Parents' expectations that starting private education earlier leads to better academic performance have accelerated the starting age for toddlers, turning terms like "seven-year-old exam" and "four-year-old exam" into social issues.
However, research findings have emerged indicating that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of such early private education.
The Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education announced the results today, analyzing the impact and limitations of early advance learning on the development and learning of infants and toddlers.
In particular, the study focused on questions parents frequently encounter while educating their children, such as whether earlier is better when it comes to toddler private education, and whether learning more leads to better learning outcomes.
Among children aged two nationwide, the proportion of those who started private education at age zero surged nearly threefold, rising from 11.9% in 2016 to 32.9% in 2024.
However, an analysis by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education showed that private education experiences during early childhood had no significant correlation with language development, problem-solving skills, and executive function at the time of entering the first grade of elementary school.
Instead, children with more experience in academic private education tended to show lower self-esteem.
While there were some positive effects on initial academic performance, no clear effects were identified in socio-emotional areas such as self-esteem and life satisfaction.
Yang Dong-hwa, secretary of the Developmental Committee under the Korean Pediatric Association, pointed out, "Early childhood is a period when the human brain develops and reorganizes most rapidly, but brain plasticity does not imply the need for rapid learning or early academic indoctrination."
Although early childhood is primarily defined as a "sensitive period," he noted that this sensitive period should not be misinterpreted to mean that "missing the window means it's over."
Professor Yang also emphasized, "Brain plasticity should not be viewed as a synonym for 'faster, more, and ahead of others,' but rather as 'a developmental characteristic that responds well to appropriate experiences at the right time.'"
(Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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