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Government to integrate administration of kindergartens, nurseries
Young children play outside a nursery in Busan, May 2. Newsis
By Jun Ji-hye
Welfare ministry's budget to be handed over to education ministry
By Jun Ji-hye
The government will push to integrate the supervision of nurseries and kindergartens by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, respectively, in a bid to unify state management of children's education and daycare.
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho announced Friday that the government is aiming to have the welfare ministry's budget and manpower, allocated for the supervision of nurseries, transferred to the education ministry by the end of the year. Following the changes, the education ministry will become a single institution to manage both children's education and daycare.
In Korea, children aged zero to seven can go to nurseries that mainly offer childcare services. Kindergartens accept children aged over five only, focusing more on offering education before they go to elementary schools.
There has been a debate for decades about the need to merge the government management of childcare and education for young children as a measure to raise the efficiency of policies. Various attempts made during previous governments for that integration failed due to differing opinions of offices and people involved.
The minister's announcement came after President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed him on June 15 to “unify the management of childcare and education for young children to offer the best such services in the world.”
Education Minister Lee Ju-ho speaks during a media briefing at the government complex in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
First of all, Lee said, the government will push to revise the National Government Organization Act to transfer the welfare ministry's budget and manpower allocated for administrating nurseries to the education ministry.
“We ask the National Assembly to pass a revised bill promptly once that bill is submitted,” Lee said during a media briefing. “We set a goal of the passage of the bill by the end of the year.”
As of this year, a 5.6 trillion won ($4.4 billion) budget is allocated for the education of young children, and 10 trillion won for childcare. Among the 10 trillion won, the 5.1 trillion won held by the welfare ministry will be handed over to the education ministry after the National Government Organization Act is revised.
After this, the government will push to revise the Local Education Autonomy Act to transfer relevant budget and manpower held by local governments to local education offices by the end of next year.
Finally, in 2025, the government will introduce a unified model offering both education and childcare services to young children.
Lee said the government is mapping out the idea for the unified model and will announce the concept at the end of this year.
“We have asked policy researchers to come up with a flexible model that can reflect various demands in the field and accommodate various functions of nurseries and kindergartens,” he said.
“Through this integration, the government will strengthen the professionalism of teachers, offer high-quality meals to children and reduce the financial burden faced by parents.”