Seoul to Strengthen Customized Basic Academic Skills Support for Students with 34.4 Billion Won Investment

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Launches “2026 Seoul Basic Academic Skills Support System”

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has announced that it will actively implement support programs to guarantee basic academic skills for elementary, middle, and high school students.

On March 24, the office stated that it will allocate a total budget of 34.4 billion won to carry out the “2026 Seoul Basic Academic Skills Guarantee Initiative.” The initiative aims to responsibly manage and support students’ basic academic abilities by taking into account each school’s circumstances and the status of students requiring academic support.

All 1,328 elementary, middle, and high schools in Seoul will be included. Each school is required to form a Support Committee for Students Needing Academic Assistance and operate a “March Diagnostic Activities Focus Week” to conduct multi-layered and integrated diagnostic activities. Based on the diagnostic results and the causes of insufficient basic academic skills, schools will then identify students in need of support, establish individualized support plans, and provide customized assistance accordingly.

To this end, the office has allocated 14.7 billion won for the Basic Academic Skills Accountability Guidance budget, distributing it differentially based on the number of students needing academic support, school size, and other circumstances. Each school may select and implement programs suited to its needs, such as collaborative classes with assistant instructors during regular class hours, after-school supplementary subject programs, or “Kidari-Saem” mentoring sessions with homeroom or subject teachers.

In addition, 7.4 billion won will be invested to provide 620 learning support tutors for elementary and middle schools. Notably, this year, the amount allocated per tutor was increased from 10 million won to 12 million won, thereby strengthening ongoing basic academic support throughout the semester.

For students who face learning difficulties due to complex or special factors that are hard to address at the school level, 11 Education Support Offices will operate the “Seoul Learning Diagnosis and Growth Centers” this year, providing one-stop in-depth diagnostic services and tailored support.

To intensify support at critical moments in students’ learning development, the office will also run programs such as the “Reading Growth Project for First and Second Graders,” “Online Learning Mentoring for Middle School Students,” and a “Grade-Specific In-Depth Diagnosis Initiative” to proactively identify students suspected of dyslexia, dyscalculia, or borderline intellectual functioning.

Superintendent Jeong Geunsik stated, “Basic academic skills are a fundamental right of students, and supporting them is an obvious duty of the state. Through the 2026 Seoul Basic Academic Skills Support System, we will establish a comprehensive multi-layered learning safety net to ensure that not a single student is left behind in their learning.”

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