Daegu Office of Education Finds 11 Out of 38 English Academies for Young Children Violating Laws... Penalty Points, Administrative Guidance, and Fines Imposed

The Daegu Office of Education (Superintendent Kang Eunhee) announced on the 24th that it had conducted a special inspection over the past month of 38 English academies for young children, focusing on violations of the Private Academy Act and the actual status of practices that encourage early learning. While no serious legal violations were found, the office stated that strict measures were taken regarding certain detected infractions.

English academies for young children are institutions that provide English instruction to children aged 3 and above, up to those not yet enrolled in elementary school. Even if the academy offers mixed courses for kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students, it is classified as an English academy for young children if any preschool-aged children are enrolled.

Daegu Office of Education

Recently, there have been ongoing social concerns highlighted in the media regarding private education companies that promote early learning, such as elementary school medical school preparation classes, and programs for four- and seven-year-olds.

This special inspection by the Daegu Office of Education covered all aspects of the operation of English academies for young children, including whether they encourage early learning or excessive competition, as well as tuition fees and the use of kindergarten-related names, with the goal of reducing private education expenses.

According to the Daegu Office of Education, the inspection did not uncover any serious legal violations that would increase the financial burden on parents, such as charging tuition fees in excess of reported amounts or collecting illegal expenses. However, 17 violations were identified, including failures to properly post tuition information, false or exaggerated advertising, and improper use of academy names at 11 academies. As a result, 15 cases received penalty points, and 2 cases were subject to administrative guidance.

In particular, the office reported that for some academies found to have violated the obligation to display tuition and related information, four additional fines were imposed as part of strict enforcement measures.

Kang Eunhee, Superintendent of the Daegu Office of Education, stated, "We will continue our efforts to reduce private education expenses by strengthening inspections of illegal activities at academies, so that parents are not harmed by incorrect information provided by these institutions."

Meanwhile, the Daegu Office of Education is continuously monitoring and guiding internet (websites, blogs, Instagram, hashtags, Naver Place, etc.) advertising by entrance exam, tutoring, and language academies in real time through a specialized advertising monitoring agency, in order to address false or exaggerated advertisements.