A banner announcing the closure of Jungri Elementary School in Pocheon is displayed at the school in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the morning of the 25th. According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Pocheon Jungri Elementary School, which opened in 1955, will close on March 1st as there are no new students for the upcoming semester. [Yonhap News]

With the accelerating decline in the school-age population, it is expected that by 2030, there will be over 2,000 elementary, middle, and high schools with '10 or fewer graduates'.

According to the 'Mid-term Student Placement Plan by Provincial/Metropolitan Office of Education' obtained by Representative Jin Sun-mi of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, the number of elementary, middle, and high schools (based on main campuses, excluding closed or merged schools) with 10 or fewer graduates nationwide was 1,863 this year.

This number is projected to reach 1,917 in 2027, 1,994 in 2028, 1,914 in 2029, and 2,026 in 2030.

By school level, elementary schools with 10 or fewer graduates this year accounted for 1,469, middle schools 358, and high schools 36, with elementary schools making up 78.8% of the total.

In 2030, it is projected that 1,584 elementary schools, 417 middle schools, and 25 high schools will have 10 or fewer graduates.

The number of schools with '10 or fewer new entrants' is also expected to continue its upward trend.

This year, there are 2,196 schools with 10 or fewer new entrants, which is expected to increase to 2,234 in 2027 and 2,313 in 2028, followed by a slight decrease to 2,147 in 2029, and then a rise again to 2,257 in 2030.

By school level, elementary schools with 10 or fewer new entrants this year total 1,764, middle schools 399, and high schools 33.

In 2030, it is predicted that 1,739 elementary schools, 485 middle schools, and 33 high schools will have 10 or fewer new entrants. Compared to four years ago, the number of elementary schools with '10 or fewer new entrants' is expected to slightly decrease, while middle schools are projected to see a significant surge.

Representative Jin Sun-mi emphasized, "As the decline in the school-age population continues, the management of school assets will become a future challenge," adding, "We must preemptively consider how to utilize educational assets by forming consultative bodies with local governments."