Rural South Korean Schools Welcome Seoul Students

Rural¹ South Korean Schools Welcome Seoul Students

In the 1970s, more than 800 students filled the classrooms of Cheontae Elementary School in rural Hwasun County². The school is set among a group of small villages and rice farms in southwestern South Korea.

By 2021, the school's population had dropped to just 24 students. Without intervention³, local officials said, Cheontae Elementary could soon close.

The large decrease is the result of both South Korea's falling birth rate and fast urbanization that has sent huge numbers of young people to the city for better jobs.

The situation is the same for many schools across South Korea. Since 1982, more than 3,800 schools nationwide have shut down because of a lack of students. Most of the closures have happened in rural areas.

In Dojang, a small village about a five-minute drive from Cheontae Elementary, locals understand that their community is on the edge of extinction⁴.

"People in their 60s and 70s are considered young here," said 82-year-old Moon Gyeongga. "There is not a single child in this village. Everyone with kids leaves for the city," Moon added.

If the community loses its school, there would be almost no hope of bringing in young families. That is why Cheontae Elementary recently began taking part in a program that brings students from the capital city of Seoul to study in the countryside.

Under the program, which started in March 2021, Seoul children study for at least six months in schools throughout the southwestern part of the country. The mostly rural area has been hit especially hard by South Korea's population crisis⁵.

The exchange program is paid for by both Seoul and local government groups.

What it looks like

So far, Cheontae Elementary has seen hopeful results. Since it began accepting Seoul students last spring, attendance⁶ has doubled to over 50.

Along with saving⁷ the school, the increased attendance has brought practical benefits for local students. Before the exchange program, it was difficult to find enough children to play team sports, like soccer or basketball, said sixth-grader Lim Sung-ju.

"I have more hobbies now, and I can experience more things. Basically⁸, I just have more fun," Lim said.

More students also mean the school receives more resources and employees – such as a vice⁹ principal¹⁰ who can work on lesson planning.

Seoul exchange students benefit, too. They are able to take a break from the overcrowded capital area. They can enjoy more outdoor activities, cleaner air, fewer crowds and a less competitive¹¹ educational environment.

"It's possible to educate the whole person here," said Kim Na-yoon, a Seoul local whose son is in the third grade at Cheontae Elementary.

The exchange students also report feeling less stress away from Seoul, said Hwasun County school chief Lee Hyeong-hui. "This is good for all of Korea in the long term," she said.

Not a perfect solution

However, many locals worry the program is only a partial¹² fix. They note it does not deal with the main problem facing rural communities: a lack of income for locals.

"The (local) population is still not growing," said Park Gong-ryeol, a 67-year-old who has lived in Hwasun County for 18 years.

Park supports the exchange program. He even helps run a housing¹³ center for exchange students and their parents. But he said the government should do more to increase the earnings¹⁴ of local farmers who have historically depended on small rice fields.

Without that kind of intervention, hundreds of rural communities could soon disappear. A March study by the Korea Employment¹⁵ Information Service says 113 of South Korea's 228 cities, counties¹⁶ and districts are at risk of extinction.

Bigger plans

Cho Hee-yeon leads the Seoul Metropolitan¹⁷ Office of Education. He is also the driving force behind the exchange program. He hopes this is just the beginning. He wants to one day attract enough students to expand the program to rural areas nationwide.

"We hope that by studying in rural areas, children will be able to escape the concrete jungle, experience living in nature, develop a second hometown, and grow in a healthier way," he said.

Cho considers the program to be part of a large plan for more balanced, sustainable development in the country.

"Korea is traditionally a rice-farming society, but unfortunately some kids these days think rice grows on trees," Cho said, laughing. "The goal is to make children remember rural areas even as adults."

Words in This Story

urbanization - n. the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more and more people begin living and working in central areas

extinction - n. the state or situation that results when something has died out completely

benefit - n. a good or helpful result or effect

hobby - n. an activity that a person does for pleasure when not working

1 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

2 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

3 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

4 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

5 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

6 attendance   

n.出席，出席人数，护理，照料

参考例句：

• The attendance of this class never dropped off.这个班的出席人数从未下降。
• The young man danced attendance on his rich aunt.这个年轻人小心侍候他有钱的姑妈。

7 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

8 basically   

adv.基本上，从根本上说

参考例句：

• His heart is basically sound.他的心脏基本上健康。
• Basically I agree with your plan.我基本上同意你的计划。

9 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

10 principal   

adj.主要的；n.负责人，校长，资本

参考例句：

• When he saw the principal,he raised his hand in salutation.他看到校长时举手敬礼。
• Their school gave a reception to their new principal.他们学校为新校长举办了一个招待会。

11 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

12 partial   

adj.部分的；偏爱的；偏心的

参考例句：

• I could give it only partial support.我只能给它部分的支持。
• I'm partial to a drink at bedtime.我临睡前喜欢喝杯酒。

13 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

14 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

15 employment   

n.雇用；使用；工作，职业

参考例句：

• A large office requires the employment of many people.一个大办事处需要雇用好多人员。
• The state of employment in this city is improving.这个城市就业状况正在改善。

16 counties   

郡，县( county的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The deposits spread for 100 kilometers across four counties. 这些矿藏绵延一百公里，跨越四个县。
• The Jinggang Mountains stand where the boundaries of four counties meet. 井冈山位于四县之交。

17 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。