Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
3 in 10 Korean elementary students discuss grades with parents almost daily: survey
Elementary school students walk through snow near a school in northwestern Seoul's Seodaemun District, Feb. 2. Yonhap
By Jung Da-hyun
Nearly 3 in 10 elementary school students in Korea say they speak with their parents about schoolwork and grades almost every day, underscoring concerns that family conversations are increasingly centered on academic performance, while discussions about career paths and personal interests remain comparatively limited.
According to the Career Education Survey in Primary and Secondary Schools released Wednesday by the Ministry of Education, 30.5 percent of elementary school students said they talk with their parents about studying and grades “almost every day.”
The survey, conducted over four weeks beginning May 16, 2025, polled 22,911 students nationwide.
Another 25.9 percent said they have such conversations two to three times a week, while 20 percent said they do so about once a week.
The figure of elementary school students who discuss academic performance with their parents on a near-daily basis has increased notably over the previous five years.
Compared with the 2020 survey, the proportion responding “almost every day” increased by 4.8 percentage points from 25.7 percent to 30.5 percent, while those reporting two to three times a week rose by 2.2 percentage points from 23.7 percent to 25.9 percent.
In contrast, 24.3 percent of elementary school students said they discuss their interests, aptitudes, desired careers and dreams with their parents only once or twice a month, followed by 23.4 percent who said such conversations take place less than once every two months. Only 15 percent reported having these discussions on a daily basis.
The findings suggest that discussions centered on academic performance occur far more frequently than those related to career exploration or personal interests.
The research team noted in the report that parents tend to place greater emphasis on academic performance than on career-related conversations, underscoring the need for more regular discussions about students’ interests and aptitudes.