By Kim Bo-eun

The Moon Jae-in administration's controversial plan to abolish foreign language, international and autonomous high schools faces a tough road ahead, with fierce opposition from the schools, parents and students.

The plan to turn these so-called "elite schools" into regular high schools is meant to reduce reliance on private education and to promote equality.

Because entering these elite schools is considered the route to admission into top universities, parents invest in private lessons so their children can be accepted into them.

Liberal educators and parents with children in public schools believe the elite institutions, which the best students attend, are depleting the pool of high achieving students at regular schools, bringing down the quality of education there.

Five autonomous high schools _ Gwangyang Jecheol High School, Korean Minjok Leadership Academy, Sangsan High School, Pohangjecheol High School and Hyundai Chungun High School _ released a statement, Sunday, protesting the plan to abolish them.

Autonomous schools, which are private schools that run their own curriculum, have become synonymous with elite education.

"Taking issue with elite education, by asserting educational equality, is prejudice coming from viewing education in a political frame," the statement said.

"Maintaining the status-quo of the high school equalization policy, we can only cultivate various outstanding students for the future by elite education which complements the shortcomings of mass education."

The statement said abolishing autonomous schools will result in the outflow of foreign currency due to an increased pursuit of an overseas education, as well as bringing down the quality of education in provincial areas.

One of the aims of the autonomous high school system was to set up prestigious schools in provincial areas, which lacked such institutions in comparison to Seoul, where most elite schools were concentrated.

Nationwide, there are 46 autonomous, 31 foreign language and seven international high schools, and four international middle schools whose status is set to be abolished.

A group of autonomous high school principals is set to release a statement this week, and an association of parents with children in such schools is planning a rally to voice their opposition to the plan.