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Yeongjong Island is a strategic location that hosts Incheon International Airport, the gateway to South Korea, and Yeongjong International City, a large-scale development project aimed at attracting foreign investment and creating a global business hub. The development project includes the construction of international schools to cater to the growing number of foreign residents and expatriates.
However, despite the efforts to establish international schools, Yeongjong Island has yet to attract any world-class schools. In contrast, neighboring areas within Incheon Free Economic Zone, such as Songdo, have successfully established prestigious international schools, including Chadwick International School, Cheongna Dalton School, and more recently, Calvin Manitoba School.
In July 2021, the Yeongjong General Association announced its plan to establish an international school on the Yeongjong Midan City education and research facility site, which covers an area of 96,000 square meters. In response, residents formed the Yeongjong International School Promotion Committee to facilitate the establishment of an international school.
Recently, the Incheon Economic Office proposed a plan to reduce the size of the international school site in Yeongjong International City to attract developers and generate profits. The proposed plan received criticism from residents and various organizations, citing concerns that it would not attract world-class schools and would only benefit developers.
Citizens feel that the reduction of the international school education site in Yeongjong International City has significant negative implications for both education and the local economy. With the reduction of the educational land, the site could be seen as being too small to accommodate world-class schools, and only third-class international schools may participate. This could prevent the development of a virtuous cycle structure that helps regional development, such as enhancing the brand of Yeongjong International City, attracting more population, and creating a competitive education city.
The Yeongjong International School Promotion Committee has expressed concerns that the reduction of the school's educational site is being driven by developer interests. However, current law prohibits international schools from transferring their retained earnings to the parent school, making direct investment difficult. As a result, the Incheon Economic Office is trying to support the construction cost of the school by creating profits from land development instead of government and municipal funds while promoting Yeongjong International School.
Prestigious schools tend to be reluctant to participate in smaller sites as it is challenging to have sufficient facilities that match the school's reputation. This will result in a reduced number of students, making it difficult to manage the school's finances. In addition, this could also lead to a reduction in the number of foreign residents and investors, which could have a negative impact on the local economy.
Furthermore, citizens view the reduction of the educational site as being a short-sighted approach that only benefits developers' profit mindset. They feel that Yeongjong International City should instead invest in education for regional development, as it would benefit the local economy in the long run. With the establishment of prestigious international schools, the city could attract high-income families and skilled workers, leading to an increase in demand for housing, transportation, and other services.
In the current situation, where there is a current boom in the establishment of international schools in 23 regions nationwide, including the Seoul metropolitan area, it is crucial to have a competitive advantage from the reputation of the school and the facilities should align with that. Citizens expressed that there should be no restrictions on the participation of prestigious schools in the competition.
When it comes to international schools in Korea, the size of the international school site is directly linked to attracting excellent and prestigious schools. International schools in Jeju are over 30,000 pyeong, and Chadwick International School is about 22,000 pyeong. Looking at the cases of other regions, Yeongjong citizens say that the current school site of about 19,000 pyeong is not enough to build four prestigious international education facilities (kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school). Larger sites are also necessary to accommodate dormitory-type international schools and provide sufficient facilities for high-quality education.
Citizens in the area are stating that Incheon Economic Office should consider the long-term benefits of establishing prestigious international schools in Yeongjong and provide sufficient space for their development. Only then can Yeongjong become a competitive education city and contribute to regional development.
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