[Exclusive] "English Kindergartens Dominate Korea, Drastic Measures Needed"... Legislation Begins for Mandatory Education from Age 7

Kang Kyungsook's Office Prepares Bill for Mandatory Education One Year Before School Entry
"Drastic Measures Needed to Reduce Excessive Private Education"
Strengthening the State's Responsibility for Early Childhood Education

There have been calls in the National Assembly to consider making "education for seven-year-olds mandatory" a topic of public debate. This is based on the assessment that private education, which approaches 30 trillion won annually, begins as early as early childhood education-most notably through so-called "English kindergartens"-and that the private education problem cannot be solved without drastic measures. As demands grow for effective laws and systems to address the excessive private English education targeting young children, such as the "4-year-old test" and "7-year-old test," the National Assembly is expected to prepare a bill to implement compulsory education starting one year before elementary school entry (at age seven).

According to the National Assembly and the education sector on August 27, the office of Assemblywoman Kang Kyungsook, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, has decided to draft related legislation, including amendments to the Early Childhood Education Act, reflecting these issues. The core of the proposal is to designate daycare centers and kindergartens for seven-year-olds as "compulsory education institutions" and to implement "compulsory education" one year prior to elementary school admission.

Under current law, compulsory education begins in elementary school. According to the Early Childhood Education Act, the three years of pre-school education are covered by "free education," but not "compulsory education." Assemblywoman Kang's office plans to expand the scope of compulsory education to start "one year before school entry," thereby strengthening the state's responsibility for early childhood education and reducing excessive reliance on private education.

Some parents are enrolling their pre-school children in English academies-so-called "English kindergartens"-to provide them with early English education before they enter elementary school. However, concerns are growing about the financial burden of excessive private education and the negative side effects of early childhood English learning.

On the 23rd, children who finished English kindergarten are leaving school in the academy district of Mokdong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

According to the "2024 Early Childhood Private Education Expenditure Pilot Survey" released by the Ministry of Education in March this year, annual private education spending by households with pre-school children reached 3.3 trillion won. Among children participating in private education, the average monthly spending on English was 414,000 won, which is higher than the average monthly English private education spending for high school students (320,000 won). English kindergartens were identified as the main driver of excessive private education costs in early childhood, with the average monthly cost for English kindergartens recorded at 1,545,000 won.

The trend of enrolling young children in English academies from an early age is intensifying. According to a survey conducted last May by Assemblywoman Kang's office and the civic group "World Without Worries About Private Education," the number of general daycare centers and kindergartens that closed last year compared to the previous year was 241 in Seoul (from 5,205 to 4,964) and 156 in Gyeonggi Province (from 3,429 to 3,273). However, only 34 English kindergartens in Seoul and 3 in Gyeonggi closed during the same period. In fact, the number of English kindergarten classes in Gyeonggi increased by 101. This suggests that demand is shifting from general kindergartens to English kindergartens, especially large-scale academies rather than smaller ones.

Recently, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea expressed to the Minister of Education that measures are needed to restrict "level tests"-known as the "7-year-old test"-and extreme forms of early private education. This follows concerns from academia and civil society that excessive early academic education for young children negatively impacts their basic rights to healthy growth and development.

For example, from January to November last year, the number of children aged 0 to 6 who visited clinics for mental health-related conditions such as depression was 27,268, a 1.5-fold increase compared to 17,938 in 2020. Experts warn that if young children are subjected to long hours of repetitive, rote learning, they may develop various behavioral problems, such as tic symptoms like excessive blinking, nail-biting, and frequent outbursts of anger.

Analyses suggest that implementing "compulsory early childhood education" could help prevent these negative effects. Woo Seokhun, a professor at Sungkonghoe University, stated, "There needs to be institutional reform to extend compulsory education to the stage before elementary school," adding, "If institutions for compulsory early childhood education are properly designated, many problems such as the level test for four-year-olds can also be significantly resolved."

Many countries overseas already implement compulsory early childhood education. According to research by Assemblywoman Kang's office, 51 countries in Europe, North America, Eastern Europe, and Latin America have adopted compulsory early childhood education. Among these, 54% require compulsory education starting one year before school entry, 28% require it starting two years prior, and 17% require it for three years or more.

At a press conference condemning private education for young children held on this day, Assemblywoman Kang said, "It is time to begin a public debate on compulsory education before school entry," and emphasized, "To guarantee the developmental rights of young children, alleviate parental anxiety and social burdens, and create a healthy environment for child-rearing, public participation and solidarity are essential."