The Ministry of Education will introduce "Education Innovation Zones," a successor to its education special zones program, providing up to 2 billion won per year to 40 regions nationwide. The ministry will restructure the program around city and county units and require small-school innovation in population-declining areas, pursuing region-tailored education reform.
The ministry announced the "Basic Plan for Education Innovation Zones" on Monday, saying it will pursue the program across 40 regions nationwide. It plans to provide up to 2 billion won per region annually to support local education innovation projects. The program is a successor to the education development special zones, which have been piloted since 2024.
Education Innovation Zones are divided into two types based on regional characteristics. Type 1, targeting population-declining areas and areas of concern for population decline, will select around 30 regions. Type 2, targeting non-capital areas facing outflow of population to the greater Seoul area and education gaps within the region, will select around 10 regions. Basic-level local governments will receive up to 2 billion won per region, while metropolitan-level governments will receive up to 4 billion won, with a project period of up to five years.
Type 1 regions must pursue "building a quality education ecosystem within the region through small-school innovation." This measure comes as the proportion of small schools has risen to 31.3% this year due to the declining school-age population. Key tasks presented include school integration, joint curriculum operation, hub school development, dormitory construction, and school bus support.
System improvements will also be pursued to support small-school innovation. The ministry plans to abolish the "Guidelines for Fostering Appropriately Sized Schools and Reorganizing Branch Schools," which had been used to determine whether to integrate schools with few students, and instead allow provincial education offices to set school-size standards and integration procedures suited to local conditions.
Financial support will also be expanded. The school integration support fund, which supports school integration and branch school reorganization, will increase by more than 50% from current levels. Elementary schools will receive up to 7.5 billion won and middle schools up to 13 billion won. When school integration is pursued in an Education Innovation Zone, regions can also receive package support linking school integration incentives with dormitory construction, school complex facility development, and support for utilizing closed schools. If three middle schools are integrated into one, total support of around 40 billion won is possible.
Type 2 targets non-capital regions that have a base of universities and businesses but face outflow of population to the greater Seoul area and education gaps within the region. They will pursue easing education gaps and strengthening university-industry linked education as essential tasks. If a region operating an education special zone is designated as an Education Innovation Zone, it can also continue its existing projects.
"Education Innovation Zones are characterized by assigning differentiated tasks according to regional characteristics and strengthening cooperation at the city and county level," a ministry official said. "We plan to expand the role of district education offices to build a system in which education offices, local governments, and local communities work together to solve regional education problems."
