Gwangju Jungang Elementary Holds Its First-Ever Quiet 'Solo Entrance Ceremony' in 118 Years

Only One New Student This Year
A Fading Campus Scene

Jungang Elementary School, located in Dong-gu, Gwangju, boasts a 118-year history since its opening in 1907. This year, the school welcomed only one new student. Once a representative school of Gwangju with over 5,000 students, it is now facing concerns over its very survival.

Gwangju Jungang Elementary School New Student Entrance Ceremony. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News and others on the 4th, the entrance ceremony held that morning in the first-grade classroom was attended by the new student, referred to as Student A, his parents, Principal Bae Changho, teachers, and other school staff. A video message from Student A’s grandparents was also shown to encourage him.

Jungang Elementary School had three new students last year, but this year only Student A enrolled. Two other children who were scheduled to enter with him chose to attend other nearby elementary schools. Student A’s older sister is currently in the sixth grade at Jungang Elementary, so they commute to and from school together.

Student A receives one-on-one lessons with a teacher for core subjects such as Korean, while he joins second-grade students for arts and physical education classes. Currently, Jungang Elementary has 23 students in total, and there are 9 teachers including the principal. Due to a new regulation that schools with fewer than 30 students cannot have a vice principal, the number of teachers may be reduced.

Jungang Elementary, located near Geumnam-ro, which was once the busiest area in Gwangju, boasted around 90 classes and over 5,000 students in the 1970s and 1980s. However, since the 2000s, the student population has sharply declined due to a decrease in population and the hollowing out of the city center. As new urban areas were developed on the outskirts of Gwangju, the old city center lost residents.

To attract new students, the school provides school supplies from its own budget in addition to the entrance support funds given by the city education office. The alumni association is also helping to raise scholarship funds.

Principal Bae Changho said, "It is impossible for the school alone to increase the number of new students," adding, "We are working with the education office, local government, and the community to come up with various ways to attract new students."

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