Seoul to Establish 9 Public Special Schools by 2040... Starting with Jungnang, Geumcheon, Seongdong, and Yangcheon Districts

Announcement of Mid- to Long-Term Basic Plan for Establishing Public Special Schools
Priority Establishment of One School Each in 7 Districts Without Special Schools
Only 34.6% Attend Special Schools... More Than Half of Special Schools Are Private

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to build nine public special schools by 2040, starting with districts that currently have no special schools.

On the 7th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced the "Mid- to Long-term Basic Plan for the Establishment of Public Special Schools (2021?2040)." This is Seoul's first comprehensive mid- to long-term plan aimed at expanding educational opportunities for special education students and addressing inconveniences caused by long-distance commuting and overcrowded classes.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will prioritize establishing one special school each in seven of the eight autonomous districts without special schools. Additionally, in districts where special schools already exist but additional schools are needed (Southeastern and Northwestern areas), two special schools will be established to serve as regional hubs considering the types of disabilities.

The districts without special schools are Geumcheon, Dongdaemun, Seongdong, Yangcheon, Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, Jungnang, and Jung-gu. However, Jung-gu is excluded from this plan due to low demand as it is a concentrated business district.

In the first phase, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to establish four special schools by 2030, and in the second phase, five more schools by 2040. From this year until 2025, one school will be built in Jungnang-gu, and between 2026 and 2030, three schools will be established in Geumcheon, Seongdong, and Yangcheon-gu.

In the second phase, two schools will be constructed between 2031 and 2035 in Dongdaemun, Yeongdeungpo, and Yongsan-gu, and between 2036 and 2040 in the Southeastern area (Gangdong and Songpa-gu) and Northwestern area (Mapo, Seodaemun, and Eunpyeong-gu).

Currently, Seoul has a total of 32 special schools: 3 national schools (9.4%), 11 public schools (34.4%), and 18 private schools (56.2%), indicating a high dependence on private institutions.

According to the 2020 Special Education Statistics, out of 12,806 special education students, only 34.6% (4,430 students) attend special schools. The rest are enrolled in special classes within general schools (49.4%) or general classes (16.0%). It is difficult to meet the demand for placement in special schools for students with severe disabilities who require tailored special education, which general schools struggle to provide.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will promote the establishment of various types of special schools, including those tailored to specific regions and disability categories. They will also explore diverse methods to secure school sites, such as utilizing undeveloped school land at planned locations, relocating existing schools, and dividing large school sites.

Furthermore, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has requested the Ministry of Education to amend the law to include special schools under the "Special Act on Securing School Sites," as special schools are currently excluded from this act, making it difficult to secure land.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "Since 2013, we have made efforts to establish special schools, but have faced many difficulties. Many students still have to commute over an hour one way because there are no special schools near their residences. Establishing special schools is not only about guaranteeing the right to education for special education students but also a fundamental rights issue, and it is a social responsibility that we all must solve together."

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