Mandatory coding education for all students starts in 2025

Coding education at elementary and middle schools will become mandatory in 2025. Also from next year, an integrated Bachelor's/Master's/Doctorate Degree Program in the cutting-edge science field will be introduced, which allows getting a doctorate degree in five and a half years. Through this program, the government is planning to foster one million talent in the field of AI, IoT, and other cutting-edge science.

The Education Ministry explained the new comprehensive plan for training the workforce in the digital industries at the cabinet meeting on Monday. “The future of the nation hinges on the number of talent in the digital industries,” President Yoon Suk-yeol said. “The innovation of the education system is needed for students to receive an education that develops creativity in them for problem-solving skills."

According to the Education Ministry, the current grades 1 and 2 students are mandated to take coding classes when they become grades 5 and 6 in 2026. 'The 2022 revised National Curriculum' will start in 2025, but the curriculum will be applied in 2026 for grades 5 and 6. The current grade 5 and 6 students will be mandated to receive coding education from 2025 when they become grades 8 and 9 in middle school.

School hours for information technology education will double from the current 17 hours to 34 hours at elementary schools, and the current 34 hours to 68 hours at middle schools. However, some concern that mandatory coding education for elementary and middle schoolers could cause cramming school frenzy as well as the gap in digital education by region.


min@donga.com · jyr0101@donga.com