Wondering how a seemingly ordinary school made headlines? It’s Shinnam Middle School. This isn’t just any school. Shinnam Middle School has a story. Shinnam Middle School opened its doors in 1984. It’s located in Seoul. More precisely, it’s in Yangcheon District. The address is 109, Jungangro 29 gil, Sinwol-dong.
Back in 2012, Shinnam Middle School gained attention for its limited outdoor space. Kim Min-jae was a seventh grader. He was a rising track star at Shinnam Middle School. Kim even won a bronze medal at the National Youth Sports Festival. This was for the 800-meter race. But seeing Kim’s training conditions might surprise you.
Coach Lee Jong-hyun explained the problem. The school track was too small. Unless they rented an outside sports facility this was how they had to train. Kim practiced behind the school gate. He sprinted along the sidelines. Then, he turned a corner around the school. He stopped at the 200-meter mark.
The playground was triangle-shaped. It measured about 4,700 square meters. That’s about two-thirds of a soccer field. Shinnam Middle School lacked indoor sports facilities. So, 32 classrooms used the field for physical education.
On one visit, reporters observed 130 students from four classes. All were having physical education at once. Park Hyun-jin an eighth-grade student shared concerns. Students often got hit by balls. The area was too crowded.
Nationwide, over 4,605 schools lacked gyms or indoor assembly halls. This was about 40 percent of all schools. These schools had to cancel physical education during bad weather. Students were kept inside.
Teenagers’ physical strength was declining. This was due to a lack of sports facilities. Pressure from college exams also played a role.
In 2010, Shinnam Middle School was designated as a resource school. This was for creating good schools in Seoul. In 2012, it became a specially supported school for educational welfare.
As of 2022, Shinnam Middle School had 652 students. There were 80 faculty members. The school’s symbols are the ginkgo tree and the forsythia flower.
Shinnam Middle School continues to educate students. It adapts to meet their needs. Despite past challenges it remains a place of learning.