'My Heart Broke After Carrying a Schoolbag for the First Time in 50 Years': Tears of Shock Over Impending School Closure

"I desperately want to graduate from school safely."

A student surnamed Ko, 65, who attends Ilsung Women's Middle and High School with dreams of going on to high school and university despite her advanced age, wiped away tears, saying she was devastated to hear the recent news of the school's impending closure.

Ko commutes a four-hour round trip from Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, to Ilsung Women's Middle and High School in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

Before entering the school in March last year, she yearned for learning so much that she even dreamed of carrying a schoolbag and going to school.

This was because she had lived with a deep-seated regret over her lack of education for over 50 years after dropping out of middle school due to her family's financial situation in the past.

Then, inspired by the story of a late learner in their 80s on a TV talk show, she gathered the courage to finally achieve her dream of entering the school last year.

However, upon hearing the recent news that the school is on the path to closure, she fell into deep frustration once again.

Opened in 1953, Ilsung Women's Middle and High School has served as a reliable educational institution for 74 years, offering middle and high school curricula to adult learners who missed out on educational opportunities due to poverty, war, or social circumstances.

However, following the passing of its founder and principal, Lee Seon-jae—often referred to as "Korea's Pestalozzi"—on May 10 last month, the school is now slated to close in February 2028.

Under the revised Lifelong Education Act, the school must transition its founding entity into a corporate body to maintain its status as a legally accredited lifelong education facility. However, unable to afford the massive costs required to install facilities such as playgrounds and laboratories, the school has ultimately entered the process of closing down.

In fact, there is a school that has already closed due to the same issue.

Seongji Middle and High School, a lifelong education facility in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, closed in February 2024, three years after its founder's death.

At the time, students and staff demanded the school remain open, but operations were halted because it failed to transition into a corporate body.

Ilsung Women's Middle and High School has also decided not to recruit new students for next year in preparation for its closure.

Normally, preparations for selecting the following year's freshmen begin in May each year, but recruitment has been suspended this time.

This is because there is no guarantee that freshmen entering next year would be able to safely complete the entire middle and high school curriculum before the school closes.

The school expressed concern that if the closure becomes a reality, the infringement on current students' right to learn would be inevitable.

Currently, a total of 950 students are enrolled at Ilsung Women's Middle and High School, including 466 in the middle school program and 484 in the high school program.

Cho (59), the head of academic affairs at Ilsung Women's Middle and High School, said, "There are only about seven to eight accredited lifelong education facilities in Seoul, and most of them prioritize their own students, leaving little room for outside students." Cho added, "There are currently 235 first-year middle school students here, but the capacity of other schools to accommodate them is at most around 80."

Students also could not hide their bewilderment at the news of the closure.

Lim (65), a second-year middle school student, lamented, "I entered this school with the intention of graduating all the way through high school; I never imagined it would close. I am so happy studying Chinese characters and other subjects at school right now, and I feel devastated at the thought that my learning might be cut short."

Moon (66), a second-year high school student, also said, "I couldn't study properly because I was running a business, but attending school made me realize the joy of learning. I was deeply shocked and brought to tears when I heard about the closure from the teachers."

Moon pleaded, "I hope people realize that there are so many people who want to learn even if they missed their chance. I hope the school continues to provide learning opportunities to many people in the future."

Ilsung Women's Middle and High School is consulting with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and other authorities to overcome the structural limitations of the current system, where the death of a founder puts the entire school community—rather than just a corporate entity—at risk of survival.

The school is calling for the establishment of a legal basis to allow the superintendent of education to designate and set up lifelong education facilities, as well as the creation of special provisions under the superintendent's authority to protect students and staff at facilities facing closure.

In addition, on June 11, the school filed a public petition on the National Assembly's e-petition platform, calling for a revision of the law to provide a legal basis for supporting students' advancement and transfer so their education is not interrupted during closures or changes in operating entities, and to guarantee the succession of employment for faculty and staff.

A teacher surnamed Cheon, who drafted the public petition, said, "This is an issue that affects not only the students' right to learn but also the livelihoods of the faculty and staff. Since the students trust and attend the school like a family, I hope that with a lot of public interest, we can find a way for the school to continue."

In response, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education explained, "We are discussing various operating plans. For now, we are reviewing extending operations until the current students graduate."

The official added, "We are also researching ways to keep the school open, but there are legal conflicts, and since the school facilities are private property, there are several factors we must consider."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.