More Parents Arranging Intelligence Tests for Children
Rising Interest in Language Therapy and Temperament Assessments
Care-Matching Platforms Gain Popularity Among Young Parents
Physical Education and Math Academies See Significant Growth
Grandparents Increasingly Contribute to Education Expenses
Recent survey results show that more parents are arranging intelligence tests for their children. As physical education academies such as jump rope classes are gaining popularity and a preference for science and engineering fields is spreading, the number of parents enrolling their children in math academies is also increasing.
Children are attending a jump rope class at the Health Plus Classroom in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Yangcheon-gu
According to Shinhan Card on September 7, its Big Data Research Institute analyzed keywords related to developmental tests for children aged 13 and under on social networking services (SNS) over the past two years. The most frequently mentioned keyword was "intelligence test" (18.4%), followed by "temperament test" (16.4%) and "language test" (10%).
Among search terms used by parents of children aged 7 and under, excluding health-related keywords such as "cold" and "fever," "language therapy" was the most common. This is because more children are experiencing delayed language development after being born during the COVID-19 pandemic, when opportunities to interact with others were limited due to social distancing.
An analysis of Shinhan Card merchant data showed that in the first half of this year, the number of language development therapy centers increased by 26.2% compared to the first half of 2022. During the same period, the number of therapy center visits rose by 12.9%, and the total amount spent increased by 23.6%. Given that the number of newborns decreased during this time, the growth is considered significant.
As interest in temperament tests has grown, more parents are using "care" platforms that match children with teachers one-on-one according to the child's personality. The number of customers using care-matching platforms such as Jjaekkak Alligator and Jaranda increased by 58.6% compared to two years ago.
The main users were those in their 30s (48.3%) and 40s (44.5%), indicating that care-matching platforms are emerging as a new option among parents who have recently started raising children.
Use of physical education academies has also increased. The number of merchants for jump rope, soccer, and basketball academies rose by 32.7%, 32.8%, and 14.4%, respectively, compared to two years ago. The number of visits to these academies also increased by 42.5%, 40.0%, and 26.2%, respectively.
Interest in math academies has grown due to the preference for science and engineering fields. The research institute analyzed the proportion of SNS mentions related to "academy" over the past two years and found that the share for math academies increased each year: 20.3% in the first half of 2023, 22.9% last year, and 27.3% this year. During the same period, the share for English academies remained unchanged.
Looking at the changes in the number of math academy merchants and usage, the number of merchants in the first half of this year increased by 9.4% compared to 2023, while the total amount spent rose by 17.3% and the number of visits increased by 13.3%.
By age group, those in their 40s accounted for the majority of payments at 67.9%, followed by those in their 50s (23.9%). The rate of increase in spending among people in their 50s and those aged 60 and above was 26% and 24.4%, respectively, both higher than the overall average increase rate of 17.3%. This indicates that the grandparent generation is actively participating in paying for their grandchildren's education expenses.
A representative from the research institute said, "Through the analysis of the latest parenting trends, we were able to identify the concerns of parents raising children in an era of low birth rates and the changing educational environment."
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