2022-2027 유아교육·보육 중장기 발전 방안 연구

Abstract

The study intended to review the outcomes and limitations of the previous 5-year plans of early childhood education and care (ECEC), and to suggest directions and key policy tasks of the next 5 year (2022-2027) Plan for the new government by reflecting upon possible changes of the future society and international trends of ECEC policy. Representative outcomes of 2018-2022 Plan of ECEC are securing finances for the Nuri subsidy until the end of 2022, expanding places for public ECEC services, initiating child-centered and play-based the Nuri curriculum, and providing child allowances to all children 0 to 7 in accordance with national agenda of the current government. On the other hand, some limitations include quality gaps in ECEC services, stable funding for Nuri subsidy after 2022, low qualification, initial training systems and low salaries of childcare teachers, high teacher-child ratios, operation of after-school services in kindergartens, and provision of seamless childcare services during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Data were gathered through questionnaires with diverse stakeholder groups including officials from 17 local governments and local offices of education, 56 experts from academia, and about 3,000 citizens including 1,000 parents of children aged 0 to 6. More than ten meetings were held with kindergarten and childcare associations and practitioners across different ECEC settings. Based on major findings of questionnaires and outcomes and limitations of previous mid-term plans of ECEC, four regional workshops were held with a total of about 80 stakeholders in order to discuss future directions and key policy tasks for the next 5 years in Korea. All responded citizens, academia and officials of local governments considered low-birth rates, causing dramatic decreases of the number of children 0 to 5, will continue to have strong impacts on ECEC policies in the future. The responded stakeholder groups emphasized health, emotional regulation, and creativity in young children. The selected priority policy tasks by the respondents are to achieve free ECEC, to integrate ECEC and to enhance quality of ECEC services.