South Korea ends '7-year-old exam'

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has called on the Ministry of Education to address the problem of early tutoring, notably the “7-year-old exam” held by private schools and prestigious academies (hagwon) for kindergarteners.

According to the committee, testing young children in subjects such as English, Mathematics or Programming before entering school violates children's basic rights, including the right to rest, play and comprehensive development, which are stipulated in the Korean Constitution as well as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In its call, the Human Rights Committee highlighted that the pressure to learn too early is depriving young children of age-appropriate experiences. It recommended a national survey of private preschool education, publicising the results and introducing stricter regulations for intensive curricula, particularly foreign languages.

The survey found that more than 74% of kindergartens in Seoul’s Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa districts teach English, with 10 of them using elementary school curriculum for kindergarteners. Only one school firmly opted for a game-based education model.

The “7-year-old test” is raising concerns that the South Korean education system is dominated by excessive competition, depriving children of their right to develop naturally. The committee stressed the need to take measures to safeguard the system as soon as possible to ensure that all children study in a healthy and developmentally appropriate environment.

According to The Korea Herald

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/han-quoc-cham-dut-ky-thi-7-tuoi-post746130.html