Seoul Autonomous Private High Schools to Reduce Class Size to 30 Students by 2030

Seoul Education Office to Revise Student Placement Criteria
Narrowing the Gap in Educational Conditions Between General High Schools and Jasa-go
More Detailed Criteria for Schools with High Concentrations of Multicultural Students

The number of students per class at autonomous private high schools (Jasa-go) in the Seoul area will be reduced to 30 by the 2030 academic year. This policy aims to narrow the gap in educational conditions between general high schools and Jasa-go, and to strengthen support for schools with a high concentration of multicultural students.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 28th that it will gradually lower the student placement criteria for Jasa-go within its jurisdiction, taking into account each school's capacity.

A high school classroom in Seoul. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Until now, general high schools have lowered their student placement criteria in response to the decline in school-age population. However, Jasa-go have maintained their originally designated number of students per class since their establishment. As a result, the gap in class size between general high schools and Jasa-go has widened, consistently raising concerns over fairness in educational conditions.

In response, the education office will adjust the current class size of 35–36 students to 35 students in the 2027 academic year, 33 students in 2028, 31 in 2029, and 30 students in 2030.

The student placement criteria for schools with a high concentration of multicultural students will also be subdivided to better reflect the proportion of such students. Previously, schools with a multicultural student ratio of 20% or higher uniformly applied a class size of 22. Going forward, different standards will be applied according to the proportion of multicultural students: 22 students per class for schools with 20% or more, 20 students for 40% or more, and 18 students for 60% or more. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education expects that this adjustment will enhance the effectiveness of support for multicultural students, including customized education, Korean language programs, and lifestyle guidance.

Jeong Geun-sik, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "The student placement criteria serve as a policy standard to support students in learning under better educational environments. By reflecting changes in the school-age population and the diverse realities of the educational field, we will reduce educational disparities and create a more personalized learning environment for students."

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