[Exclusive] "Attending Medical School Class from Age 4"... Frenzied Early Childhood Private Education, Statistical Survey Initiated

Survey on Various Private Lessons, Home Tutoring, and Cultural Center Expenses for 12,000 Parents of '0 to Preschool-Aged Children'
Includes Spending on English Camps Despite Not Being Private Education
Civic Groups Demand "Release the Statistical Results This Time"

As private education expenses for infants and toddlers soar, the government has launched a full-scale statistical survey. The aim is to accurately grasp the private education costs for preschool children, for which there have been no official statistics, and to prepare countermeasures. The survey is expected to be a comprehensive one, covering not only private tutoring and academy fees but also special activities at kindergartens and daycare centers, as well as language training expenses.

According to the 'Statistical Survey Plan' obtained by Asia Economy on the 27th, the Statistics Korea began related work after receiving a request from the Ministry of Education on the 20th to "conduct a pilot survey on private education expenses for young children." A pilot survey is a preliminary statistical construction process conducted when creating new statistics. It is carried out as similarly as possible to the main survey to identify overall issues and select precise statistical items. The Ministry of Education had announced plans to conduct the statistical survey this year but had kept details such as the timing, method, and target confidential.

Survey Covers Everything from Korean Language Education to English Camps

The survey targets 12,000 parents of households with children aged 0 to preschool age. There was internal debate about whether to include children aged 0 to 2 due to concerns about effectiveness, but since this is a pilot survey, they decided to include them first and later analyze the results to decide whether to include them in the main survey. Preparations for the survey will be completed by July, and the actual questionnaire will be conducted over 18 days starting from the end of September. The statistical compilation and analysis will be completed within the year, and if the results are meaningful, the official survey is expected to begin next year.

The survey items include "all education expenses paid by parents for private education institutions outside kindergartens or daycare centers based on private demand." Similar to the existing "private education expenses survey for elementary, middle, and high school students," the survey covers private tutoring, group tutoring, academy classes, and home visits (workbook lessons). Additionally, cultural centers, paid internet and communication courses are also included. Considering the characteristics of infants and toddlers, Korean language private education is separately categorized. Besides hourly private education, "half-day or longer academies," mainly used by home care households, are also included.

Although not included in the concept of private education expenses, expenditures that parents feel financially burdened by are also surveyed. A representative item is "language training abroad." Although not many use it, due to the high cost, it will be surveyed. The costs of sending preschool children overseas as well as using domestic English camps or English village programs will be tallied. The survey will also examine after-school programs run by kindergartens themselves, special activities at daycare centers, and participation in EBS educational broadcasts.

However, English kindergartens, which have been controversial due to high tuition fees, are excluded from the statistical survey. A Statistics Korea official explained, "We need to look into it more specifically," but added, "Since the survey scope is outside kindergartens or daycare centers, English kindergartens may be excluded."

Academies from Age 4? ... Overheated Private Education Market for Infants and Toddlers

The background for conducting this survey is the overheated infant and toddler education market. The starting age for private education is gradually decreasing. According to a survey conducted several years ago by a private education company, infants and toddlers first encounter private education at an average age of 4 to 5. Recently, the early education craze has intensified, with some kindergartens establishing medical school preparatory classes. English kindergartens have also rapidly increased. According to data submitted to Assemblyman Kang Deuk-gu of the Democratic Party by the Ministry of Education, the number of English kindergartens nationwide rose from 615 in 2019 to 842 last year, a 36.9% increase in four years.

Parents raising infants and toddlers are also expressing financial burdens. According to the "Childcare Cost and Childcare Service Demand Study" conducted by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education in 2022, 30.2% of parents responded that private education expenses were burdensome. Combining the 9.8% who said it was very burdensome, 40% of parents feel burdened by the expenses. Especially among parents with the lowest monthly income of 2.99 million won or less, 27.1% said it was very burdensome. Only a small number of parents said it was not burdensome (12.2%) or not burdensome at all (2.3%).

Although the problem is becoming increasingly serious, the lack of official statistics has prevented an accurate understanding of the situation. Statistics Korea conducts and publishes private education expense surveys annually, but only for elementary, middle, and high school students. In 2017, a pilot survey on private education expenses for young children was conducted but the results were not disclosed, and the main survey was canceled. Therefore, the scale of private education expenses for infants and toddlers had to be indirectly estimated through institutions such as the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. The last figure revealed by the institute in 2017 was a total of 3.7397 trillion won, and it is likely to have increased since then.

Since this is also a pilot survey, it is uncertain whether the results will be made public. Educational organizations insist that the survey results should naturally be disclosed. On the 29th, the organization "Society Without Private Education Worries" will hold a forum urging the statistical survey on private education expenses for infants and toddlers and pointing out the issues. Baek Byung-hwan, a researcher at Society Without Private Education Worries, said, "The private education expenses felt by parents are much larger than those in existing surveys," and argued, "Statistics Korea should disclose the survey results."