[Q&A] From 2025, 7-Year-Olds Will Also Enter Elementary School... "Early Public Education, National Responsibility"

Sequential Application of 25% from 2025
Large-Scale Demand Survey Conducted for Parents

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The Ministry of Education is planning to lower the elementary school entrance age by one year starting in 2025. If implemented as planned, children born from January 2018 to March 2019 will attend classes together in the same grade.

On the 29th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Park Soon-ae presented a new government work report focusing on lowering the school entrance age. Advancing the entrance age by one year means maintaining the current 6-3-3 system for elementary, middle, and high schools, but generally moving the admission timing forward by one year.

The Ministry of Education decided to implement this sequentially at 25% increments starting in 2025, when 7- and 8-year-olds will attend classes simultaneously, considering classroom and teacher demand. In 2025, children born from January 2018 to April 2019 will enter school; in 2026, those born from April 2019 to June 2020; in 2027, those born from July 2020 to September 2021; and in 2028, those born from October 2021 to December 2022 will enroll. The following is a Q&A summary of questions raised by reporters during a prior briefing with Deputy Prime Minister Park.

▲ Is advancing elementary school entrance by one year equivalent to introducing mandatory early childhood education?

= Due to various circumstances, advancing by 2 to 3 years is difficult, so the plan is to advance mandatory education by one year.

▲ If children enter school one year earlier, demand for teachers and space will increase. How will this be addressed?

= Implementing all at once would be effective, but due to space and teacher constraints, the plan is to reform the school system sequentially over four years at 25% increments, grouping children born in January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December. Whether it will be four phases or two phases may change during discussions. If consensus is reached, the scenario of early admission starting in 2025 will be pursued.

▲ There are concerns about whether operations will accommodate developmental differences by age if the entrance age is lowered by one year. Was adding a one-year program for 5-year-olds to the existing system considered?

= Initially, adding one year was discussed, but the goal is to integrate children into the public education system earlier. The current 12-year system and curriculum can be completed in 10 years. During discussions, opinions favoring adding one year to the 12-year system may arise. Other countries have established systems for grade skipping and sometimes graduate at age 16. In Korea, it is difficult to advance this timing due to military service issues. However, advancing the entrance age is seen as helpful for future planning.

University education requires completing 3 credits over 45 hours; in the past, one book would take 45 hours of class, but now it can be completed in 15 hours. Intellectual abilities may have improved compared to the past, and diverse delivery media have made teaching and learning more effective.

▲ Discussions on lowering the school entrance age have previously failed due to socioeconomic costs. What about now?

= Research shows that investing early in education during infancy and elementary school is 16 times more effective than investing in adulthood. All causes of social polarization stem from the starting point of education. The Yoon administration prioritizes talent development, establishing special accounts for higher education and lifelong education, and will strive to secure sufficient resources for early childhood education. Socioeconomic costs will decrease compared to before. It is a crucial national responsibility for socially disadvantaged and lower-middle-class children to enter the public education system early and begin education.

▲ The school system reform is expected to cause significant social impact. Why is 25% considered an appropriate ratio for sequential implementation?

= Globally, most countries start compulsory education at ages 4 to 5. The education delivery system has improved, and maturity levels are faster than before. When advancing by one year and applying sequentially at 25%, it was concluded that current spaces can accommodate this. The 25% figure was reached as a standard to smoothly implement the policy.

▲ How will the public demand survey be conducted?

= Time is tight. We plan to collect detailed opinions from 10,000 students and 10,000 parents each regarding curriculum reform, high school system reform, and college entrance system reform. Demand surveys related to the project will begin in September. The survey design must be completed by August. Starting next week, units for the public demand survey will be formed, and opinions on curriculum and school system reform will be solicited.

▲ The integration of kindergartens and daycare centers (Yubo integration) was discussed but halted in the previous government. Does this administration intend to realize it? The integration of teacher treatment and certification between daycare centers and kindergartens is a hurdle, and the previous government estimated that improving treatment would cost over 200 billion won. What are the plans for securing the budget?

= The Yubo integration started from the desire to have children enter a proper public education system quickly. Due to differing interests, children receive separated services. Daycare and kindergarten teachers have different certifications and about a 20-hour difference in required hours. If the enforcement decree can be revised, we are considering upgrading all certification levels to make them equal. We understand that curriculum costs are significant and are thinking about ways to improve efficiency. These costs will return as benefits in 10 to 20 years.

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