Competition is forcing English into kindergartens

Posted on : 2008-10-24 13:17 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Though against the law, 95.6 percent of 274 private kindergartens are teaching English
 95.6% have English language classes
95.6% have English language classes

More than nine out of 10 private Korean kindergartens are disregarding the curriculum determined by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and are teaching English to their students.

Teaching English in kindergarten is illegal under the Early Childhood Education law.

In South Korea, the kindergarten curriculum is under the jurisdiction of the Education Ministry, but kindergarten is not compulsory at all and most kindergartens are run by private institutions. In addition, kindergartens are not part of elementary schools as they are in some Western countries.

According to figures released by the office of Democratic Party National Assembly member Choi Jae-sung, a study of 274 private kindergartens revealed that 262, or 95.6 percent, are teaching English.

Of those, 216, or 82.4 percent, began teaching English to their kindergartners in 2006 and 19 more began in 2008.

Some 173, or 66 percent, said they teach students English “because of parental demand.”

Another 13.4 percent responded that they teach English because they “don’t want to lose out in competition with other kindergartens,” while 10.3 percent said they are only teaching English “because of the government’s emphasis on strengthening English education.”

In addition, 43.9 percent, or 115 kindergartens, said they employ native English teachers.

Under law, kindergartens may only teach within the range of permitted curricula via ordinances set by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; currently, that does not include English.

“Given the emotional and mental development of children, at the kindergarten level they need an education method where they learn diverse areas in an integrated manner, and not concentrate on one subject,” said a ministry official. “According to the ministry, kindergartens should not teach English.”

“We have a situation in which ‘the law over there, while reality is over here’ with the continuing increase in kindergartens that teach English and private English academies that are sprouting up all over the place,” said Choi.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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