English-language kindergartens in Seoul cost W1.36m a month, classes last over 5 hours
English-language kindergartens in Seoul charge an average of 1.36 million won ($1,000) per month for half-day programs, with students spending more than five hours in class each day according to a lawmaker on Tuesday.
Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party and advocacy group World Without Worry About Shadow Education released the findings of a recent survey on early childhood private education in Seoul and five cities in Gyeonggi Province.
They said that the intensifying competition in private education for young children is detrimental to their mental development, increases financial burdens on parents, amplifies anxiety and widens the education gap. The early childhood private education market is estimated to profit 3.2 trillion won per year.
According to the survey, the number of nurseries and kindergartens is sharply declining, while private English academies for young children are thriving amid low birth rates. In Seoul, the number of closed nurseries and kindergartens was seven times greater than the number of half-day English academies.
Children enrolled in these academies spend an average of five hours and 24 minutes in class per day in Seoul, and five hours and eight minutes in the Gyeonggi Province cities of Goyang, Anyang, Seongnam, Yongin and Hwaseong. That is nearly two hours longer than the daily average class time of three hours and 20 minutes for first- and second-grade elementary school students.
'Early childhood is a critical period for holistic growth through play and diverse experiences,' said Chung Eun-ok, a researcher at World Without Worry About Shadow Education. 'But long hours of rote learning disrupt brain development, reduce concentration, increase stress and hinder the development of social skills.'
The financial burden is also growing. The average monthly fee for a half-day English academy rose from 1.31 million won in 2023 to 1.36 million won in 2024. In comparison, the average monthly salary in Korea in 2024 was 3.2 million won.
Rep. Kang urged the government to take immediate steps to cool the overheated private education market and address deepening inequality in early childhood education.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Star English teacher referred to prosecution over mock exam question scandal
Cho Jung-sik, a high-profile English-language instructor affiliated with the private academy Megastudy, has been referred to the prosecution on charges of purchasing mock test questions for Suneung from current teachers, local news outlets reported Wednesday. Investigative news outlet Sherlock reported that the Board of Audit and Inspection found Cho bought mock test questions intended for third-year high school students from 21 active teachers. He was referred to prosecutors on May 17 on suspicion of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and obstruction of business. According to the reports, one teacher allegedly received 58 million won ($42,000) for selling mock exam questions to Cho. Between 2018 and 2023, the same teacher reportedly earned 238 million won by selling questions to 11 academies, including Cho's. Another teacher is accused of providing insider information on question explanations for Suneung and related mock evaluations. In total, 21 current teachers are suspected of having traded exam questions with Cho. The Board said Cho admitted to the allegations during the investigation.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea adds 245,000 jobs in May, yet manufacturing, construction sectors remain weak
South Korea added more than 200,000 jobs for the first time in 13 months in May, but employment losses continued in the manufacturing and construction sectors, government data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people stood at 29.16 million last month, up 245,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marks the first time since April 2024 that job growth exceeded the 200,000 mark and the largest on-year increase since then. May also marked the fifth consecutive month of job growth, following a brief decline in December, when the country posted a net loss of 52,000 jobs. Since then, the labor market has shown signs of steady recovery, with net gains of 135,000 jobs in January, 136,000 in February, 193,000 in March and 194,000 in April. Despite the overall growth, the manufacturing and construction sectors remained sluggish. The manufacturing sector, often considered the backbone of the South Korean economy, shed 67,000 jobs from a year earlier in May, extending its downturn to an 11th consecutive month. The construction industry also continued to struggle, losing 106,000 jobs last month to continue its decline for the 13th straight month. However, the pace of job losses in both sectors slowed compared with the previous month, the agency noted. The accommodation and food service industry also saw significant job losses, shedding 67,000 positions to mark the steepest decline since November 2021, the agency said. In contrast, several service sectors posted solid gains. Employment in public health and social welfare rose by 233,000, while the science and technology services sector added 117,000 jobs. Employment in wholesale and retail trade also increased by 18,000, marking a turnaround and the first on-year growth in 15 months. "The drop in employment in the accommodation and food service industry was largely driven by a sharp decrease in jobs at pubs and restaurants," said Gong Mi-sook, a Statistics Korea official. "The turnaround in wholesale and retail employment reflects a base effect from previous declines." May's overall job growth was largely driven by hiring among older adults. Employment among those aged 60 and older surged by 370,000 from a year earlier, while jobs for people in their 30s rose by 132,000. Notably, the number of employed people aged 60 and above surpassed 7 million for the first time, the agency said. In contrast, younger age groups saw notable declines. Jobs for people in their 20s fell by 124,000, while those in their 40s decreased by 39,000. Statistics Korea noted that these age groups are also experiencing population declines, contributing to the employment drop. The employment rate for people aged 15 and older rose 0.5 percentage point from a year earlier to 70.5 percent in May. However, the employment rate for those aged 15 to 29 stood at 46.2 percent, down 0.7 percentage point on-year. The number of economically inactive people declined by 22,000 from a year earlier to 15.7 million as of end-May. Among them, however, the number of people who reported being out of work simply to rest rose by 2.4 percent, or 56,000 people, according to the agency. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul library opens book lending service to all residents of S. Korea
Foreign nationals also eligible for service The Seoul Metropolitan Library has officially expanded the availability of its book lending service to residents outside Seoul, including foreign nationals living in Korea, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday. Previously, only residents of Seoul and individuals who were working or studying in the capital city were eligible to borrow books from the city-run library. However, under the newly revised policy, any Korean or foreign national residing in Korea can borrow books from the library with a membership on Seoul Metropolitan Library's official website. Starting Tuesday, each person may borrow up to seven books, with the borrowing limit doubled to 14 books every Wednesday. According to the city government, membership levels will now be divided between those residing in Seoul and those living outside of Seoul. Those living in Seoul will be granted a regular membership, while those living outside of Seoul will be granted an associate membership. Although both full and associate members are allowed to borrow books, e-book rentals will be limited to those with full membership. The city government added that it is also implementing several improvements to enhance user convenience. Users will now be able to update their addresses directly through the Seoul Metropolitan Library's website instead of having to visit the library in person, and the library will also allow family members to share and view each other's borrowing records online. 'The expansion of the lending service marks a major turning point in the identity of Seoul Metropolitan Library — from being a city library to a national library,' said Ma Chae-sook, director of the city government's Culture Headquarters. 'The city government will work to ensure all residents of Korea have access to high-quality library services and a richer cultural life, regardless of where they live.'
