South Korea Expands Free Preschool, Sees Fee Drop

Why this is here: The number of children utilizing early morning childcare services increased by 379,000—a nearly 30% jump—after the introduction of teacher stipends.

South Korea’s Education Ministry reports that preschool tuition fees decreased by over 41% in the last year. This reduction follows the expansion of free education and childcare to include all four-year-olds. Last July, the program already covered five-year-olds, leading to an increase of roughly 65,000 children attending preschools and daycare centers in the latter half of last year compared to the first.

The ministry also increased support for early morning childcare. They provided separate stipends for teachers, resulting in nearly a 30% rise in children using these services. Currently, about 77% of preschools operate for nine hours or more each day, and over 30% of daycare centers offer nighttime, weekend, or 24-hour care.

The government plans to extend free education to three-year-olds next year. They are also addressing issues like unfair practices at private academies and strengthening oversight of international schools, but some challenges remain in balancing access to national daycare centers and streamlining regulations.