Study of 2,150 Children Born in 2008
Negative Impact on Life Satisfaction and Self-Esteem
The average monthly private education expenditure per preschool child under the age of 6 in South Korea was found to exceed 300,000 won. However, research results indicate that the effects of private education for infants and toddlers on academic achievement or emotional development are not clear.
On the 16th, the National Institute of Child Care and Education, a government research institute, released a report titled "A Study on Private Education Experience and Development in Early Childhood."
The research team utilized the results of the Korea Child Panel Survey, conducted annually on 2,150 children born between April and August 2008, to analyze the mid- to long-term effects of private education experiences at ages 3 to 5 on academic performance during elementary and middle school. This study controlled for other variables such as the child's intelligence, parents' income level, and birth order, examining only the independent effects of private education.
As a result, private education experience in early childhood showed some positive effects on initial academic performance, but the differences were minimal. Additionally, no significant effects of private education were found in socio-emotional aspects such as self-esteem and life satisfaction. In fact, children who did not receive private education showed a faster improvement in life satisfaction over time.
Regarding the results, the research team stated, "Private education alone is unlikely to guarantee children's academic achievement or emotional well-being in the long term."
Furthermore, the researchers examined the short-term effects of private education by testing 72 first-grade elementary school children. The test results indicated that private education experience did not positively affect language ability, problem-solving skills, or executive function development. Rather, children with more experience in academic private education programs were found to have negative impacts on self-esteem.
However, some educational effects were observed in non-academic private education such as arts and physical education. Children with experience in physical education programs like sports and dance showed higher levels of conscientiousness and empathy. Also, the more experience children had in arts education programs, the less likely they were to suffer from attention deficit.
The research team explained, "Parents' purpose in providing private education to their children is healthy growth and development, but these effects are limited and almost ineffective in the long term," adding, "In fact, as the frequency and duration of private education increase, negative effects may occur." They further stated, "There is no need to spend a lot of time and money on private education during early childhood," and added, "Children can achieve the desired growth and development by spending time playing freely and proactively and having experiences with their parents."
Meanwhile, as of last year, there were a total of 8,761 private education institutions for young children nationwide, generally distributed in proportion to the population. More than 66% were concentrated in the metropolitan area and major cities, with Gangnam-gu in Seoul having the highest number at 277 among city and county districts. Among foreign language academies for young children, over 85% of the 956 nationwide were concentrated in the metropolitan area and major cities.
Earlier, on the 13th, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the "2024 Early Childhood Private Education Expenditure Survey." This survey was conducted by the Ministry of Education through the Statistics Korea, targeting 13,241 children under the age of 6. This is the first time the government has investigated and disclosed the status of private education expenditures for young children under government leadership.
As a result, the average monthly private education expenditure per preschool child under 6 in South Korea was 332,000 won, and the average monthly cost of infant English academies, commonly called "English kindergartens," was 1,545,000 won. In this survey, special activities at daycare centers, kindergarten specialized programs, EBS textbook fees, and language training expenses were excluded from the items. The participation rate in private education for infants and toddlers was close to half at 47.6%, increasing proportionally with age: 24.6% for under 2 years old, 50.3% for 3 years old, and 81.2% for 5 years old. The Ministry of Education plans to conduct a full-scale survey on private education expenditures for infants and toddlers next year using nationally approved statistics after in-depth research on the survey results.
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