Rising Private Education Costs for Young Children in South Korea

In a notable trend, a prestigious language academy in Gangnam, Seoul, has introduced a challenging writing prompt for its level test aimed at five-year-olds: "What will happen when Earth has no water?" To gain admission, children must complete various tasks, including writing, vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension, all within an hour, along with a one-on-one English interview.

Each year, hundreds of children take this level test, but only 30 to 40 spots are available, making it extremely competitive. Failing the test means a wait of several months before reapplying, leading to the term '7세 고시' (7-year exam) being coined to describe this rigorous process. To prepare, many children under four are attending additional classes or tutoring, and even online courses for parents on how to help their children pass the level test have emerged.

A recent government survey revealed that eight out of ten five-year-olds are participating in various forms of private education. This marks the first time the government has publicly disclosed the state of private education spending for infants and toddlers, highlighting growing concerns about the increasing trend of early-age private education.

On March 13, the Ministry of Education released the '2024 Early Childhood Private Education Cost Survey Results.' Conducted from July to September last year, the survey involved 13,241 parents of children under six. The findings showed that during this three-month period, total private education spending for young children reached 815.4 billion won, with a participation rate of 47.6%. This means that one in two young children is receiving private education, with an average monthly expenditure of 332,000 won.

For children under two years old, the participation rate was 24.6%, with an average monthly cost of 145,000 won. For three-year-olds, the rate was 50.3% with an average of 314,000 won, while four-year-olds had a participation rate of 68.9% and spent 384,000 won. Five-year-olds had the highest participation rate at 81.2%, with an average expenditure of 435,000 won.

When broken down by subject, English topped the list with an average cost of 414,000 won per person, followed by hobbies and culture (127,000 won), physical education (127,000 won), and music (122,000 won). The average monthly cost for part-time English academies, often referred to as 'English kindergartens,' was reported at 1.545 million won, amounting to approximately 18.54 million won annually, nearly three times the average university tuition fee of 6.83 million won last year.

Additionally, the government also released the '2024 Private Education Cost Survey Results for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools,' revealing that total private education spending for these levels reached a record high of 29.2 trillion won last year, an increase of 2.1 trillion won (7.7%) from the previous year. The breakdown showed that elementary schools accounted for about 13.2 trillion won, middle schools for 7.8 trillion won, and high schools for 8.1 trillion won.

Despite a rapid decline in student numbers—from 5.32 million in 2021 to 5.13 million last year—private education spending continues to soar. The overall participation rate in private education for elementary, middle, and high school students has surpassed 80% for the first time, with elementary students at 87.7%, middle school students at 78%, and high school students at 67.3%. This trend is attributed to the prevalence of dual-income households, leading younger students to engage in after-school activities such as music, art, and sports.

On average, students participating in private education spent 592,000 won monthly. Among them, elementary students spent an average of 504,000 won, marking a 9% increase from the previous year. Middle school students spent 628,000 won, and high school students spent 772,000 won, both showing increases from the previous year.

English remains the most expensive subject for private education, costing an average of 264,000 won, followed by math (249,000 won), Korean (164,000 won), and social studies/science (146,000 won). Higher-income families tend to spend more on private education, with students from households earning over 8 million won monthly averaging 676,000 won, while those from households earning less than 3 million won averaged 205,000 won.

Experts attribute the soaring costs of private education to the inadequacies of public education and the frequent changes in educational policies with each administration. Many believe that government policies, such as the increase in medical school admissions, which significantly impact college entrance exams, have also contributed to this trend. Professor Yang Jeong-ho of Sungkyunkwan University noted that parents in their 30s and 40s have experienced being 'test subjects' under changing educational policies and have relied on private education to navigate these challenges, leading to a deep-seated distrust in public education that they inevitably project onto their children.