Seoul Preschool English Academy Monthly Tuition 1.19 Million Won... "Twice the University Tuition"

Educational Civic Groups Conduct Survey on 329 Private Academies' Conditions

A survey revealed that the average monthly tuition fee for English academies targeting young children in Seoul is 1.19 million KRW, which is twice the amount of university tuition fees.

On the afternoon of the 21st, Lim Mi-ryeong, the representative of the Forum on Early Childhood Private Education of No Private Education Concern, who served as the chairperson at the 10th anniversary conference of the Forum on Early Childhood Private Education of No Private Education Concern held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, is speaking.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The educational civic group, Education Concern Free World (hereinafter referred to as SaGokSe), held the "SaGokSe Early Childhood Private Education Forum 10th Anniversary Conference" on the 21st at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, where they announced these survey results.

According to the report, the number of English academies for young children in Seoul last year totaled 329, an increase of 18 from the previous year. The Gangnam and Seocho districts had the highest number with 87 academies, followed by Gangdong and Songpa (59), Gangseo and Yangcheon (34), and Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, and Mapo (30).

The average monthly tuition fee for English academies targeting young children was 1,188,832 KRW last year, an increase of about 5.5% compared to the previous year. Calculated annually, this is more than twice the average annual tuition fee for a four-year university (6.75 million KRW). The highest fee was at "Butler Academy" located in Dongjak-gu, with a monthly tuition fee of 2,649,000 KRW, totaling 31.79 million KRW per year. The average daily teaching time at English academies for young children was 4 hours and 57 minutes, which is 1 hour and 37 minutes longer than classes for first and second graders in elementary school (3 hours and 20 minutes).

SaGokSe stated, "Although these academies claim to be play-based, they are centered on textbooks and cognition, making it difficult to consider the developmental characteristics of young children," and added, "It deprives children of education appropriate for their development." English academy instructors shared negative experiences in the survey, saying, "Foreigners who graduated from university come to teach, so the educational level is high, but they lack understanding of child development," "Native speakers do not mediate or guide daily life when children fight," and "Children do not play together in groups."

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by SaGokSe in May among 1,352 infant care teachers and parents of infants working at daycare centers nationwide found that 81.2% of infants attending daycare centers were using private education or early education programs at home.

Among these (multiple responses allowed), "book parenting" was the most common at 55.0%, followed by cultural center programs (51.9%), English videos (27.8%), visiting teachers (25.6%), and Korean language and math workbooks and videos (each 21.8%). The average age when children first used educational programs was 12.1 months, and the most common number of programs used at home was two, at 32.5%. The average daily exposure time to educational media at home was 35.6 minutes.

The use of "special activities," a type of private education at daycare centers, was also increasing. Among infants in daycare centers, 46.7% of 0-year-olds (0?16 months), 53.3% of 1-year-olds (17?28 months), and 82.5% of 2-year-olds (29 months and older) were participating in special activities. Parents identified the following as necessary measures for appropriate infant care: ▲ expanding parent education (31.7%), ▲ expanding public play centers (29.5%), and ▲ activating networks among infant parents (15.3%).

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