The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Thursday it has finalized eight schools for coed conversion in the 2027 and 2028 academic years, out of 11 that applied.
The education office reviewed five middle schools and six high schools — four general high schools and two vocational high schools — that submitted applications in May, evaluating each on student placement plans, enrollment conditions, the necessity of conversion, school council deliberation procedures and facility conditions.
Seven schools were approved for conversion in the 2027 academic year: Jeongwon Girls' Middle School, Seongsim Girls' Middle School, Hanyang Middle School, Hanyang Science and Technology High School, Sinjeong Girls' Middle School, Seoul Sinjeong High School and Muhak Girls' High School. Seongsim Girls' High School will follow in 2028.
Three schools — Huigyeong Girls' Middle School, Huigyeong Girls' High School and Songgok High School — were classified for "mid- to long-term review," as the education office determined they lacked procedural legitimacy, required coordination with nearby schools or needed further assessment of student placement conditions.
The education office said it expects the conversions to ease long commutes for students in certain areas, address gender-ratio imbalances and help schools maintain sustainable operations amid a declining school-age population.
To support the transition, the education office will provide facility improvement funding — scaled to each school's size — to upgrade restrooms, changing rooms, health offices and other student amenities. Each school will also receive a total of 300 million won ($207,000) in conversion support over three years, comprising 240 million won in operating costs and 60 million won in personnel costs. Alongside this, the office plans to fund adaptation programs for school communities, support the hiring of student guidance staff, and assist with administrative procedures required before opening — including school name changes and revisions to relevant ordinances.
The coed conversion drive was launched to cultivate appropriately sized schools in response to the declining school-age population, improve commuting conditions for students, address gender-ratio imbalances in specific areas and expand school choice.
Single-sex schools have long faced criticism over long commutes and gender-ratio imbalances. About one-third of middle and high schools in Seoul remain single-sex. As of the 2026 academic year, 478 of the city's 709 middle and high schools — 67.4 percent — are coed, while 231, or 32.6 percent, are single-sex.
"I expect this coed conversion to improve commuting conditions for students and create a more student-centered education environment," Seoul Superintendent of Education Jeong Geun-sik said.
newday@heraldcorp.com
