Hyanggyo

Hyanggyo were government-run provincial schools established separately during the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (July 1392 – August 1910) periods in Korea. They were officially closed near the end of the Joseon Dynasty, in 1894, but many were reopened as public elementary schools in 1900. They were not widely used during either period.

Hyanggyo
Daeseongjeon Hall of Jeonju hyanggyo in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do.
Korean name
Hangul	향교
Hanja	鄕校
Revised Romanization	Hyanggyo
McCune–Reischauer	Hyanggyo

In the Joseon period, hyanggyo were established in every bu, mok, daedohobu, dohobu, gun, and hyeon (the last corresponding roughly to the size of modern-day cities and counties). They served primarily the children of the yangban, or ruling elite upper-class. Education was oriented toward the gwageo, or national civil service examinations. Although such education was in high demand, the hyanggyo were ultimately unable to compete with the privately run seowon and seodang.