Medical school prep at age 4? Korean math tutor calls it 'child abuse'

Click here for more articles by Kormedi.com.

A prominent Korean math instructor has sparked debate after calling for criminal punishment of those responsible for intensive academic programs targeting children as young as 3 or 4 years old, describing the country's increasingly competitive early education culture as a form of child abuse.

Jung Seung-je, one of South Korea's best-known private education instructors, made the comments during a recent appearance on the popular YouTube channel ChimChakMan.

The video, titled "Which Subject Is Most Important: Korean, English or Math?" featured Jung alongside Korean language instructor Yoo Dae-jong and English instructor Kim Ji-young, who also appear on the education reality program "Teachers 3: Retake War."

During the discussion, Jung criticized the growing trend of enrolling preschool children in advanced academic programs designed to prepare them for eventual admission to medical school, one of the most competitive educational pathways in South Korea.

"Especially in math, children are entering medical school preparation classes at the age of 3 or 4," Jung said. "This country has completely lost its mind."

Yoo expressed disbelief that such programs could begin so early.

"Medical school preparation starts at age 4? You can't even remember what happened when you were 4," he said.

Jung went further, arguing that the government should intervene.

"I don't understand why the government doesn't arrest people over this," he said. "The government should treat this as child abuse and punish those responsible."

Korea's controversial 'age 4 entrance exams'

The programs Jung criticized are part of a broader phenomenon known in Korea as the "age 4 entrance exam," a term that has attracted widespread criticism both domestically and internationally.

The practice involves administering placement tests to preschool children, sometimes as young as 4, to determine admission to prestigious private academies.

Some programs market themselves as early preparation for medical school, while others serve as gateways to highly sought-after English-language preschools.

Competition has become so intense that separate tutoring programs and preparatory classes have emerged to help young children pass these entrance assessments.

The phenomenon has drawn international media attention as an example of Korea's intense academic competition, which increasingly begins years before children enter elementary school.

In response to growing public criticism, the government introduced legal restrictions last month prohibiting placement tests for infants and preschool children and tightening regulations on potentially harmful educational practices.

Under Ministry of Education guidelines described in the report, cognitive instruction for children younger than 3 is prohibited, while instruction for children aged 3 and older is limited to three hours per day.

However, concerns remain that some private academies are finding ways around the restrictions.

Some reportedly conduct what are effectively entrance examinations under the guise of ordinary interviews, while others disguise academic instruction as play-based activities.

As a result, children as young as 4 may continue receiving advanced lessons in mathematics and English despite efforts to curb excessive early education.

Can 4-year-olds even remember what they learn?

The debate also raises questions about how much young children benefit from intensive academic instruction.

As Yoo suggested during the YouTube discussion, most adults have limited memories of their earliest childhood experiences, a phenomenon known as "childhood amnesia."

People generally retain few autobiographical memories from their first three to five years of life.

Around age 4, emotionally significant events, such as the birth of a sibling, moving to a new home or entering kindergarten, may be remembered later in life. Ordinary daily experiences, however, are less likely to remain accessible as conscious long-term memories.

Study finds limited benefits and potential harm

Research cited by South Korea's Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education raises further concerns about the effects of excessive early private education.

According to a research report published by the institute, participation in private education programs during infancy and early childhood, including English-language preschools, showed no clear positive effect on language development, problem-solving ability or executive function by the first grade of elementary school.

Executive functions include cognitive skills such as attention control, working memory and the ability to plan and regulate behavior.

The research also found that children who received more academically focused private education tended to have lower self-esteem.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.