Cho Hee-yeon "Let's Transition to Mandatory Education for Children Aged 4-5"

Proposal for Mandatory and Free Education Transition for Ages 4-5
Budget of 6.2306 Trillion KRW Required for Mandatory Education Transition
Proposal to Integrate Daycare for Ages 0-3 and Early Childhood Schools for Ages 4-5
Plan to Gradually Increase Rate of Classes with 20 or Fewer Students in Grade 1
Currently 39.1% → 56.6% Next Year → Expanded to 90% by 2024

On the 22nd, when schools nationwide, including the Seoul metropolitan area, began full in-person attendance, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon welcomed students at Geumyang Elementary School in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. According to the "Step-by-step Recovery Plan for the Education Sector" announced by the Ministry of Education on the 29th of last month, from this day, 97% of kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools started full in-person attendance. Overcrowded schools adjust density through staggered attendance or limiting to two-thirds capacity, allowing all 1st and 2nd graders in elementary school, more than three-quarters of 3rd to 6th graders, and more than two-thirds of middle and high school students to attend in person.
Photo by Joint Press Corps

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, proposed converting early childhood education for children aged 4 to 5 into compulsory education.

On the 25th, Superintendent Cho announced the "Plan to Guarantee a High-Quality Starting Line" for early childhood and elementary education at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, stating, "I propose 'compulsory education for children aged 4 and 5' as a national educational agenda," and added, "A paradigm shift to compulsory early childhood education requires social discussion, public debate, and the power of social consensus."

Superintendent Cho suggested converting early childhood education for ages 4 to 5 into compulsory education and renaming kindergartens as ‘Yua School’ (Early Childhood School). A partial amendment bill to the Early Childhood Education Act reflecting this proposal has also been submitted. Currently, the Nuri Curriculum is implemented for children aged 3 to 5, but there are educational disparities between kindergartens and daycare centers, and the enrollment rate in national and public kindergartens remains low.

If it becomes compulsory education, the state will have to bear the cost of early childhood tuition, and it is estimated that 6.2306 trillion KRW will be required nationwide for compulsory education for ages 4 to 5.

Superintendent Cho also proposed unifying care for ages 0 to 3 at daycare centers and ages 4 to 5 at Yua Schools. The idea is to have a dual system where care for ages 0 to 3 is managed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, local governments, and daycare centers, while education for ages 4 to 5 is connected to the Ministry of Education, education offices, and kindergartens.

To establish the foundation for compulsory education, 20 additional public kindergartens will be established next year, and support will be provided for the incorporation of private kindergartens. Since 2019, 52 kindergartens (including branches and conversions to standalone schools) have been newly established. Private kindergartens and daycare centers meeting certain standards can be converted into Yua Schools.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will also gradually expand the placement of fewer than 20 students per first-grade class. Superintendent Cho said, "We have secured an additional 80 to 100 classrooms mainly in schools with available classrooms starting next year."

Currently, the proportion of schools with fewer than 20 students per class is about 39.1% (public elementary schools), but the goal is to increase this to 56.6% next year, 70.1% in 2023, and 90% in 2024. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has allocated 12.5 billion KRW in next year’s main budget for facility costs, equipment costs, and personnel expenses to secure additional first-grade classes. The number of classes per school will be finalized in January next year, considering application demand and school and teacher conditions. Homeroom teachers will be assigned from regular teaching staff.

Superintendent Cho said, "To resolve overcrowded classes in Seoul and expand the policy of fewer than 20 students per class to all grades, balanced school and student placement and fostering appropriately sized schools are necessary," adding, "Bold increases in teaching staff and financial investment are required, and government administrative and financial support is essential."

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