South Korean student dropouts surge, 90,000 in 5 years

Candidates take the university entrance exam in South Korea - Photo: AFP/Getty Images

South Korean government data on September 18 showed that universities in the country's provinces have seen a sharp increase in the number of students dropping out, with nearly 90,000 students voluntarily dropping out in the past five years.

Ministry of Education data shows that from 2019-2023, the average number of students dropping out of national universities in remote provinces doubled compared to urban areas.

Of the 37 national universities nationwide, five in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province have seen 5,499 students drop out over the past five years.

In contrast, universities further away from Seoul saw 84,521 students drop out, marking a 15.3-fold difference.

On average, national universities in urban areas lost about 1,100 students per campus, while those in remote areas reported an average of 2,641 students – about 2.4 times higher.

Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, recorded the highest number of dropouts, with 7,196 students, followed by Kyungpook National University in Daegu with 5,602 students and Chonnam National University in Gwangju with 5,295 students.

According to South Korean officials, the rising dropout rate is pushing up per capita education costs for remaining students, creating a vicious cycle of declining education quality and welfare services, especially when university tuition is frozen.

This reality shows the urgent need for national-level policy support and self-reform efforts by local universities.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sinh-vien-bo-hoc-o-han-quoc-tang-dot-bien-90-000-trong-5-nam-20240919154241731.htm