ECEC Statistics of KOREA: Recent trends of Services, Enrollment, and Workforce

Abstract

·In Korea, childcare centers accommodate children aged 0-5 years, while kindergartens cater to those aged 3-5 years. ·The administration of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system in South Korea is divided between two departments: the Ministry of Education, responsible for kindergartens, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, responsible for childcare centers. ·As of 2022, there are 8,562 kindergartens and 30,923 childcare centers in Korea. ·The proportion of public kindergartens and childcare centers is gradually increasing. ·Financing ECEC Services: The budget for the Nuri Curriculum is 3,989,359 million KRW, and that for the childcare is 3,395,239 million KRW. ·The enrollment in kindergartens and childcare centers was 1,648,262 in 2022, of whom 552,812 were enrolled in kindergartens and 1,095,450 in childcare centers. ·More children are enrolled in private than in public kindergartens and childcare centers. ·The enrollment rate for children under the age of six in kindergartens and childcare centers was 74.5% in 2022. ·In Korea, the number of children receiving special education or childcare for disabled children at kindergartens and childcare centers is 21,668. ·While the staff at kindergarten and childcare center (ECEC teachers) has increased over the years, a decreasing trend has been observed recently. ·The staffing structures in kindergartens and childcare centers are different. Here is a breakdown of staff positions in each: ·The ECEC teacher certifications are composed of three levels for childcare center teachers (teacher levels 1, 2, and 3) and two for kindergarten teachers (teacher levels 1 and 2).