorities is needed in terms of school safety management, and we will support ensuring sufficient related budgets are secured.”

Currently, to expand the insufficient school facilities in the northern part of Wirye New Town, Geoeam Kindergarten and Geoeam Elementary and Middle School are planned to be newly established with the goal of opening in March 2022, and Deoksu High School is scheduled to relocate.

On the other hand, there is only one middle school in the Geoyeo and Macheon areas, so most students commute to middle schools in the Ogeum-dong area.

There is a middle and high school site (land area 11,300㎡) at 226-3 Macheon-dong, but approval has been delayed for over 10 years due to insufficient student demand requirements. Similarly, Sanbit Elementary School (tentative name) in the northern part of Wirye New Town began move-ins in nearby complexes last October, and more than 8,000 households are scheduled to move in after next year, but the school establishment has been postponed because it failed to pass the Ministry of Education’s central investment review for the same reason.

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