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The Ministry of Education emphasizes that the plan to go to elementary school from the age of five is to resolve educational inequality.

However, experts point out that it is better not to send them to school from a young age, but to allow children at that age to receive completely free kindergarten and daycare education.



Reporter Kim Kyung-hee reports.



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In the past, the government discussed the idea of ​​going to school at the age of five as a countermeasure for the low birthrate and aging population, but it was discarded as it was judged that social chaos was greater.



This time, the Ministry of Education also advocated the reduction of educational inequality.



[Park Soon-ae / Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education: The government is responsible for supporting our children so that they can all start on the same line by getting a high-quality public education at an early age…

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However, early childhood education experts emphasize that early admission at age 5 is not the solution.



Schooling should not be forced at an age to learn through play and experience.



It is for this reason that Finland and Sweden have raised the school age to 7 years old.



[Park Chang-hyeon / Head of Future Education Team, Parenting Policy Research Institute: According to the demands of parents (reorganized the school system)



] In 2018, compulsory education was introduced from the age of 3, but the school age was maintained at 6.


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Experts point out that it is better to promote a completely free education for five-year-olds, as the rate of use of kindergartens and daycare centers for 3-5 year olds in Korea has exceeded 90%.



Although the government and local governments are subsidizing a significant portion of the standard early childhood education cost, parents still have to pay about 200,000 won for private kindergartens.



Although some cities and provinces have already introduced completely free education for the age of five, there are conflicts between kindergartens and daycare centers, and between public and private governments, so the integration of early childhood education and childcare is a prerequisite for completely free education.



(Video coverage: Jeon Gyeong-bae, Kim Min-cheol, Video editing: Choi Eun-jin)



▶ "Admission to the age of 5, public debate by the end of the year"...

"Withdraw now"