Entrance examinations for preschool-age children at private academies — widely known in South Korea as the "age-4 exam" and "age-7 exam" — will be banned outright starting next month. Academies will no longer be allowed to test a child's abilities before enrollment or to run assessments that sort children into classes by score.
The Ministry of Education said on the 22nd that the Cabinet had reviewed and approved a partial amendment to the enforcement decree of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons. The revised decree is a follow-up measure to the amended private academy law that takes effect on Oct. 1.
The core of the amendment is a detailed definition of what kinds of tests and assessments are barred when recruiting preschoolers or assigning them to level-based classes. Academies, small teaching centers and private tutors will be prohibited from giving preschoolers written, oral, practical or interview-style tests. Also banned are assessments that draw on the results of ability-verification tests or records of prior experience, as well as any test or assessment that ranks children by ability for the purpose of recruitment or class placement.
The rules do not, however, prevent diagnostic reviews conducted to support a child's education after the child has enrolled at an academy or teaching center, or has begun private tutoring. Gauging a child's learning level through observation or interviews during instruction remains permitted. In such cases, academies must inform guardians of the purpose and method of the review and the educational support to be provided based on the findings, and must obtain prior consent in writing or electronically. The findings may be presented only as a description of the child's learning progress or areas needing support, and may not indicate scores, rankings, or a pass-or-fail outcome.
Oversight of private tutoring for preschoolers will also be tightened. Beginning Oct. 1, preschoolers will fall within the scope of extracurricular instruction under the private academy law, meaning private tutors and teaching centers that instruct preschoolers must report to their local education office. The ministry said it plans to provide guidance on reporting procedures to reduce confusion in the field.
Penalties have also been set. Academies that administer banned recruitment or class-placement tests face fines of 1 million won for a first violation, 2 million won for a second and 3 million won for a third. Rewards may be paid, within budget limits, to those who report violations.
Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said the revision "has laid the groundwork for blocking extreme forms of private education for infants and young children, such as the age-4 and age-7 exams, and for moving toward a society where young children can grow up in good health."
