영유아 교육·보육 통합 데이터 체계 구축 방안

Abstract

This study investigates the current landscape of integrated early childhood education and care (ECEC) institutions and proposes a systematic framework for constructing a coherent data architecture capable of supporting evidence-based policymaking. To this end, relevant laws and regulations governing ECEC statistics, prior domestic and international research, and comparative global cases were systematically reviewed. The study further analyzed major information systems and datasets utilized in the childcare and early childhood education sectors, identified discrepancies in data items and calculation criteria, and examined the structure of information disclosure systems for childcare centers and kindergartens. In addition, expert advisory panels composed of scholars and field practitioners were convened, and in-depth interviews were conducted with parents of preschool-aged children. Drawing on these analyses, the study advances several policy recommendations. First, given the structural differences between childcare and early childhood education information systems, an immediate transition to a fully integrated ECEC system is not feasible. A phased integration strategy is therefore essential. The proposed strategy includes: (1) establishing an Integrated Information Disclosure Portal, accompanied by a unified admissions platform essential for enrollment in integrated ECEC institutions (provisionally termed “Early Childhood Schools”); (2) building an integrated financial accounting system by consolidating regionally operated systems—currently in use in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Chungnam—with the national K-edufine system; (3) developing a comprehensive ECEC information management system and data warehouse (DW); and (4) migrating the part-time childcare application and management system, presently linked to the Pregnancy･Childbirth･Parenting Portal, into the integrated ECEC platform. Second, an information disclosure framework for integrated ECEC institutions must be institutionalized. If the ECEC Integration Act is situated within the Framework Act on Education, only partial amendments to the Act on Special Cases Concerning Disclosure of Information by Educational Institutions would be required. If not, disclosure provisions must be incorporated into the ECEC Integration Act itself. Although integrated ECEC institutions differ in nature from primary and secondary schools, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and local education offices. Thus, from the standpoint of consistency, administrative efficiency, and legal coherence, amending the existing Act on Special Cases Concerning Disclosure of Information by Educational Institutions is the more appropriate legislative approach. A draft set of disclosure items for integrated ECEC institutions was developed with reference to the government’s planned announcement of the Standards for the Establishment and Operation of Integrated ECEC Institutions (Draft) at the December 16, 2024 public hearing and by examining existing disclosure requirements for childcare centers and kindergartens. The disclosure cycle should align with provisions in the Act on Special Cases Concerning Disclosure of Information by Educational Institutions. Third, the production of integrated ECEC statistics must be legally mandated. The ECEC Integration Act should establish statutory foundations for generating statistics on integrated ECEC institutions. While a survey-based approach, similar to that used for kindergartens, is possible, a system-based method that utilizes administrative data stored directly within information systems—mirroring practices in childcare centers and public kindergartens—is more desirable. This method increases data accuracy, reduces burden on institutions, and enhances overall efficiency in statistical production. If integrated ECEC institutions are incorporated into the school system under the Framework Act on Education, existing educational statistical standards should be applied. Conversely, if they constitute an independent legal category, a distinct set of integrated ECEC statistical indicators must be developed. Additionally, the ECEC Integration Act should include provisions for a comprehensive conditions survey to assess the status of early childhood education and care. The household component should survey 5,000 households with children aged 0–5, using beneficiaries of parental benefits, home childcare allowances, and ECEC subsidies as the sampling frame. The institutional survey should cover 10% of all provisional Early Childhood Schools as of April 1 of the survey year, with the teacher survey maintaining the same sampling scale. Household surveys will be conducted through in-person interviews; institutional surveys will combine on-site interviews with online responses; and teacher surveys will be administered online. Survey items should build upon existing childcare and kindergarten surveys while incorporating elements aligned with the standards for establishing and operating integrated ECEC institutions. Finally, revisions to Korea’s education indicators in the OECD Education at a Glance are warranted. The classification of ISCED 0 (early childhood education) program types and the distribution of public and private institutions require reevaluation. As integrated ECEC institutions are expected to include national/public, publicly operated, and private types (general, home-based, and workplace-based), it must be determined whether publicly operated institutions should be classified as public institutions alongside national/public providers.