Middle and High School Athletes Flock to Gyeongbuk... 696 Transferred from Other Regions This Year

Impact of Facility Environment Improvement

Contributing to Academic Management of Sports Teams

Students enrolled in school sports teams at middle and high schools nationwide are visiting the Gyeongbuk region.

On the 31st, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education stated, “As a result of investigating the status of school sports teams, the number of students transferring from other cities and provinces to attend Gyeongbuk Physical Education Middle and High School and Pohang Steel Middle and High School has steadily increased to 564 in 2021, 661 in 2022, and 696 in 2023.

However, the average number of student athletes transferring out from the Gyeongbuk region to other areas is about 250 per year, and this year, only around 30 students have transferred out within three months,” they reported.

Gyeongbuk Office of Education.

It is known that 371 sports teams are being operated across 271 middle and high schools in the Gyeongbuk region.

A representative from the Gyeongbuk Office of Education said, “At Gyeongbuk Physical Education Middle and High School in Gyeongsan, out of a total of 320 enrolled students, more than 40%, approximately 150 students, are student athletes who transferred from outside regions. At Pohang Steel Middle and High School in Pohang, the number of incoming student athletes from outside also exceeds 100.”

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education views that consistent school sports support policies?such as improving school sports facilities, replacing outdated sports equipment, creating safe training environments, strengthening the capabilities of school sports coaches, and ensuring employment stability?have been effective.

Additionally, in terms of academic management for school sports teams, they have strengthened academic guarantees for student athletes by mandating completion of regular classes, adhering to recognized absence days for student athletes, restricting competition participation for students who do not meet minimum academic standards, and supporting career experience programs for student athletes to help prevent dropout.

Thanks to these school sports policies by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, student athletes’ skills have improved, leading to record-breaking performances in the high school division at national sports events: at the 102nd National Sports Festival held in Gyeongbuk in 2021, they won 43 gold, 38 silver, and 56 bronze medals?the best results ever; and at the 103rd National Sports Festival held in Ulsan in 2022, they again set a record with 47 gold, 39 silver, and 46 bronze medals for two consecutive years.

Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of Education for Gyeongbuk, said, “The increase in the influx of outstanding student athletes proves the excellence of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education’s school sports policies. We will continue to provide ongoing support so that student athletes can fully demonstrate their talents, and we will do our utmost to protect their human rights and create a safe training environment.”

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