Korean private education expands diversity

GD&TĐ - South Korea has long been famous for its competitive educational culture, where parents are willing to invest all resources to help their children achieve high academic results.

This trend also appears in non-academic fields such as arts and sports .

According to the Ministry of Education , more than 50% of elementary school students will enroll in non-academic programs in 2024-2025. Spending on this sector will increase from 4.39 trillion won in 2022 to 4.87 trillion won in 2024. On average, private education for an elementary school child will cost 442,000 won, nearly double the amount in 2015.

A survey by the Ministry of Education also found that 65.1 percent of parents enroll their children in non-academic classes to nurture their interests, talents, and broaden their cultural understanding. Coach Kim Soo-yong, who has been running a private Go academy since 2018, stressed that parents want their children to develop concentration and develop healthy interests.

However, parents’ desires go beyond passion. A parent in Mapo County said that many families today want their children to be well-rounded, with both academic achievement and rich experiences. As a result, rope skipping classes, which were originally intended to prepare for physical fitness tests at school, have also become an option for gifted learning.

Although these tests do not affect grades, parents still want their children to achieve high results. Some taekwondo academies even integrate jump rope classes to meet this need.

Notably, arts and sports programs have not diminished the appeal of extra classes, but have instead become a new area of ​​extra learning. When swimming was introduced into the compulsory education program, private swimming classes increased. At school art events, teachers also encouraged parents to find extra classes to better prepare their children.

Although public schools do offer extracurricular clubs, the number is limited and registration is difficult, so parents have to look for outside centers. For example, at a school in Bangbae-dong, Seoul, there are only 20 spots for creative arts classes, accounting for about 17% of the total student population.

In addition to providing education, academies also serve to address childcare needs. Elementary school students typically finish school in the early afternoon, while parents work until the evening. Tuition centers fill this gap. According to the Ministry of Education, 18.1% of parents admitted that they enrolled their children in tutoring to provide after-school care.

The proliferation of non-academic institutes reflects a shifting landscape of private education in South Korea. From Go to rope jumping, from art to sports, parents want their children to be not only academically gifted but also well-rounded in skills and experiences.

Still, the question of the balance between school and academy education remains open, as the private market continues to demonstrate superior appeal in terms of both quality and convenience.

According to 2020 statistics, each elementary school student in Korea attends an average of 2.3 private tutoring centers. English leads the way at 57.5%, followed by math, piano, art, and taekwondo. In 2023, elementary school students will spend an average of 7.5 hours per week on private tutoring. Statistics Korea data shows that total spending on private education in 2024 will reach 29.2 trillion won, of which elementary school students will account for 13.2 trillion won, higher than middle and high school students.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily

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