College is expensive? In S. Korea, English preschools cost much more

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In South Korea, where English education is highly valued, the cost of preschools providing English immersive education outstrips that of college tuition by a wide margin, according to a local civic group.

The Seoul-based World Without Worry About Private Education said in its report released Wednesday that the average yearly fees for "English kindergartens" in Seoul amounted to 15.72 million won ($11,800) in 2023 -- 2.3 times higher than the average annual university tuition of 6.78 million won.

The number of English kindergartens in the capital city inched up to 333 in 2023, up from 329 the previous year, while the average monthly tuition reached 1.31 million won ($987), marking a significant 10.2 percent on-year increase from 1.18 million won.

The report also found that the 333 preschool academies, which offered more than 60 hours of lessons per month, averaged a daily teaching time of 5 hours and 29 minutes.

The majority of these academies, at 53.5 percent, were located in neighborhoods known for their intense focus on education. Two southern districts, Gangnam-gu and Seocho-gu, had the highest number of English kindergartens, combining for 94. Gangdong-gu and Songpa-gu followed with 47 combined, while Gangseo-gu and Yangcheon-gu together marked 37.

Among the top five most expensive English kindergartens, three were located in Seocho-gu. The most expensive institution in the district charged over 3 million won per month, making its annual tuition 5.5 times higher than the average annual cost of university.

English preschool institutions target young children, typically aged 2 to 6, before they enter elementary school. Their kindergarten programs, grounded in holistic English education, cover a variety of subjects alongside general child care within an immersive English learning environment mostly led by native English teachers.

Under the current law, English-language preschools are classified as language academies, not kindergartens.

Article 28-2 of the Early Childhood Education Act stipulates that "the name ‘kindergarten’ or any other name similar thereto shall not be used, except for a kindergarten under this Act," barring these institutions from officially using the word in their names.