The government is turning shuttered schools into new community spaces, including a complex that will combine an indoor playground with a park golf course, in an effort to improve living conditions in rural areas.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on the 14th that they had selected seven projects under a program supporting joint efforts by provincial education offices and local governments to repurpose closed schools. The program aims to convert schools shut down by a shrinking school-age population into hubs for education, culture and industry. The seven projects will receive a combined 12 billion won ($8.6 million).
The two ministries received 12 applications jointly submitted by education offices and local governments, and selected seven based on need, feasibility and scalability.
Five projects came from education offices, including one converting Hwasan Middle School in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, into a support center for students from migrant backgrounds, and another turning Munpyeongnam Elementary School in Naju, South Jeolla Province, into a rest area and eco-campsite. Two projects were submitted by local governments: one turning Chilseong Elementary School in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, into a red-clay experience center, and another converting a branch of Dopo Elementary School in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, into an experiential building for a creative campus. The projects will be tailored to local characteristics and will house hands-on facilities using local resources, artificial intelligence and digital education spaces, sports and cultural facilities, and sites linked to regional industries.
"This is significant in that it uncovers new possibilities for closed schools and builds a cooperative model that improves local education and living conditions," Vice Education Minister Choi Eun-ok said. "We will actively support efforts to make closed schools new local assets that students and residents can use together."
