16.5 percent of Seoul elementary schools to have below 40 students per grade

In four years, according to an analysis, one in six elementary schools in Seoul will be 'small schools,' each with 40 or fewer students per grade.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plan for student placement in elementary schools, the number of small elementary schools with fewer than 240 students is expected to rise significantly. In 2024, there were 69 such schools, but by 2028, this number is projected to reach 101. These small schools will account for approximately 16.5 percent of the total elementary schools in Seoul. The Ministry of Education defines small schools as those with 240 or fewer students and categorizes them as candidates for merger and closure.

The education office has projected that the number of elementary school students in Seoul will drop by about 60,000, from 368,104 this year to 303,412 in 2028. Consequently, as the total number of students decreases, the number of students per school will also decrease. This year, the average number of students per elementary school in Seoul is 608, which will drop to 496 in 2028.

In particular, small schools with 240 students or fewer can only organize two classes per grade, with 40 students in each grade. "If the number of classes is reduced to two or fewer, it becomes difficult to run academic programs such as after-school classes, sports events, field trips, and other administrative tasks," said an official. "Schools with fewer students are bound to face difficulties in management, as the price of school meals per student can only be lowered with a larger number of students." Organizing sports activities that require multiple students to form teams won't be easy.

The number of small schools is expected to skyrocket over time due to severe low fertility rates and a shrinking school-age population. The number of annual births in Seoul plummeted from 58,074 in 2018 to 47,445 in 2020 and further to 42,602 in 2022, marking a drop of more than 25% in just four years.

Like Hwayang Elementary School in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, which closed last year, the number of school closures is bound to increase. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education is exploring alternatives to shutting down schools, aiming to establish urban campuses in the form of branch schools to safeguard students' right to attend classes. "Many schools will transition into small schools, particularly in the old urban center or areas with an aging population," stated the official. “We will soon announce measures, including the implementation of urban campuses.”


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