"Starting Elementary School at Age 7, School Maladjustment and Academic Polarization Will Worsen"

Widening Academic Disparities and Concerns Over Expansion of Private Education Including Pre-Entrance Preparatory Classes
Potential Social Issues from First Grade Elementary School Students' Maladaptation
No Alternatives to Foreign Language High School Abolition... Possible Intensification of Science Track Concentration

On the 23rd, when the second semester of elementary school began, students were heading to school at Gocheok Elementary School in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] An analysis has emerged suggesting that lowering the elementary school entrance age by one year could deepen educational polarization and exacerbate school maladjustment issues.

On the 31st, Jongno Academy analyzed the early admission and school system reform policy included in the Ministry of Education's work report regarding the expansion of the entrance age, stating, "There could be a problem of academic polarization between students who are sufficiently prepared for learning before admission and those who are not."

The Ministry of Education intends to promote this policy from the perspective that early entry into public education is a social responsibility, but the education sector is concerned that lowering the school entrance age will widen the educational gap.

Starting from 2025, when the entrance age is lowered, children with a 15-month age difference will have to attend school together, which could lead to an expansion of private education aimed at adapting to school and academics.

Jongno Academy explained, "There will be a significant increase in the atmosphere of advanced and early education before admission, and the academic gap may become larger than it is now. There could be a concentration phenomenon toward prestigious schools and elite private elementary schools, and the imbalance between schools and regions will also intensify."

Over the past three years, as remote classes were implemented due to COVID-19 and care gaps occurred, parents have increasingly preferred private elementary schools with longer face-to-face classes and care hours. The competition rate for private elementary schools in Seoul was 2.05 to 1 in 2020, but it soared to 6.8 to 1 in 2021 and 11.7 to 1 in 2022.

Moreover, side effects such as a surge in students failing to adapt to the first grade of elementary school are expected. Although the early admission system is currently in place, parents tend to avoid it due to issues where children with delayed development fail to adapt to school or face bullying. The number of early admissions dropped sharply from 9,707 in 2009 to 537 last year.

The increased competition in entrance exams and employment also places a heavy burden on both parents and students. The policy to lower the school entrance age or reform the school system has failed several times under previous governments.

Jongno Academy stated, "Parents who think their children’s growth and development are somewhat delayed compared to average students will have higher anxiety, and from the perspective of those involved, it is a difficult policy to accept. University students are already taking more leaves of absence and delaying graduation due to employment difficulties, so rushing elementary school entrance shows a large gap with reality. Parents of the relevant age group will also experience increased anxiety about future disadvantages in university entrance exams and employment."

Along with this, concerns have been raised about the deepening of the 'science track concentration' related to the Ministry of Education's plan to abolish foreign language high schools. The Ministry plans to maintain autonomous private high schools (Jasago) but convert foreign language high schools into general high schools as part of high school system reform. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Park Soon-ae said, "We are considering abolishing foreign language high schools or converting them into general high schools that autonomously operate special subjects by school."

Jongno Academy explained, "Most general high schools have science classes, and there are various options such as science high schools and gifted high schools, but if the only humanities-focused school, the foreign language high school, is abolished without alternatives, there will be no specialized high schools. With the establishment of semiconductor departments and the selection of pharmacy undergraduates, the concentration on science tracks has intensified, so policies to improve the humanities track are necessary."

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