Eunpyeong-gu Launches Long-Awaited Middle School Establishment Project... Improving Commuting Conditions in Nokbeon-dong and Eungam-dong

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is continuously striving to resolve the inconvenience of commuting caused by the shortage of middle schools due to the increase in the number of students in the Nokbeon and Eungam areas.

For a long time, students have experienced commuting difficulties due to the disparity between regions caused by the unbalanced allocation of middle schools in the Seobu 1 and 2 school districts within the area.

In particular, the Nokbeon and Eungam areas have seen a sharp increase in the number of students as approximately 8,800 new apartment households have moved in due to redevelopment.

At the time of the release of school sites in Eungam 1 and 2 districts in 2018, the number of middle school students in the area was about 1,840, but it increased to about 2,010 in 2020.

Based on Seoul City's class size standard of 27 students, this requires the establishment of at least six new classes, and recently, the maximum class size in nearby middle schools has exceeded 30 students, causing difficulties during the COVID-19 situation.

Estimating the population trends in Nokbeon-dong and Eungam-dong, the number of new middle school students is expected to increase from 660 in 2021 to 850 in 2026, contrary to the decreasing trend in other areas. Additionally, further occupancy is expected with the upcoming move-in of 879 households in Eungam 1 district and 358 households in Eungam 4 district, making urgent countermeasures necessary.

Accordingly, since 2018, Eunpyeong-gu has been continuously working with related organizations such as the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Seoul Western Education Support Office, Seoul City, as well as local council members, to devise plans for relocating middle schools within Nokbeon-dong and Eungam-dong to improve commuting conditions.

As a result of these efforts, the Metropolitan Office of Education has been operating a working-level consultative body and holding resident meetings since the second half of 2020. From March this year, a research project on the balanced allocation of students and schools in the Seobu 1 and 2 school districts is planned, marking the start of the middle school relocation (reallocation) project, which had not progressed until now.

The research project aims to actively promote the establishment of middle schools by exploring and selecting various school site options, determining the conditions and confirmation of target schools for relocation, estimating school establishment costs, and devising practical measures for school relocation (reallocation).

Mayor Kim Mi-kyung stated, “While most areas in Seoul are expected to see a decrease in the number of students per class, the number of students in Nokbeon-dong and Eungam-dong is on the rise. We will make further efforts to ensure that the relocation (reallocation) of middle schools can be carried out promptly to improve the commuting conditions for our students.”

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