만5세 공통과정 시행 방안 연구: 「5세 누리과정」 개발을 중심으로

Abstract

The government announced on May 2, 2011 that it would provide all children aged 5 attending kindergartens or childcare centers with subsidies for their education and care expenses, with a view to ensuring government-sponsored high quality education and care program for all preschoolers. Against this backdrop, this study aimed to develop a common education curriculum for all children aged 5 and to suggest policy measures to establish the new system.

In terms of research methods and procedures, the kindergarten education curriculum (revised and notified in 2007) and the revised bill of the national standard edu-care curriculum (implemented as a project entrusted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2010) were compared and examined. Then, a task force to develop a Common Curriculum for children aged 5, comprised of public servants of relevant ministries, KICCE researchers, scholars and experts in early childhood education and care, was created and activated. The task force held thirteen rounds of meetings from May 11 to August 13, 2011, and organized a public hearing on August 12 to collect opinions on its draft curriculum. After some modification work, the task force submitted its final draft to the relevant ministries. The task force’s proposal was incorporated into the notification on September 5 and a title contest for the common curriculum for children aged 5 was held and the title “Nuri Curriculum for children aged 5” was selected as the official title.

The Nuri Curriculum consisted of five main areas (physical health, communication, social relations, art activities and the study of natural environment), 20 categories, 62 content areas and 136 details.

To ensure the successful establishment of the Nuri Curriculum for children aged 5, short- and mid- to long-term policy suggestions have been set out as follows.

Firstly, short-term policy suggestions include: 1) strengthening the promotion of the Nuri Curriculum among parents and the public, promoting the Nuri Curriculum among directors, public servants and other stakeholders besides teachers and provide education and training; 2) provide follow-up education and training to teachers after initial education, educate more teachers and run a pilot training program, strengthen education and accreditation for childcare teachers with a certificate of third grade or above; 3) preparing guidelines on time arrangement per main area and operation of the Nuri Curriculum suited to the needs of the concerned regions and institutions; 4) developing and presenting guidelines for mixed-age classes; 5) monitor and providing consulting support to kindergartens and childcare centers running the Nuri Curriculum; and 6) establishing a cooperative network between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Next, mid- to long-term policy suggestions include: 1) encouraging the formation and operation of five-year-olds only classes except for extremely small classes located on islands and in isolated areas; 2) shortening the grace period for childcare teachers with third-grade certificates, toughening qualification requirements for teachers to be in charge of the Nuri Curriculum to the first grade from the current first or second grade, and factor in their work experiences as well; 3) establishing an evaluation system for the Nuri Curriculum with KICCE taking the initiative; and 4) improving the conditions and remuneration of childcare teachers in charge of children aged 3 or 4.