Ministry announces ban on cognitive instruction for toddlers and tightened regulation for academies, but questions remain over vague definitions and potential easy workarounds

A child is accompanied to a private academy on March 13 in Daechi-dong, Seoul, the neighborhood with the highest concentration of private academies in South Korea. (Newsis)
A child is accompanied to a private academy on March 13 in Daechi-dong, Seoul, the neighborhood with the highest concentration of private academies in South Korea. (Newsis)

South Korea will ban what it calls cognitive learning for children under age 3 and limit such instruction for older preschoolers in a sweeping move expected to hit English-language kindergartens, the Education Ministry said Wednesday.

The measures, part of a broader plan to curb excessive private education for toddlers, are expected to take effect as early as the second half of next year, pending revisions to the law governing private academies.

Under the proposal, instructor-led “cognitive learning,” which the ministry defined as drill-based teaching of subjects such as language and math, will be prohibited entirely for children under 36 months. For children aged 3 and older, such instruction will be capped at three hours a day, or 15 hours a week.

Officials said the restrictions would make it difficult for so-called English kindergartens, which often operate full-day programs centered on structured language instruction, to continue their current format.

The ministry said it plans to revise the Private Education Act to classify such practices as “harmful instructional behavior,” allowing authorities to ban them outright.

The move comes amid growing concern over what is often referred to as the “age 4 and age 7 exam craze,” reflecting mounting pressure on young children to begin academic preparation early.

Crackdown targets early academic pressure

In addition to the limits on instruction hours, the ministry plans to ban practices that compare and rank toddlers based on academic performance.

These systems are often used by private academies to sort students, or in level tests used for both admissions and class placement. Under the revised rules, academies will no longer be allowed to conduct written or oral assessments for the purpose of ranking or selecting students, and internal test scores may no longer be publicly disclosed.

The ministry emphasized that the goal is not to ban learning altogether, but to regulate excessive, developmentally inappropriate instruction, including the repetitive drills used in rote learning.

Examples cited include requiring children to repeatedly read alphabet words written on a board, complete workbook exercises on a daily basis, or memorize numbers in sequence and repeat them until correct.

These practices will be classified as harmful instructional behavior and prohibited under the revised law.

Enforcement challenges

Despite the sweeping nature of the measures, questions remain over how they will be enforced.

Officials acknowledged that some educational activities fall into a gray area, and said further guidelines and casebooks will be developed to clarify what constitutes cognitive learning.

Factors such as teaching methods, materials and classroom settings will also be taken into account.

Additionally, the ministry will crack down on false or exaggerated advertising by private academies, including cases in which institutions promote themselves as “English kindergartens.”

Proposed revisions would allow authorities to impose fines of up to 50 percent of related sales, raise the maximum penalty surcharge to 10 million won, and expand whistleblower rewards to strengthen enforcement.

Critics, however, pointed to potential loopholes. Some warned that parents could bypass the three-hour cap by sending children to multiple academies or hiring private tutors after classes.

“It does not work if one academy provides three hours and another provides another three hours,” said Baek Byung-hwan of the civic group World Without Worry about Private Education.

Others noted that some academies may restructure programs to include several hours of loosely defined “activity-based” instruction following limited cognitive lessons, allowing them to operate outside the regulation.

Acknowledging these limits, officials stressed the policy is still meaningful: “Even if there are limits to enforcement, it is significant that the government has established a clear standard that excessive cognitive instruction is not appropriate for young children,” an official said.

The ministry also plans to expand public awareness efforts, working with academic groups in early childhood education, neuroscience and pediatrics to promote developmentally appropriate learning.

It will begin annual surveys on private education spending for toddlers starting this year, with the aim of developing more data-driven policies in the future.

Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin said the measures are intended to protect children’s developmental rights.

“Early childhood is a critical period for lifelong growth and development,” he said. “The government will take responsibility to ensure that this time supports healthy development.”


seungku99@heraldcorp.com