Parent Groups Meeting with Park Sunae Demand Withdrawal of "Promoting Admission at Age 5" (Comprehensive)

Park Soon-ae Suggests Possible Revisions at Meeting with Parent Groups
"If Not Supported by the Public, It Can Be Abandoned"
Parent Groups Demand Withdrawal of Age 5 School Enrollment Policy
"Lowering Admission Age Won't Solve Education Responsibility"
"Private Education Market Already in Chaos, Will Launch Resignation Campaign"

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Park Soon-ae listens to a participant's remarks at a meeting with parent organizations regarding the lowering of school entry age held on the 2nd at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Park Soon-ae met with parents just four days after announcing the policy for mandatory school enrollment at age 5. Facing strong public backlash, she urgently sought to gather opinions, while parent organizations collectively demanded the policy's withdrawal.

On the 2nd, Deputy Prime Minister Park said at a meeting with parent organizations held at the Government Seoul Office, "The policy can be modified, changed, or reversed," adding, "The school system reform is a means. It is about proposing a better direction in education, and alternatives can be changed as much as needed to achieve the goal."

The meeting was urgently arranged to collect parents' opinions regarding the school system reform. Organizations such as Education Concern-Free Society (Sagyeokse), the National Parents' Association for Realizing Equal Education, the Korea Education Reform Strategy Forum, the National Federation of Parent Organizations, the National Parents' Association for True Education, and the Parents' Group Loving Schools participated. That afternoon, a message from the Presidential Office urged to "listen to public opinion" regarding the policy to lower the school starting age, prompting Deputy Prime Minister Park to take a public step to gather parents' views.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Park said, "Including the policy measure to lower the school starting age in the work report was intended to ensure that children receive quality public education early so that everyone can start on an equal footing, with the state taking responsibility and providing support," adding, "One goal was also to utilize elementary schools, which already have facilities and equipment at advanced country levels, to integrate education and care for our children, promoting their safe growth and reducing parental burdens."

Parent Organizations Demand Immediate Withdrawal

Most parent organizations attending the meeting urged the withdrawal of the policy for elementary school enrollment at age 5. They expressed that parents are engulfed in anxiety due to the hasty policy announcement without prior opinion gathering, and that rather than modifying the policy, a full reconsideration from the starting point is necessary.

Jung Ji-hyun, co-representative of Education Concern-Free Society, said, "While failing to resolve pressing issues like easing entrance exam competition, they intend to drag even infants and toddlers into this competition. Lowering the enrollment age alone without fundamental measures cannot solve responsible education," adding, "Over 180,000 people signed a petition opposing this within 48 hours. Given this public opinion, I question why another survey is needed; this is not a matter for public debate. The policy must be withdrawn immediately."

Jung added, "The victims of this policy are infants and toddlers, and no matter what supplementary measures are introduced, if the curriculum does not match developmental stages, the children will bear the harm," expressing, "As a parent expecting a second child, I feel a sense of self-reproach for planning to have a child at a time when a policy that robs children of their precious time is being implemented."

In response, Deputy Prime Minister Park said, "Conducting a survey in August or September to disclose the essence of the policy to parents is what the government must do," and "We are trying to find alternatives preferred by parents. If we had not raised this issue in the work report, would we have been able to discuss it while listening to parents' voices?"

Park Eun-kyung, representative of the National Parents' Association for Realizing Equal Education, said, "There must have been reasons why a similar policy was introduced and then withdrawn before, and while you talk about public education, the private education market is already in chaos," adding, "If this policy is not withdrawn, we will even carry out a resignation campaign. Please respond whether this will be discussed again from the starting point."

Kim Young-yeon, secretary-general of the Korea Education Reform Strategy Forum, said, "During COVID-19, both mothers and children struggled, and there are many children on developmental boundaries. It is time to pay attention to how to reduce class sizes and properly care for children," adding, "The government proceeded too hastily without prior opinion gathering, so from parents' perspective, it feels like a bolt from the blue. There have been too many sudden policies under the current administration, and this will lead to loss of administrative power."

Hong Min-jung, co-representative of Sagyeokse, said, "Even surveys of pediatric psychiatrists mostly conclude that early cognitive education for ages 0 to 5 is not suitable for child development. Elementary school education is difficult even for 6-year-olds," adding, "The low satisfaction with elementary after-school care and the increase in women quitting jobs at school starting age are due to such complex factors. Lowering the school starting age to 5 only stokes parents' anxiety, and this policy must be withdrawn."

Park Soon-ae Steps in to Manage Situation: "Will Modify and Supplement Policy"

Deputy Prime Minister Park explained that the policy to lower the school starting age to 5 was intended to improve the education system so that even children who cannot attend kindergarten are cared for by the state. She said, "There are children who are neglected in blind spots or cannot attend kindergarten, and this started from a good intention to embrace these children and provide better education. I regret that the process of conveying and creating the policy was not sufficiently explained to parents."

Deputy Prime Minister Park indicated the possibility of modifying and supplementing the policy and said she would gather opinions. She said, "We will create policies to reduce parental burdens so that children can grow up safely and properly," adding, "During the policy implementation process, we will more thoughtfully gather opinions from parents, students, and experts, and closely consult with metropolitan and provincial offices of education, which are the policy executors."

She continued, "Since the discussed matters require legislation, once the National Education Committee is launched soon, we will quickly go through a public debate process and social consensus to prepare policies derived from that," adding, "We will make more efforts to design education policies centered on parents' opinions."

Meanwhile, Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon also issued an urgent statement that day, saying, "The current Ministry of Education plan is at a level where discussions have not even been finalized, and if the president's directive to swiftly consider lowering the school starting age by one year is implemented as is, the social costs will be enormous," adding, "If the Ministry of Education insists on pushing forward despite reasonable opposition, this plan must be withdrawn and social consultation restarted from the beginning."