Spring Semester Programs Operated at 2,741 Elementary Schools Nationwide... Participation Rate 44.3%

Seoul Lowest Participation Rate... Busan and Jeonnam 100% Participation

Starting from the first semester of this year, the Neulbom School program will be operated for first graders at over 2,700 elementary schools nationwide. The participation rate of elementary schools showed significant regional variation.

On the 18th, the Ministry of Education announced that Neulbom School will be introduced at 2,741 elementary schools, accounting for about 44.3% of all elementary schools, to address parents' childcare gaps and reduce private education expenses.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

From the upcoming first semester next month, these schools will offer a free 2-hour after-school Neulbom program for first graders. After that time until 8 p.m., students who wish can take various paid programs. In the second semester, the program is planned to be expanded to all public elementary schools.

The participation rate of Neulbom School varied greatly by metropolitan and provincial offices of education. In Seoul, only 38 out of 608 elementary schools participated, making it the only region with a participation rate below 10%. Regions with 10-20% participation included Ulsan and Jeonbuk, while Incheon, Gwangju, Gangwon, and Chungnam had 20-30% participation. The remaining 10 metropolitan and provincial offices of education operated Neulbom School in more than 30% of their elementary schools.

In Busan and Jeonnam, all elementary schools in the region decided to operate Neulbom School starting from the first semester. Gyeonggi also showed a high participation rate of 73.3% (975 out of 1,330 schools) as of the 16th.

The list of Neulbom School participants is announced independently by each metropolitan and provincial office of education. Currently, 15 offices have completed their announcements, and Gyeonggi and Gyeongnam offices plan to finish by the 19th. The list of Neulbom Schools scheduled to operate in the first semester of this year can be found on the Ministry of Education website.

Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, said, "I deeply thank the school officials who are carefully preparing for the stable launch of Neulbom School this year," and added, "Seoul’s participation is significantly lower than other regions, so I ask for active interest and participation."

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