Over 12,800 Students from Migrant Backgrounds in Gyeongbuk Concentrated in Certain Schools, Jinseok Bae Proposes Support Ordinance Bill

Jinseok Bae, a member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council (People Power Party, Gyeongju), proposed the "Ordinance Bill on Support for Schools with High Concentrations of Students from Migrant Backgrounds in Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education" at the Education Committee on November 26.

Due to the recent increase in multicultural families, foreign workers, and returning migrants, the number of students from migrant backgrounds has been rapidly rising. As of 2024, there are 193,814 students from migrant backgrounds nationwide (3.72% of all students), and in Gyeongbuk Province, the number stands at 12,814-about a threefold increase over the past decade.

Jinseok Bae, Gyeongbuk Provincial Councilor

This has led to a significant expansion in the distribution and educational needs of students from migrant backgrounds in the region. As a result, certain schools are experiencing an excessive concentration of these students, which is causing increased burdens on teachers, widening learning gaps, weakening educational effectiveness, and even raising issues of relative reverse discrimination and infringement of learning rights for students without migrant backgrounds.

Students from migrant backgrounds are defined as those who themselves or whose parents have foreign nationality or have previously held foreign nationality. A school with a high concentration of students from migrant backgrounds refers to a school with more than 100 students in total, where at least 30% of the student body consists of students from migrant backgrounds.

This ordinance bill was introduced to improve the educational conditions of such schools, strengthen tailored support according to student needs, reliably guarantee the right to learn, and create an environment where both students from migrant backgrounds and those without can receive a balanced education free from discrimination and exclusion.

The main provisions of the ordinance bill include: stipulating the responsibilities of the Superintendent of Education and others; establishing support plans and conducting surveys for schools with high concentrations of students from migrant backgrounds; implementing support projects to guarantee the learning rights of both groups of students; operating level-based classes and after-school programs; and building cooperative systems with relevant organizations.

Councilor Bae stated, "With the steady increase in students from migrant backgrounds, overcrowding in certain schools not only hinders the school adaptation of these students but also negatively affects the learning rights of students without migrant backgrounds. Through the enactment of this ordinance, we aim to create an educational environment where all students can learn and grow without discrimination, and establish a healthy and inclusive school culture where both groups of students are respected."

This ordinance bill is scheduled for final approval at the 359th regular session of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council on December 10.

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