공립유치원 설치·운영 현황 및 개선 방안

Abstract

The current study aimed to propose effective improvement measures for public kindergartens in South Korea by analyzing the current status of the kindergartens and recognizing related problems. Literature review offered implications on the current status and standards in terms of facilities and the operational situations of public kindergartens. Four consultative meetings with directors of public kindergartens and public officials of the early childhood education department were conducted to elicit the course for improvement. Surveys of parents, academic and field experts of early childhood education, and administrative circles were followed to examine the problems of and demands for public kindergartens. The survey results suggested the need to establish concrete standards for in terms of the construction regulations, employment and placement of administrative personnel, developmentally appropriate facilities, the maximum and minimum children capacity of the classroom, the teacher to child ratio, the minimum number of classrooms per public kindergarten, the number of mixed aged classes, etc. The study proposes the following three-level improvement procedure for public kindergartens; Level 1: the establishment of the optimal size of a kindergarten, Level 2: the integration of adjacent kindergartens, and Level 3: selective expansion and improvement of public kindergartens in big cities.