First-Grade Elementary Students Fall Below 300,000 for the First Time: The National School Map is Being Redrawn

The Premise of Education Altered by a Single Number For the first time in history, the number of national elementary school first-grade entrants for the 2026 academic year has fallen below 300,000. According to the '2025 Elementary, Middle, and High School Student Population Estimation Correction Results (2026–2031)' released by the Ministry of Education, the number of first-grade students nationwide for the 2026 academic year is projected at 298,178, marking the first time the figure has dropped beneath the 300,000 threshold. This estimation was calculated by combining the Korean Educational Development Institute's Educational Basic Statistics, Statistics Korea's future population projections, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's resident registration population statistics, representing figures already being confirmed as reality on school grounds rather than simple forecasts. I…