RESEARCH NOTES

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

The premise of education has been 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 dropped 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 fallen under the 300,000 threshold.