Ministry of Education Responds to Private Education for Infants and Young Children... Knowledge-Based Instruction Limited to 3 Hours Per Day

Entrance Exams and Oral Assessments for Young Children to Be Banned
Knowledge-Based Subject Instruction Prohibited for Children Under Age Three
“Comparison and Ranking” Practices Also Deemed Illegal
Law Could Take Effect as Early as the Sec

The government has launched strong measures to curb the overheated private education market for infants and young children. Starting as early as the second half of next year, all forms of knowledge-based instruction by private academies targeting children under the age of three (36 months) will be strictly prohibited. For those aged three and above, knowledge-based instruction will be limited to a maximum of three hours per day.

On April 1, the Ministry of Education announced the "Response Plan for Private Education for Infants and Young Children to Protect Children’s Right to Development."

On the 23rd, children finishing English kindergarten are leaving school in the academy district of Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The Ministry of Education has decided to block harmful instructional practices at private academies for infants and young children entirely by revising the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons (commonly known as the Private Academy Act). Kang Minkyu, Director of the Early Childhood Education and Care Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Education, stated, "This measure is a very strong policy that legally bans improper instructional practices at academies for infants and young children. In particular, it means that advanced academic instruction should not be provided to children under the age of three. As a result, it will become difficult for English kindergartens to operate full-day programs."

The Ministry of Education plans to ensure that the amendment to the Private Academy Act passes the National Assembly’s plenary session within this year. Considering that education-related legislation typically goes into effect six months after promulgation, the amendment could be enforced as early as the second half of next year.

An amendment to the Private Academy Act that bans "level tests" for the purposes of recruiting or assigning infants and young children by ability has already been enacted. Once the law is promulgated in early April, it will be enforced around October.

The Ministry of Education plans to regulate and classify as illegal the following practices: comparing and ranking students' academic achievement (so-called "comparison and ranking"), providing knowledge-based instruction in core subjects (reading, language, mathematics) to children under three (referred to as "cognitive instruction"), and providing cognitive instruction for children aged three and above up to school age for extended periods (over three hours per day or more than 15 hours per week). Since the standards for cognitive instruction—such as the nature of teaching materials, the layout of learning spaces, and the dominance of instructional methods—can vary, the Ministry plans to distribute guideline manuals or casebooks containing practical evaluation indicators.

In addition, the Ministry of Education intends to include a ban on exaggerated or false advertising by private academies for infants and young children in the revised Private Academy Act. To ensure the effectiveness of these regulations, the Ministry will introduce measures to impose surcharges of up to 50% of sales revenue and raise the maximum administrative fine to 10 million won.

To strengthen basic competencies among young children, the public education curriculum will be further enhanced. Daily schedules will be organized to include physical activity and outdoor play, reflecting the developmental characteristics of young children, and active support will be provided to facilitate learning through play. The Ministry will also promote awareness among parents regarding the risks of excessive private education during early childhood. In collaboration with expert organizations such as the Korean Society for Early Childhood Education, the Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences, and the Korean Pediatric Society, the Ministry plans to develop evidence-based awareness-raising content.

Starting this year, the Ministry of Education will conduct an annual "Survey on Private Education Expenses for Young Children." By linking the results with existing surveys on private education spending for elementary, middle, and high school students, the Ministry aims to conduct in-depth analyses and develop data-driven tailored policies for private education in early childhood.

Minister of Education Choi Gyojin stated, "Based on these measures, we will make the protection of infants’ and young children’s right to development our highest priority. Since early childhood is a critical period for forming the foundation of lifelong growth and development, the state will provide responsible support to ensure that this precious time leads to healthy growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.