Full Free Education for Ages 3 to 5 at Busan Private Kindergartens... 31.5 Billion KRW Invested from Next Year

Implemented Ahead of the Ministry of Education's Free Education for Five-Year-Olds
Busan Metropolitan Office of Education: "Ensuring a Fair Starting Line for All Children"

Starting next year, all children aged 3 to 5 attending private kindergartens in the Busan area will receive full free education benefits. The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education has allocated its own budget of 31.5 billion KRW to reduce the financial burden on parents and to expand the public nature of early childhood education.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Kim Seokjun) announced on the 31st, "In line with the Ministry of Education's plan to gradually implement free education and care for five-year-olds, Busan will provide free education expenses at the standard early childhood education cost level for all children aged 3 to 5 in private kindergartens starting next year."

On the 29th, the Ministry of Education decided at a Cabinet meeting to provide additional support for 271,000 five-year-old children: 110,000 KRW for private kindergartens, 70,000 KRW for daycare centers, and 20,000 KRW for public kindergartens. The plan is to gradually expand full free education for children aged 3 to 5 by 2027.

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will implement this policy ahead of the national schedule. This is to address the fact that, despite government support, parents of children in private kindergartens still face a real financial burden, and to resolve disparities in educational conditions among kindergartens. The office has completed consultations for the establishment of a new social security system, and plans to include approximately 31.5 billion KRW in next year's main budget to support 22,818 children aged 3 to 5 in private kindergartens.

Superintendent Kim Seokjun stated, "Providing free education expenses for private kindergartens is a practical welfare policy that enhances the public nature of early childhood education and reduces the economic burden on parents," and added, "We will do our best to ensure that every child can have a fair opportunity from the starting line."

Busan Metropolitan Office of Education.