Number of Multicultural Students in Ulsan Reaches 3,839... Record High

The number of students from multicultural families in elementary, middle, and high schools in the Ulsan area has been found to be the highest since related statistics were first compiled in 2012.

According to the '2023 Basic Education Statistics' recently released by the Ministry of Education and the Korea Educational Development Institute, the number of students from multicultural families in Ulsan this year is 2,427 in elementary schools, 1,002 in middle schools, and 410 in high schools, totaling 3,839 students.

In 2012, the number of students from multicultural families in Ulsan was 719, but it has increased every year, growing more than fivefold in 11 years.

Among the total 127,872 students in Ulsan this year, the proportion of multicultural students reached 3% for the first time. It rose from 0.42% in 2012 to exceed 1% for the first time in 2015 (1.15%), entered the 2% range in 2018 (2.04%), and reached 3% this year.

The types of multicultural students were ranked as follows: those born domestically (3,041), children of foreign families (593), and mid-way immigrants (205).

By parents' country of origin, the largest proportion of multicultural students was from Vietnam with 1,497 students. This was followed by China (963), the Philippines (333), Chinese Koreans (183), Cambodia (148), Japan (127), and Central Asia (115).

Ulsan Office of Education.

In response to the increase in multicultural students, the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education operates Korean language classes and bridging courses to help mid-way immigrant and foreign students overcome language barriers that may hinder their learning or social relationships. For schools without Korean language classes, visiting Korean language education is provided.

For multicultural students requiring basic learning support, one-on-one customized learning assistance is provided, and supplementary teaching materials are distributed.

All schools are strengthening multicultural understanding education linked to the curriculum to enhance the multicultural sensitivity of school members and foster a healthy school culture where diversity is respected.

Additionally, support is provided in areas with high concentrations of multicultural students, and visiting multicultural understanding education, multicultural experience classrooms, and multicultural harmony classrooms are also operated for teachers and parents.

To improve multicultural parents' understanding of their children's school life and provide career and academic information, multicultural parent classes are conducted in cooperation with family centers in each district and county.

An official from the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education stated, “We will continue to expand customized education that considers the diverse characteristics of multicultural students such as nationality, age, and Korean language proficiency to support their growth as future talents.”

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