Primary school enrollment has fallen to 5 years old?New South Korean policy caused controversy

[Global Times special reporter Zhang Jing in South Korea] In order to alleviate the aging of the population, the gap between the pre -education education gap between the South Korean government plans to reduce the age of elementary school from the current 6 years of age from 2025 to 5 years. Opposition, they believe that this move may face more intense competition during enrollment and employment.

Data map source Visual China

Yonhap News Agency reported on July 29 that the head of the Ministry of Education Park Shunai reported to the president Yin Xiyue on the same day the work plan, including the age adjustment plan, was reported. This will be reforming the age of enrollment again after 76 years. The current "Education Law of Education in Primary and Middle Schools" in South Korea stipulates that all children who are six years old should be enrolled in education on March 1 of the following year. The new plan has been adjusted from 6 years of age to 5 years. According to this plan, some children born in 2019 are expected to enter elementary school one year in advance. The South Korean government plans to complete the relevant questionnaire survey within the year, and the trial plan was launched in 2023, and it will be tried in some regions since 2024. After the society formed a wide range of consensus, South Korea will implement this plan in the national stages since 2025.

South Korea's "Asian Economy" reported on July 31 that this plan of the South Korean government was strongly opposed by student parents and educational experts. According to data released by the South Korean Department of Statistics on the 31st, according to the reform plan, the total number of freshmen in South Korea in 2025 will reach approximately 409,900, which is about 52,000 more than the previous year. Relevant students believe that the number of students who enroll in the same year as their children have increased significantly, which means that children must face more intense competition in their education, graduation, and even employment. Education experts also believe that the government has not fully considered the negative effects that may be caused in solving the problem of low fertility. Raising reforms not only have the possibility of violating the law of growth, but also causes a series of problems such as teachers and hardware supporting facilities. The Federation of Federation of South Korean Teachers' Group also said that the government's opposition did not increase the age of enrollment without increasing teaching facilities and teachers.

"Korea Daily" reported on July 31 that there may be a potential victim of this policy that may have more than 2 million Korean children, because they will face issues such as college enrollment and employment competition. Education experts believe that children who are just 5 years old are forced to compete with 6 -year -old children. However, the Ministry of Education of Korea has different ideas. They believe that the number of South Korean population is declining, and the possibility of a large number of students in the transition period of reform is not much likely. Then there will be no significant differences in the corresponding university admission rate and employment competition level since then. Relevant personnel of the Ministry of Education of South Korea also said that the current standard of elementary school admission is the product of decades ago, and now children have grown faster than in the past, so there is no problem with the age of 5. Judging from the statistics of the Ministry of Education of Korea, the voluntary applications for early enrollment were reduced by about 95%during 2009-2021. In other words, more and more parents do not want their children to enter school early in order to ensure the quality of their children's learning.

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