유치원과 어린이집 격차 완화를 위한 로드맵 연구(Ⅰ): 교사를 중심으로

Abstract

The Moon Jae-in administration, established in 2017, has been concentrating on ‘reducing disparities’ to realize its vision for the nation, “A Nation of the People, a Just Republic of Korea”. It is stated in Policy Task 49: “strengthen educational services from early childhood to higher education” to relieve disparities between the fields of early child education and early child care. Thus this study aims to support the 49th policy task by suggesting policy directions, measures and a roadmap based on the results of examining and analyzing the disparities existing between kindergartens and childcare centers.

Korean and overseas literature was conducted along with an advisory meeting with field related experts and a policy research execution conference with government officials. A 5-session public workshop for service providers (kindergarten and childcare center faculty), service recipients (parents), third party (non field-related citizens), and government officials. A survey to examine the perceived disparities between kindergarten and childcare center teachers was conducted to 912 principals, teachers and parents. Three delphi surveys on teacher training professors, kindergarten and childcare center principals and teachers, and government administrators were also carried out.

The results of the research are as follows.

First of all, as the departments for teachers of kindergartens and childcare centers are separate, disparities in regulations for status and status guarantee, qualification and training, duties and roles, employment and placement, treatment and welfare, and retraining and professionalism improvement were discovered to exist. Differences were also present depending on the type of establishment, location, and size. Through the public workshop it was found that most non field-related citizens perceived the gap in wage and duty between as appropriate as childcare teachers provide care whereas kindergarten teachers education, and acknowledge the time, effort and cost of qualifying as a kindergarten teacher. The Survey revealed that principals were mostly concerned with the expertise of the teachers whereas teachers with employment conditions. The type of service was the main criteria when parents selected a service, differentiating childcare centers and kindergartens in some cases. When reducing the inequality in working conditions, narrowing the gaps in level of education, qualification, duties and roles, professionalism were perceived as a precedence. Also efforts to achieve congruity in teacher duties and schedules were viewed necessary. Through the delphi surveys led to detailed policy development and showed the significance, feasibility and order of priority of the suggested policies in the aforementioned six domains: status and status guarantee, qualification and training, duties and roles, employment and placement, treatment and welfare, and retraining and professionalism improvement.

Accordingly, policies should focus on enhancing professionalism in teachers of both domains to improve the quality of education and care, and annual roadmaps from 2019 to 2023 are presented in regards to the six domains (status and status guarantee, qualification and training, duties and roles, employment and placement, treatment and welfare, and retraining and professionalism improvement). In order to deliver the suggested roadmaps, the following are the suggested policies regarding the system, finances and administration. Discrepancies due to the separate systems of education and care, unifications in qualification, training, employment, placement, guideline for teaching/care hours and schedule are called for. Legislation of a special law to raise the status of early childhood teachers, a standard salary class and grounds for government aid, a common retraining and quality care systems are also required. In regards to finances, transference of the Nuri curriculum aids to the labor finances, and placement of additional assistant staff are suggested. The administration of each service will also be beneficiary with a centralized department and delivery system.