Gwangsan District Council Members in Gwangju: "Resolve Long-Distance School Assignments... High School Must Be Established"

The Gwangsan District Council of Gwangju Metropolitan City has urged the establishment of a high school in Gwangsan District to resolve issues of overcrowded classes and long-distance school assignments.

Assemblyman Kim Young-seon, who issued the statement on behalf of the council, explained the seriousness of overcrowded classes and long-distance school assignments, saying, "In this year's general high school assignment results in Gwangju, among about 13,000 students, 956 students from Gwangsan District were assigned to Buk-gu and Seo-gu, which in turn pushed students from Buk-gu and Seo-gu to Nam-gu and Dong-gu."

He added, "While there are 26 middle schools located in Gwangsan District, there are only 11 general high schools, and the overcrowded class rate in Gwangsan District is overwhelmingly higher compared to other autonomous districts."

He also stated, "The plan to establish one high school was canceled during the Hanam 2 District development project, and despite the population concentration caused by urban development, the establishment of new schools has been delayed due to reasons such as a decrease in the school-age population. Students and parents are enduring infringements on health rights and learning rights caused by unfavorable commuting conditions."

He continued, "In this situation, it is welcome that a concrete plan utilizing the closed Hanam Elementary School site has been announced as part of the superintendent of education’s campaign project to alleviate overcrowded classes through the establishment of a new high school, and that related laws are being amended so that the Ministry of Education’s central investment review system is exempted for small-scale school establishments under 30 billion won."

Furthermore, he emphasized, "The number of new high school students in Gwangsan District is expected to continuously increase, and the total number of high school students is projected to rise significantly by 2028. Since the establishment of the Gwangsan District high school aims to open in March 2027, it must proceed without any setbacks."

He added, "Attention and efforts must be made to improve the quality of education and ensure students’ learning rights, health, and safety. We ask the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and Gwangsan District to take responsibility and cooperate with each other."

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