Student population decline prompts plan to halve middle/high school teacher hires by 2030

South Korea's Ministry of Education announced a plan to gradually reduce the number of newly hired public school teachers over the next five years, a measure necessitated by a significant decline in the student population. The plan, titled 'Mid- to Long-term (2027-2030) Supply and Demand Direction for Elementary, Middle, and High School Teachers,' aims to adjust teacher recruitment numbers in response to demographic shifts.

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This plan preemptively addresses demographic changes while ensuring quality education for both current and future students, based on long-term statistical data.

Under the new direction, the number of new teachers hired for public elementary, middle, and high schools will decrease annually. This year, 3,111 elementary teachers and 7,147 middle and high school teachers were hired. For next year, the ministry plans to hire approximately 2,700 to 2,900 elementary teachers and 4,700 to 5,100 middle and high school teachers. By 2030, the target is to hire 2,500 to 2,800 elementary teachers and 3,300 to 3,700 middle and high school teachers. This represents a reduction of up to 20% for elementary teachers and up to 54% for middle and high school teachers compared to this year's hiring figures.

The ministry attributes this reduction to the projected decrease in student numbers. National population projections indicate that the number of students in public elementary, middle, and high schools will fall by approximately 900,000, or 21%, between 2025 and 2030. Elementary school enrollment is expected to drop by about 700,000 (30%), while middle and high school enrollment will decrease by around 200,000 (11%). The ministry stated that this plan preemptively addresses demographic changes while ensuring quality education for both current and future students, based on long-term statistical data.

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Currently, schools are facing continuously increasing new educational demands regardless of the decrease in student numbers, such as responding to school violence, protecting educational activities, handling parental inquiries, supporting students with emotional and behavioral problems, providing basic academic instruction, and operating the high school credit system.

Teacher organizations have voiced strong opposition to the planned reduction. The Korea Teachers' Union Federation argued that despite declining student numbers, schools face increasing demands related to school violence response, educational activity protection, parental inquiries, support for students with emotional and behavioral issues, basic academic instruction, and the implementation of the high school credit system. They contend that teacher supply should consider factors beyond just student numbers, including class size, subject load, counseling needs, and regional conditions.

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Teacher supply should be adjusted considering not only student numbers but also the number of teaching hours per teacher, the number of subjects taught, counseling needs, and regional conditions.

The Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union urged the ministry to shift its criteria for teacher supply from student numbers to class sizes and educational demand. They called for the establishment of national standards for optimal class sizes and a system that ensures adequate staffing for small schools, alongside additional staffing to meet new educational needs.

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We urge the Ministry of Education to shift the basis of its teacher supply policy from student numbers to class size and educational demand.