Government urged to guide early English kindergarten education

Four years ago around this time, my heart would race every afternoon at the sound of my phone. The caller ID read “English kindergarten,” referring to a preschool focused on English. The homeroom teacher would always report, “Your child got in trouble today,” and explain why. One day, she said, “Your child screamed down the hallway and cried; nothing could calm.” When my child returned home, the backpack was full of broken colored pencils. The child, who constantly asked, “Did the teacher say I did well today?” broke into tears, saying, “The teacher yelled at me for speaking Korean and put me in another room. It was scary.”

We immediately withdrew from the English kindergarten. I had thought early English learning would be beneficial, and the appeal of avoiding a level test by enrolling at age five was strong. Admission was determined by payment order, and with nearly 100 children on the waiting list, the pride we felt after enrolling quickly, however, turned to regret. While many children thrive in English kindergartens, I painfully learned that each child learns at a different pace, requiring parents to make careful, objective decisions.

Recently, the Ministry of Education conducted its first nationwide survey of 728 English kindergartens and found that 23 schools, or 3%, still administer level tests. A simple search for “early English level test” online yields posts such as “Looking for a tutor for X-year-old early English level test next year,” yet the government has not fully assessed the situation. Schools that test students mid-course or use gifted-child evaluations likely avoided inclusion in the survey.

Following a recent recommendation from the National Human Rights Commission to regulate English kindergartens that use level tests, the Ministry of Education said it will continue monitoring schools that administer such tests. It also pledged to improve regulations, including laws prohibiting more than 40 minutes of instruction per day for young children.

Even so, it remains difficult to stop parents from sending their children to English kindergartens. Like all private education, if parents cannot quell the anxiety that “my child must not fall behind,” regulations alone will not succeed. Perhaps aware of government scrutiny, a well-known English kindergarten in Gangnam, Seoul, no longer conducts level tests and assigns children only to classes with graduates from the same institution who are three or four years old. Among parents, some joke, “If we are trying to stop the 4-year-old test, soon we will have a test for 2-year-olds.”

Before enforcement or legislation, the government must first act. It should research the most effective methods of teaching English to young children, collaborating with linguists, psychologists, and neuroscientists. Currently, the Ministry of Education states only that “English instruction in kindergartens is illegal because formal English education begins in third grade.” However, demand is so high that many regular kindergartens offer English classes. Parents, still unsatisfied, send their diaper-wearing children to English kindergartens and even hire private tutors.

The government also needs to study how excessive early English education—forcing children to memorize spellings or write essays—affects their emotional development. Clear explanations of both the benefits and potential side effects of early English learning are essential to prevent parents from blindly enrolling their children in English kindergartens.

It is unrealistic to expect the government to eliminate private education altogether. Instead, the state should clearly highlight the problems, provide guidance, and support what is necessary. Nam-ki Park, former president of Gwangju National University of Education, said, “If the government conducts proper research and experts teach children at their own pace using public funds, what parent could possibly object?”