Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon: "The School System Reform for Age 5 Enrollment Should Be Reconsidered from the Beginning"

Emphasizing Bypassing of Education Office, Lack of Social Discussion, and Ineffectiveness
"Including Other Ages in Elementary School, Difficulties Must Be Endured Over 12 Years"
"Current Ministry of Education Plan Is at a Level That Hasn't Even Organized Previous Discussions, Social Costs Are Too High"

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Education for Seoul, stated that the Ministry of Education's policy to lower the elementary school entrance age to 5 years old should be reconsidered from the beginning.

On the 2nd, Superintendent Cho issued a statement regarding the school system reform policy, expressing "considerable regret over the Ministry of Education's 'passing over the education offices' and the hasty school system reform plan," and said, "The reckless school system reform plan that ignores procedural legitimacy and does not align with child development in early childhood should be withdrawn."

He argued that since lowering the elementary school entrance age is linked to severe social confusion and budget issues, discussions need to start from scratch.

Superintendent Cho said, "The current Ministry of Education plan is at a level where even prior discussions have not been properly organized, and if the president's directive to 'swiftly consider advancing the school entrance age by one year' is implemented as is, the social costs will be enormous," adding, "If the Ministry insists on pushing forward despite reasonable opposition, this plan should be withdrawn and social consultations should begin anew from the starting point."

He pointed out problems such as the plan being hastily made without social consultation or concrete measures, the education offices being bypassed despite being the main stakeholders, and the Ministry not expressing any intention to withdraw despite public opposition.

Superintendent Cho stated, "Education offices are not only responsible for early childhood, elementary, and secondary education but also serve as educational administrative bodies representing and connecting students, parents, and educational sites, as well as local educational autonomy institutions," and criticized, "Following the reform plan for education grants, the Ministry of Education once again treated education offices as mere puppets in announcing important national education policies."

He noted, "The existing policy of elementary school entrance at age 6 has been maintained for 76 years since the Education Act was enacted in 1949," and criticized Minister Park Soon-ae for "announcing the policy so suddenly without any social consultation or a reasonable research basis, and without even preparing concrete measures."

Superintendent Cho questioned, "Has there ever been an education policy that was unanimously opposed by various educational stakeholders such as parents, citizens, teacher organizations, civic groups, early childhood education workers, and elementary school teachers?" He criticized, "They say they will not withdraw the policy despite many objections during public opinion gathering. I cannot help but ask for whom and for what this policy is being made to go this far."

He also pointed out that the Ministry's stated rationale of resolving educational deficits does not align with reality. The state already takes responsibility for public education, and a play-centered Nuri Curriculum tailored to young children's characteristics is in operation. Currently, 93.3% of young children attend early childhood education institutions.

Superintendent Cho said, "A classroom, which is the world of children, experiences numerous situations due to the various variables of the children belonging to it. Sometimes, they face difficulties that adults cannot intervene in," and warned, "If children of different ages are included during the sensitive elementary school period, those children and educational stakeholders will have to endure those difficulties over the long 12 years ahead. We cannot force even one age group of children to make such sacrifices."

He also criticized the reckless policy as a result of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's indifference to education.

Superintendent Cho said, "The Yoon government seems to take early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school education too lightly. There were no clear education pledges during the presidential campaign, and there were hardly any education experts for early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school education in the transition team," adding, "There was no will to improve education from the selection of national tasks to new government appointments. The only policy announced so far was to split secondary education finances to convert them into higher education finances and drastically reduce teachers."

He questioned, "Is it more important to get our children into the labor market one year earlier than to provide education appropriate to their developmental stage? This is an old discussion, often cited as a demand from the economic sector and by a few who expect limited benefits. Deputy Prime Minister Park Soon-ae also did not deny this, calling it a secondary effect," and urged, "I once again call on the Ministry of Education to withdraw the 'lowering school entrance age' school system reform plan and reconsider it from the beginning."

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