Dropouts rise among students from multicultural families

The number of students in Korea from multicultural backgrounds surpassed 200,000 for the first time this year, yet many continue to face challenges in the classroom, according to recent government data. Data released Sunday by Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the Rebuilding Korea Party showed that students from multicultural families accounted for 477 high school dropouts during the 2023 academic year, a 2.22 percent dropout rate, according to the Ministry of Education. The rate has gone up steadily — from 1.36 percent in 2020 to 1.93 percent in 2021 and 1.99 percent in 2022 — surpassing 2 percent for the first time last year. This figure is higher than the nationwide high school dropout rate, which reached 2.0 percent in 2023. The most common reason students from multicultural backgrounds cited for leaving school was difficulty adapting, according to the data. In 2023, more than 200 students pointed to challenges in school life — including struggles with Korean-language classes — as a key factor. Educational experts estimate that the majority of students from multicultural backgrounds sWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times