Korean Private Education for Young Children Lighting Up “Half Under 6 Years Go to Academy”

As the overheating of the Korean infant private education market, where even the words “four-year-old notice” and “seven-year-old notice” appeared, was revealed, foreign media also shed light on this.

The British daily Financial Times (FT) reported on the 16th (local time) that “Korea’s academic competition is driving half of those under the age of 6 into private tutoring institutes.”

Citing statistics from Korean education authorities on the 13th that 47.6% of infants under the age of 6 in Korea participate in private education, the FT pointed out that Korea’s excessive spending on private education is also affecting the country’s low birth rate.

FT introduced Korea’s “hagwon” as an institution that “provides classes in subjects such as English, mathematics, science, and writing,” and said it has become a very large industry in Korea.

Korean parents then analyzed that “they rely on these academies to help their children get ahead of the intense competition for high-income jobs at the top universities and few large corporations.”

He pointed out that the statistics released this time show that this private education frenzy is coming down to infants and toddlers before entering school.

Recently, the market for private education for infants and toddlers has grown to the point where the so-called “four-year-old notice” and “seven-year-old notice” are popular in Korea to prepare for a level test to enter an English institute (English kindergarten) for infants and toddlers beyond preparation for entrance exams to prestigious universities.

As the age subject to private education gradually decreases, the burden of private education expenses on parents is also increasing day by day.

The FT diagnosed that this increase in the burden of private education expenses is also affecting Korea’s fertility rate, which is the lowest in the world, as young people avoid childbirth.

The media said, “The pressure of the academic system is also contributing to the demographic structure of Korea,” adding that Korea’s total fertility rate last year was 0.75.

He pointed out that Korean parents are also dissatisfied with the burden of private education, but at the same time, they choose private education because they are afraid of their children falling behind.

SAM KIM

US ASIA JOURNAL