Assemblyman Seodongyong: At the Current Pace of Expanding Care Facilities, It Will Take 39 Years to Catch Up with Germany

Germany Plans to Expand Full-Day Education to 4th Grade Starting 2026

Approach Should Prioritize Guaranteeing Basic Rights of Children and Parents Over Costs and Birthrate Concerns

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Seo Dong-yong, a member of the Democratic Party’s Education Committee and National Assembly member for Suncheon-Gwangyang-Gokseong-Gurye (Eul), announced that a comparison between the status of care facility supply received from the Ministry of Education and the operation status of full-day elementary schools in Germany revealed that it would take about 39 years to catch up to Germany’s 2018 level of care supply.

Currently, Korea’s care facilities include elementary care classrooms managed by the Ministry of Education, as well as Dahamkke Care Centers, Community Child Centers, and Youth After-School Academies operated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and local governments.

These care facilities have increased their capacity by 10,000 to 20,000 people annually, and as of April 2021, they can accommodate a total of 439,232 children, which is only 16.3% of the total 2,693,717 elementary school students.

Looking only at elementary care classrooms, the capacity is 10.9%, and furthermore, as of September 2020, only 0.15% (4,205 students) used extended afternoon care (5 PM?7 PM) and evening care (after 7 PM), indicating a significantly low reliance on public care.

For example, according to the survey conducted by the Population and Health Welfare Association from April 16 to 21, 2021, targeting 1,000 working women raising children in third grade or below (ages 0?9), 69.3% named grandparents or relatives as the place they could request care in emergencies, while only 3.5% cited public care systems (such as Childcare Support Centers and care classrooms). When asked about solutions they considered when thinking about quitting their jobs, 53.1% mentioned help from grandparents, and 21.2% mentioned after-school or care classrooms.

On the other hand, Germany, where the federal and state governments have promoted the expansion of full-day schools?providing full-day programs (7 hours or more per day) to students attending three or more days per week?since 2000, operated full-day schools in 67.5% of all elementary schools as of 2018, with 42.2% of elementary students actually participating in the programs.

Examining how long it would take Korea to catch up to Germany at the current pace of care supply expansion, Korea increased its capacity by 53,705 students from 2017 to 2020, averaging 17,901 students per year.

At this rate, it would take about 39 years to increase the elementary care capacity ratio from 16.3% (439,232 students as of April 2021) to Germany’s 2018 level of 42.2% (1,136,748 students based on Korea’s elementary student population).

Although there are changes in the school-age population and differences in care system types between Korea and Germany making simple comparisons difficult, it is clear that stable public care cannot be achieved in the short term at the current pace of care expansion.

Germany plans to further expand full-day education up to the fourth grade starting in 2026, so the actual gap is expected to widen.

Korea’s care gap is also evident in employment rate changes by gender and age. Since the start of COVID-19 in 2020, employment rates have decreased for both men and women, but the largest decline was among those aged 35?39, the age group with elementary school children.

The Jobs Committee also analyzed that “women aged 35?39, who experience career interruptions due to childbirth and childcare, have not returned to work due to increased burdens of emergency care caused by COVID-19, resulting in continued poor employment rates unlike other age groups that have seen increases.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, coinciding with school openings and remote classes, women aged 35?39 experienced the largest drop in employment rates and the slowest recovery.

Rep. Seo Dong-yong stated, “The current care system not only makes it difficult to provide stable, quality care for our children but also fails to prevent women’s career interruptions. Care should be approached from the perspective of guaranteeing the basic rights of children and parents rather than from cost and birth rate perspectives. From an economic viewpoint, if women participate in the labor market and quality care jobs are created, it contributes to increased tax revenue, creating a virtuous cycle. This is why Germany aims to further increase its already high care supply ratio by our standards.”

Rep. Seo also emphasized, “Korea should not be complacent with the annual increase in care capacity but must strongly pursue more fundamental measures at the whole-government level to bring about clear changes in gender employment indicators and tangible improvements felt by students and parents.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.