More than 7 out of 10 Jeonbuk residents agree on the "necessity of establishing a gifted high school."

On the 7th, the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education announced the results of an "awareness survey regarding the conversion of Jeonbuk Science High School into a KAIST-affiliated gifted high school."

The survey was conducted from September 18 to October 2, targeting a total of 890 participants, including school staff, parents, and residents across the province.

According to the survey results, when asked about the "necessity of establishing a gifted school," 78% of respondents answered that it is necessary ("very necessary" at 50.5%, "somewhat necessary" at 27.5%).

Regarding the "designation and conversion of Jeonbuk Science High School into a gifted school," 73.4% expressed agreement ("strongly agree" at 44.0%, "somewhat agree" at 29.3%). Both major indicators showed positive results exceeding 70%.

Additionally, respondents chose "securing admission opportunities for students in the Jeonbuk region (47.9%)" as the top priority to consider when transitioning to a gifted school.

Regarding the appropriate priority selection quota for regional talent, 61% of respondents requested a level between 30% and 50%, demonstrating a shared consensus on preventing the outflow of talented individuals within the province and expanding educational opportunities.

While parents and staff of current students at Jeonbuk Science High School also showed a majority of positive sentiment regarding the need for establishment and conversion consensus, some cautious stances regarding academic operations during the transition process were noted among parents (36.3% disagreement) and staff (23.5% disagreement).

Building on this positive public perception, the Jeonbuk Office of Education plans to accelerate its efforts to transition the school into a gifted institution to foster future science and technology talent.

Furthermore, the office aims to concurrently pursue the "establishment of a new science high school" as an opportunity to significantly expand the infrastructure for cultivating outstanding scientific talent in the region.

"Through this survey, we confirmed both the public opinion supporting the establishment of a gifted school and the desire of parents to ensure academic stability for current students," said Oh Ji-sook, Head of the Creative Talent Education Division. "We will thoroughly guarantee that current students can graduate stably in their existing environment without relocation, while concurrently pursuing the establishment of a new science high school to seamlessly expand Jeonbuk's infrastructure for nurturing future science and technology talent."

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