Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Reactions mixed as lawmakers target early English education
A girl walks with her mother in an area known as "Daechi-dong private academy district" in southern Seoul, March 13. Newsis
By Jung Min-ho
Concerns mount over learning gaps, parental rights, job losses
News about the progress of a legislative bill targeting the restriction of English education for young children has been concerning for Choi Go-eun (not her real name).
As the mother of a six-year-old who attends an English kindergarten in Gimpo, a city near Seoul, she worries that she may have to move her child to another institution if the bill passes.
“That’s a big deal,” Choi told The Korea Times. “That means I will have to find an alternative without knowing whether there is one I would like, and change my education plan for her. It would be hugely inconvenient, to say the very least.”
The bill, proposed by left-wing legislators including Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, would completely prohibit all private academy programs in English and other academic subjects for children under 36 months. For older children not yet enrolled in school, instruction would be limited to no more than 40 minutes per day.
The measure would also have a significant impact on Choi’s career as an English teacher for children.
“It would affect the jobs and career prospects of tens of thousands of English instructors like me, including native speakers, many of whom are hired to teach preschoolers,” Choi said.
Many parents of young children, contacted by The Korea Times, acknowledged the “extreme levels” of academic pressure they face. Most, however, oppose a de facto ban on early education, expressing concern that it would deepen the learning gap, as wealthier families could still hire private tutors, enroll their children in overseas programs or pursue other alternatives.
“With only public education, it’s difficult for children to gain the English and language skills needed today. If English kindergartens disappear, parents ― especially the wealthy ― will find alternatives like tutors or studying abroad, but most can’t afford this,” a mother of a three-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous, said. “So, banning English kindergartens would reduce children’s English exposure and make the learning gap between rich and poor even wider.”
Others expressed worries that it would deprive parents of the freedom to choose what they think is best for their children.
“Private education is a matter of individual freedom, so is it really appropriate in a liberal democracy for the state to exercise so much control? Some regulation is needed, like adding an education tax to foreign language kindergarten fees, but an outright ban is unfair and feels like excessive control,” said another mother of a three-year-old child.
Not everyone, however, opposes stricter legal restrictions on early English education.
An activist promoting equal education and a father of two young children said his family has recently moved to Paju from Pyeongchon, an Anyang neighborhood famous for its strong passion for English education.
“There are actually a lot of children for whom such intense English education isn’t effective or necessary. Still, there’s this pressure that makes you feel like it’s absolutely essential ― like you’ll fall behind otherwise, which causes ongoing anxiety,” he said. “If the law were to ban the most extreme forms of English education, I think it could set a reasonable standard. That’s why I believe some regulation is necessary.”