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This is noteworthy news for multicultural families and foreign residents raising infants and toddlers attending daycare centers and kindergartens.
The Korean government has decided to merge kindergartens and daycare centers into one. It's not about merging right away, but it's been done in stages since 2025.
Why are you merging?
Currently, kindergartens (ages 3-5, centered on education) are managed by the Ministry of Education and the Office of Education, and daycare centers (ages 0-5, centered on childcare) are managed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and local governments.
It is almost the same facility, but the entity that manages it is different, and the criteria for the facility and the budget to receive support are different, which only increased confusion. Depending on which facility you attend, the amount parents pay will also vary.
In response, the Korean government decided to merge the two child care facilities into one to raise the level of early childhood education and care.
how do you put it together?
It is said to be divided into two stages. First of all, we decided to set up a detailed plan by creating a ‘Reservation Integration Promotion Committee’ in which the government, teachers, parents, and experts participate within the Ministry of Education.
In the first phase (2023-2024), it was decided to reduce the educational and childcare gap between the two facilities, kindergarten and day care center, to lay the groundwork for merging the two. First, we decided to combine the budget, establish teacher selection standards, and unify the curriculum.
In the second stage (2025-2026), they say that kindergarten and daycare center will be combined in earnest. When the integration is completed in 2026, the new educational institution will be managed by the Ministry of Education and the Office of Education.
Are there any obstacles?
If you combine the two facilities, you will also have to combine the teachers working in the kindergarten and daycare center, which is said to be the biggest problem.
This is because current kindergarten teachers may have to graduate from the department of early childhood education at a junior college or higher and obtain a kindergarten teacher's license. In particular, teachers at national and public kindergartens are public officials in education, so they have to take a fierce employment test.
However, it is relatively easier to become a daycare teacher because you only need to obtain a second-level childcare teacher license after graduating from a junior college.
So kindergarten teachers are against the government plan. They say that it is unacceptable to become a kindergarten teacher after passing a difficult exam, but becoming like a daycare teacher who easily obtained a license. So, some kindergarten teachers are showing signs of taking part in protests.
Foreign mothers and fathers should also remember that daycare centers and kindergartens in Korea are in the process of merging.
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