Paju City Launches Specialized Education Support Program to Narrow Educational Gaps by Leveraging School Strengths

Six Schools Selected, Including Sannaecho and Gyohacho
Focusing on Nurturing Future Talent Rooted in the Local Community

Paju City in Gyeonggi Province has selected schools to receive support under the "2026 Specialized Education Support for Overcrowded and Underpopulated Schools" program, and will begin providing full-scale assistance. This initiative aims to bridge educational disparities within the region and to support the operation of specialized curricula tailored to each school.

Paju City Hall view. Provided by Paju City

This project is one of Paju City’s flagship education cooperation programs since the city was designated as a pilot Education Development Zone in 2024. The initiative seeks to improve educational conditions at overcrowded schools, particularly those in the Unjeong apartment complex area, and to offer differentiated programs at underpopulated schools suffering from declining student numbers, thereby promoting balanced development in local education.

Last year, the city supported five schools through this project, helping foster student growth. Overcrowded schools focused on humanities, communication, and diversity education to cultivate students’ emotional development and strengthen their sense of community, while underpopulated schools offered tailored curricula such as basic academic reinforcement and specialized arts and physical education programs, taking into account local characteristics to help close educational gaps.

Given the enthusiastic response from students and parents to these meticulous, school-specific support measures, the city plans to continue implementing the project this year, building on last year’s successes.

This year’s call for applications saw strong interest, with a total of 12 schools participating. After evaluation by education experts, six schools were selected in the end. Among the chosen schools, five are underpopulated (Gyohacho, Pajujung, Jangpacho, Jeokseocho, and Geomsancho), while one is overcrowded (Sannaecho).

The main programs include: Gyohacho’s "Musical School," Pajujung’s "Orchestra and Critical Thinking Camp," Jangpacho’s "Basic Academic Skills Improvement and Cultural Arts Program," Jeokseocho’s "Theater and Career Exploration Activities," Geomsancho’s "Korean Traditional Orchestra Program," and Sannaecho’s "Humanities Sensibility Education" and "Educational Information Technology (Edutech) Education." Each school will operate distinctive programs that leverage its unique strengths.

The city plans to provide both administrative and financial support to ensure that the selected schools can develop their educational brands based on local characteristics.

Meanwhile, in addition to this competition-based program, Paju City is also running after-school activities and specialized education programs at all small schools in the area, with separate budget allocations. This dual-track strategy—targeted support through competitive selection and universal support for all schools—reflects the city’s commitment to addressing every gap in the local education landscape.

A Paju City official stated, "Based on the experience we have gained as a pilot Education Development Zone, we will continue to identify and develop a variety of specialized education programs," and added, "We will do our utmost to ensure that students can grow up healthy within their communities and that schools become sustainable spaces for learning."

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