Seoul Requests Withdrawal of 'Green Smart Future School' Program; Schools with Grade B Postpone Reconstruction

3 out of 9 Schools Received Grade C, Requiring Detailed Safety Inspections
Reconstruction Inevitable if Grade D or E Issued, Measures to Be Established
Schools Wishing to Withdraw Further Can Apply After Opinion Gathering

Parents of 10 elementary and middle schools in Seoul held a press conference opposing Green Smart Schools on the 7th in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to exclude schools that requested withdrawal from the 'Green Smart Future School' designation from the project. For buildings rated C or below among the schools requesting withdrawal, a detailed safety inspection will be conducted to prepare follow-up measures.

On the 15th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that if a school among the reconstruction target schools of the Green Smart Future School project wishes to withdraw, the project implementation will be put on hold. After collecting individual school opinions and deliberations, the final decision on withdrawal will be made through a review of the safety of school facilities.

Schools requesting withdrawal will be excluded from the project, but three schools that received a safety rating of C must undergo a detailed safety inspection. After confirming safety, if reconstruction is unavoidable, measures will be prepared through consultation. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education did not disclose the names of the schools that received a C rating.

If the detailed safety inspection of schools rated C results in a safety grade of D or E, reconstruction will be unavoidable, and plans will be made together with the schools and parents to address the situation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained, "From the selection of companies participating in the safety inspection, parents' participation will be guaranteed," adding, "The final reconstruction will be promoted after passing through the Reconstruction Review Committee and Disaster Facility Review Committee, and opinions related to the form of reconstruction will be collected during the preliminary planning stage such as space configuration."

In addition to schools that have applied for withdrawal, if other schools wish to withdraw, they can request withdrawal after autonomous opinion collection and deliberation processes such as parent voting or school operation committees at each school.

The Green Smart Future School project is a program to reconstruct and remodel school buildings that are over 40 years old. It is one of the Korean New Deal projects under the Moon Jae-in administration and one of the Ministry of Education’s key tasks this year. Last month, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that 213 schools would be targeted by 2025, with 93 of them to be reconstructed. This year, 35 schools were selected for reconstruction and 22 for remodeling.

Among the 35 schools selected for reconstruction this year, 25 received a B rating and 10 received a C rating in the safety inspection. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained that the selection for the Green Smart Future School project was based on quantitative and qualitative evaluations, considering not only safety ratings but also factors such as asbestos presence and seismic design.

A Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education official stated, "The focus was on prioritizing the reconstruction of aging schools, and the decision was not made unilaterally," adding, "Last year, opinions on whether to proceed with Green Smart or reconstruction were collected from schools to select target schools. We acknowledge and apologize for the lack of communication with some parents and will provide sufficient explanations to schools going forward."

In cases where modular classrooms are difficult to install due to reconstruction work, students may have to transfer schools, which is a disadvantage. Regarding this, a Ministry of Education official said, "Schools will be notified three years before the project starts, and for elementary schools, the notice period will be longer to minimize mid-term transfers."

Furthermore, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to ensure learning rights during reconstruction by implementing measures tailored to each school’s situation, including ▲student dispersion placement ▲phased demolition and reconstruction ▲use of modular classrooms ▲conducting classes using idle buildings of adjacent schools ▲installation of temporary classrooms on alternative sites. Additional budgets will be provided according to each school’s conditions to support students’ learning and the welfare of school members during construction. If a school decides to withdraw from the reconstruction project, a public contest and selection will be conducted for lower-priority schools that are over 40 years old.

Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said, "The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education humbly accepts criticism that there was insufficient opinion collection from members of the target schools and has been assessing the situation of each school. We empathize with the concerns of parents regarding difficulties due to reconstruction and student placement during construction," adding, "We will make further efforts for active communication with schools and parents through school briefings and meetings."

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