South Korea wants to ban 'English-language kindergartens'.

GD&TĐ - The South Korean government is considering banning or severely restricting 'English-language kindergartens,' which have flourished over the past decade.

In major cities like Seoul and Busan, teaching children English from an early age has become the norm among the South Korean middle class. Many parents are willing to pay up to five times the tuition fee for their children to attend kindergartens that teach entirely in English.

Ms. Hwang, a parent whose child attends an English-language kindergarten, shared: “I want my child to be exposed to the language naturally from a young age. I consider it a necessary investment.”

These "English-language kindergartens" typically employ a curriculum and communication environment entirely in English, mimicking the educational methods of the United States or Canada. However, the model is at risk of being phased out if a bill proposed by a group of politicians is passed.

According to the draft regulations, children under 36 months old are prohibited from participating in lessons aimed at "globalization" or "preparing for school." Children aged 3-7 will not be allowed to study English for more than 40 minutes per day. Facilities that violate these regulations may face suspension of operations or revocation of their licenses.

The South Korean Ministry of Education reports that nearly 48% of children under the age of seven are participating in at least one form of private education, with the majority involving foreign language learning. A 2019 report by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child indicated that Korean children “are facing excessive academic pressure at an early age,” particularly in the areas of language and mathematics.

Therefore, the bill is seen as an attempt to reduce academic pressure and the commercialization of early childhood education, especially in the context of many toddlers having to take entrance exams for prestigious preschools.

Furthermore, some studies indicate that many "English-language kindergartens" operate on a franchise model, importing programs from the US or Canada without content assessment or pedagogical accreditation. Native English-speaking teachers are hired, but many do not have early childhood education certifications.

However, many parents view this as excessive government interference in their families' right to choose their education. Even some experts who support reform argue that a complete ban is an extreme measure.

Experience from previous regulations shows that the private education market in South Korea always finds ways to adapt, shifting to a private tutoring model or operating under the guise of "skills centers."

In response to this situation, the Ministry of Education established a task force to study solutions that would reconcile the two sides. Measures being considered include: limiting the duration of English language learning, standardizing teachers, clearly licensing qualified institutions, and strengthening supervision of training content.

Supporting the new regulation, Professor Son Hye-sook, who works at Kyungin Women's University, said: "At the kindergarten stage, children should be developing their emotional and creative abilities. Learning academic English too early is unscientific. The temporal lobe, the brain region that processes language, only fully develops after the age of 7."

According to Korea JoongAng Daily

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