Private Academies’ Union Moves to Curb Early Childhood Exam Culture (Image courtesy of Getty Image Bank/CCL)
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s leading private education body, the Korea Association of Hakwon (KAOH), has moved to ban admission tests at so-called “English kindergartens,” following mounting criticism that the practice fuels excessive early-age competition and deepens the country’s shadow education market.
The association’s Foreign Language Education Council announced Thursday that its member academies will no longer administer entrance exams for children aged 4 to 7. Instead, they are advised to use first-come, first-served or lottery-based enrollment.
The guidelines, though technically advisory, carry weight. The council said it may revoke the membership of schools that violate the ban, effectively blacklisting them within the industry. About 420 institutes—roughly half of Korea’s 840 English kindergartens—are members of the association.
The council also plans to instruct members to stop using the term “kindergarten,” which under law applies only to officially accredited early education institutions. Many English academies have long marketed themselves under the label despite operating outside the formal school system.
A child attending an English class at the ‘Creverse Kids’ store in Lotte Mall World Tower. (Photo courtesy of Lotte Department Store)
Mounting Scrutiny
The move comes after Seoul education authorities discovered 11 institutes conducting entrance tests during a recent inspection of 248 early childhood academies. Current law does not prohibit such exams, leaving regulators limited to administrative guidance rather than legal sanctions.
Critics have argued that admission testing at such a young age intensifies social inequality and undermines early childhood development.
“We will work with the Ministry of Education and regional offices to stamp out harmful practices through self-regulation,” the association said in a statement.
The decision signals a rare industry-led effort to rein in the country’s booming private education sector, long criticized for pushing children into competitive academic tracks before they can even read or write in their native language.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
