A child attending an English class at the ‘Creverse Kids’ store in Lotte Mall World Tower. (Photo courtesy of Lotte Department Store)
SEOUL, March 13 (Korea Bizwire) — The South Korean government has, for the first time, publicly disclosed data on early childhood private education spending, shedding light on a rapidly expanding market that has sparked concerns over educational inequality and excessive academic pressure on young children.
The Ministry of Education released findings from the 2024 Early Childhood Private Education Survey on Thursday, marking the first public disclosure of such statistics. While an initial pilot survey was conducted in 2017, its results were never made public.
This year, authorities decided to unveil the data to raise awareness of the increasing commercialization of early education.
The findings reveal a deeply entrenched private education culture, where children as young as four are being prepared for competitive entrance exams to elite elementary schools and specialized academic programs.
Terms like “4-year-old exam” and “7-year-old exam” have become commonplace, referring to entrance tests for English immersion academies and prestigious math and English prep centers, respectively. These programs often serve as a pipeline to accelerated learning tracks, including specialized medical school preparation courses for elementary students.
A glimpse into the private education hub of Daechi-dong, Gangnam—South Korea’s epicenter of private tutoring. (Yonhap)
Skyrocketing Costs and Income Disparities in Early Education
The survey, conducted between July and September last year, covered 13,241 households with children under six. It found that 17% of preschool-aged children who receive private education attend academies for at least three hours a day, with their families spending an average of 1.45 million KRW ($1,000) per month.
For English immersion academies—commonly known as “English kindergartens”—the average monthly cost rose to 1.54 million KRW ($1,060).
Due to the lack of previous official data, it remains unclear how these costs have evolved over time. However, experts suggest that tuition in Seoul’s affluent districts, particularly in Gangnam, likely surpasses the national average.
The study also highlighted stark disparities based on household income. Families earning over 8 million KRW ($5,520) per month spent an average of 322,000 KRW ($240) per child on private education—6.7 times the 48,000 KRW ($36) spent by families earning less than 3 million KRW ($2,070) monthly.
Participation rates also reflected this divide, with 62.4% of high-income households enrolling their children in private academies, compared to just 29.5% in lower-income households.
Government Crackdown on Early Childhood Academies Faces Challenges
In response to mounting concerns, education authorities have pledged to improve public early childhood education while intensifying oversight of private academies. The government introduced English education programs for three- and four-year-olds in public kindergartens and daycares last year and expanded their availability nationwide this year.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education stated that it conducted a full-scale inspection of early childhood English academies in 2023, followed by a special crackdown in the latter half of last year. Authorities plan to continue monitoring tuition rates and business practices in cooperation with local education offices.
Last year, inspections of 323 early childhood academies suspected of illegal operations led to 5 criminal charges, 191 administrative penalties, 90 official warnings, and 75 fines. Violations included misrepresenting academies as kindergartens and charging tuition above regulatory limits.
A student strolls through the cram school district of Daechi-dong in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea, absorbed in a book. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Despite these efforts, critics argue that merely monitoring tuition fees and business registration practices falls short of curbing the growing private education frenzy. Many experts warn that early private education is directly fueling the broader private tutoring industry, making it harder to control education-related spending in later years.
“Private education competition is pushing young children into advanced academic programs before they even enter elementary school,” said the civic group World Without Worries About Private Education. “Stronger legal protections are needed to prevent excessive early education.”
An education ministry official acknowledged the concerns, stating, “We are aware of the increasing societal interest in early private education, and the release of this data aims to foster public discourse on the issue.”
To counter the trend, the government plans to advance its ongoing initiative to integrate kindergarten and daycare services under a standardized system that prioritizes equal access to high-quality early education.
Authorities also intend to collaborate with regional education offices to increase public awareness and provide alternative learning resources for parents.
Regarding additional measures, the ministry noted that a comprehensive national survey on early childhood private education is planned for next year, with further policy interventions expected based on its findings.
ProMom Kinder at Shinsegae Department Store’s flagship location. (Photo courtesy of Shinsegae Department Store)
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
