Elementary school on the verge of closure sees increase in number of students

Students at Sangsu Elementary School in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, are having fun baking and eating rice cakes on \

In Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, you can see a small two-story school after walking through an alley in a residential area near a military unit. It is Sangsu Elementary School, one of Yangju's "small schools."

Even in the city, Sangsu Elementary School, which is located in a remote area, was on the verge of closure due to the decrease in the number of students every year. In 2016, the school only had 44 students, and there was even talk of closing it and merging with other nearby schools. However, the school now has 87 students as it has been receiving more students from bigger cities. The school now has so many students that it cannot accept all the new students who want to attend it.

This is in contrast to other small schools in the neighborhood that continue to lose students. What has happened to the school over the years?

Small schools like Sangsu Elementary School make various attempts to attract students. In rural areas, the schools try to utilize the natural environment to provide ecological education, or take advantage of their small scale to provide future education. Sangsu Elementary School also introduces and operates these kinds of educational methods. However, these programs are not the only ones that have transformed the school from a school on the verge of closure to a school that children want to attend.

Members of the school cited the "community" that school education emphasizes. They say that there is a stickiness of Sangsu Elementary School that cannot be felt in other schools. Teachers remember every student's name and care about them until they graduate, even if they are not their homeroom teachers. Students are also very respectful of their teachers. Parents say they always tell their children to "listen to their teachers."

Hong Ki-ok (45), a parent, said, "I decided to send my children to a small school when I saw the teachers sincerely treat students," adding, "There is a positive virtuous cycle as teachers, parents, and students all care for and believe in each other." Hong's first child has already graduated from Sangsu Elementary School, and the second child is currently in sixth grade. The youngest, who is seven years old, is also planning to enter Sangsu Elementary School.

In such an atmosphere, a sense of community among the members was created, and teachers began to freely come up with ideas for the education curriculum. A typical example is the “Food Baking Day" held on November 11 every year. It became an annual event when one of the teachers suggested, "There is a space where we can make a fire at the school, so it would be nice to grill rice cakes with children." They also light bonfires, and teachers and students talk and dance together.

In recognition of such efforts, Sangsu Elementary School was selected as one of the best schools in farming and fishing villages last year. It is the only school selected in Gyeonggi Province among 14 schools nationwide.

"When the school was in trouble, the teachers took it upon themselves to gather students and apply for various projects," said Kim Young-wan, head of the school affairs department at Sangsu Elementary School. "There were many days when the teachers worked overtime until 10 p.m. The staff members, parents, and students recognized their sincerity, and a culture of mutual respect was naturally established at the school."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.