역사와교육학회

The purpose of this study is to examine the problems of small school in rural area due to changes in population structure and to suggest directions that can appropriately respond to these problems. To this end, I sought to examine the previous research and theoretical background about small school, changes in the school-age population, small school issues, the current status and major issues of small school, and the response directions of the problems of small school. First, the previous research and theoretical background about small school were analyzed by research on perceptions of groups related to small school, research on small school systems and policies, research on small school curriculum, research on small school teachers, research on small school students, and small schools and local communities and six implications were presented and discussed. And, based on the UN's world population estimates, Korea's birth index and school-age population trends, and changes in the number of students by city and province, changes in the school-age population and the problem of small school were presented. In addition, the current status of small school was presented through Statistics Korea's future population projections, changes in the number of students by regional size, and the status of school consolidation, and major issues related to school consolidation were presented. Through this, this study presented and discussed six response directions for the problems of small school in terms of improving their educational capabilities, and presented and discussed six response directions for the problems of small school in terms of convergence between small school and the local community. Lastly, I discussed and made suggestions on what needs to be studied to respond to future school-age population decline and school consolidation, and for connections and development between small school and the local community.