Pushing for 7-Year-Olds to Enter Elementary School... Parents Say "We'll Have to Take Strollers Out"

Parents Frustrated Over Measures Ignoring Child Development
School Adaptation, Entrance Exams, Employment Disadvantages, Social Confusion Inevitable
Parents of Yeonnyeonsaeng Children Say "Classes with Kids Who Are Neither Friends Nor Seniors"
Despite Declining School-Age Population, No Teacher or Classroom Issues Claimed... Overcrowded Classes Feared in the Field

On the afternoon of the 5th, at an elementary school in Seoul, new students accompanied by their parents are completing the enrollment procedures during the 2022 new student preliminary gathering. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] "I find it hard to understand why they insist on grouping children by 15-month age brackets in one classroom. Children born in 2018 and 2019 are neither friends nor seniors, so the classroom will become even more chaotic." (Parent of children born in 2018 and 2019)

"The one-year age difference between 7- and 8-year-olds is greater than in other age groups. Even first graders now require a lot of attention, so this shows a lack of understanding of the actual situation." (Parent of an elementary school student)

"We might have to take strollers out onto the streets." (Parent of a child born in 2018)

As soon as the Ministry of Education announced plans to lower the school starting age by one year from 2025, parents and teachers strongly opposed the move. They expressed dissatisfaction, calling it a unilateral policy that completely disregards children's developmental status and school conditions.

On the 29th, the Ministry of Education announced in the new government’s work report that it would push for a school system reform to advance the elementary school starting age by one year. From 2025, children born in 2019, who are 7 years old, will enter elementary school.

Since it is difficult to implement the lowered starting age all at once, the Ministry of Education is considering a phased approach to expand the admission age by 25% each year over four years. 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, from July 2020 to September 2021; and in 2028, from October 2021 to December 2022.

The Ministry of Education plans to prepare a draft for the school system reform by the end of the year and consider conducting pilot projects starting in regions that wish to participate from 2024. Prior to this, it will hold public debates, hearings, and gather expert opinions to analyze educational infrastructure such as teachers and facilities, and finalize the plan through social discussions via the soon-to-be-launched National Education Commission.

Since the announcement of the plan to lower the school starting age, there have been hardly any voices supporting or sympathizing with the Ministry of Education. Given that previous governments also attempted several times to reform the school system but failed to gain social consensus, this policy is expected to face difficulties as well.

Parents of children born in 2018 and 2019, who will be eligible for elementary school admission in 2025, are strongly opposed. Considering developmental status, 7-year-old children (age 5 by international age) will find it difficult to adapt to classroom life. During the transition period, children admitted early will inevitably face various confusions studying alongside peers who are more than a year older until high school graduation.

A parent of children born in 2018 and 2019 said, "If children born in consecutive years enter the same grade, at home the older sibling is called 'noona' (older sister), but what should they be called at school?" and added, "It is hard to accept that siblings have to compete in the college entrance exam."

A parent of an elementary school student said, "There is already a huge gap between children born in November-December and those born in January-February who are in first grade, so advancing admission by a whole year is absurd."

The early admission system for elementary school, which allows children to enter one year earlier than the designated age, has been in place since 2009. However, recently, parents have been reluctant to choose early admission due to concerns about their children's school adaptation and bullying. The number of early admissions decreased from 9,707 in 2009 to 537 last year.

Children admitted early can enter university from age 17, but parents of children in that age group worry that their children may face intensified competition in college admissions and employment, leading to disadvantages.

Another parent of a child born in 2019 criticized, "From children born in 2018 to 2022, older siblings and younger siblings will be in the same grade, leading to fierce competition from high school and university entrance exams to employment. From the perspective of parents and children, such a policy cannot be easily introduced."

The Justice Party stated, "If students of two different ages attend school together, the younger students may suffer more in school life and grades. The competition rate for college entrance exams will increase, and the damage will extend throughout employment and social life for a lifetime. Gradual transition by dividing the group only increases the scale of harm. If 300,000 students are transitioned by 25% over four years, 1.5 million students will be affected," they pointed out.

On the 15th, when elementary schools began their summer vacation, students at an elementary school in Seoul greeted their teachers after the closing ceremony./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

There are also criticisms that no consideration was given to the educational environment such as classrooms and teachers. Concerns are rising that the problem of overcrowded classes will worsen as the admission age is adjusted over four years starting in 2025. In Seoul, currently, only 20% of schools have fewer than 25 students per class. The Ministry of Education argues that since the school-age population is rapidly decreasing, admitting 25% early each year can be accommodated without increasing classrooms or teachers.

A teacher currently working at an elementary school said, "Every year, children entering first grade show slower development in learning ability and emotional aspects than before, causing many related problems. Many first-grade classes have nearly 30 students, and if children enter school as young as 5 years old, the educational environment will become even worse," they pointed out.

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations stated, "School system reform can double the number of students at a certain point, requiring a significant increase in teacher recruitment, classroom expansion, and massive financial investment. Past governments proposed school system reforms but only caused confusion and failed every time, which must be acknowledged."

Although the Ministry of Education claims the rationale is to take responsibility for education by advancing public education entry, educators and parents see strong economic motives behind it. Due to low birth rates and aging, the working-age population is shrinking, and lowering the school starting age means earlier graduation and earlier employment age. According to the National Assembly Budget Office, lowering the employment age by one year reduces the average age of first marriage by 0.28 years (about 3 months).

A parent said, "It seems like the intention is to graduate people faster because there are not enough earners. The rationale of reducing educational inequality is unconvincing. The earlier children enter school, the more private education will intensify."

With parents' complaints pouring in just one day after the policy announcement and strong opposition from teachers' unions and organizations, the controversy is expected to continue.

The National Union of Public Kindergarten Teachers commented, "Although it seems that young children are growing faster, 5-year-old children face significant developmental difficulties in the elementary education system. The policy was abruptly finalized and announced without any discussion with the early childhood education academic and field communities, completely ignoring the relevant field during important discussions. We strongly condemn the Ministry of Education's policy announcement."

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations stated, "It must be reconsidered as it does not take into account the developmental characteristics of young children. Early admission to elementary school is currently allowed based on individual choice, but most do not choose it, which should be noted."

The Justice Party pointed out, "School system reform should take a different direction. There is also the integration of early childhood education linked with kindergarten and daycare, and the integrated operation of 9 years of elementary and middle school considering students' situations. If the goal is to reduce educational inequality at the starting line, free compulsory education for 1 or 3 years of early childhood is more appropriate."

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