Kindergarten NAIS Launching in March Next Year... Easier Qualification Verification for After-School Programs

Resolution of the Cabinet Meeting on the Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Early Childhood Education Act for Operating the Kindergarten Education Administration Information System

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Procedures will be improved to allow electronic verification instead of submitting health insurance documents for dual-income parents seeking to use after-school programs at kindergartens. Ahead of the launch of the Kindergarten Education Administration Information System (NICE) in March next year, related regulations will be changed to enable inter-ministerial information sharing.

On the 14th, the Ministry of Education announced that it reviewed and approved a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Early Childhood Education Act at the Cabinet meeting. The amendment, which will take effect from the 21st, revises related regulations to operate the Kindergarten NICE system that comprehensively manages kindergarten teaching and administrative tasks.

The amendment includes measures to facilitate the joint use of administrative information between ministries to smoothly process linked infant address information, health information, and unique identification information within the Kindergarten NICE system.

The scope of shared administrative information from other ministries has been expanded to support early childhood education cost subsidies, the Early Childhood Education Information System, and after-school program operation support. The Early Childhood Education Information System refers to services such as First School, Private Kindergarten K-EduFine, Kindergarten Education Administration Information System, and Kindergarten Information Disclosure.

Previously, only information for early childhood education cost subsidies was jointly utilized, but with this amendment, administrative information sharing items for the Early Childhood Education Information System and after-school program operation support have been added. While dual-income parents were required to submit a certificate of qualification for workplace health insurance, electronic verification will now be possible through the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Happy e-Um' system.

The amendment also establishes grounds for processing sensitive information and unique identification information according to the authority of work subjects such as superintendents, principals, and founders/operators during administrative tasks through the Kindergarten Education Administration Information System.

Jang Sang-yoon, Vice Minister of Education, stated, "This amendment provides the foundation for the smooth establishment and operation of the Kindergarten Education Administration Information System. We will do our best to ensure the system is launched without delay in March 2023 to enhance convenience for parents and reduce the workload in kindergarten settings."

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