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The Ministry of Education is pushing for a plan to lower the elementary school entrance age by one year so that they can go to school earlier.



It is a plan to enter school at the age of five and to graduate one year earlier by that much.



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The Ministry of Education has decided to promote the school system reform plan to lower the elementary school entrance age from 6 to 5.



The investment in early childhood education is 16 times more effective than adults, and it is time for public education to absorb the overflowing demand for early education.

[Park Soon-ae/Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education: I think that



it is essential to discuss lowering the schooling age in order for the government to take responsibility for and resolve the educational gap on the starting line caused by regional or family conditions at an early stage.]



Rather than creating a new course, we will first consider how to advance the current 12-year school system by one year.



They enter elementary school at the age of 5 and go on to college at the age of 17.



In September, we plan to conduct an education demand survey for 10,000 students and parents each, and prepare a draft by next year.



Considering the decline in the school-age population, it is possible to apply it in stages for 4 years at 25% a year without securing additional classrooms and teachers.



It was also decided to integrate the education of children aged 3-5 years, which is conducted by kindergarten and daycare.



The education function will be strengthened by unifying the management system that is divided into the Ministry of Health and Welfare for childcare and the Ministry of Education for education.



In addition, by raising the qualifications for teachers to the kindergarten level, we plan to provide the same level of care and education at any institution.



All private high schools across the country, which were supposed to be abolished, decided to amend the enforcement ordinance by leaving them as they are in order to ensure diversity in school education and students' choice.



However, foreign language high schools are considering converting to general high schools specializing in foreign language subjects or abolishing them altogether.



(Video coverage: Park Young-il, Video editing: Kim Jun-hee, CG: Kang Kyung-rim)