East Asian early childhood education reforms

East Asian governments are implementing regulations to restrict competitive academic testing for young children to mitigate developmental pressure.

In Thailand, the Ministry of Education issued a directive to halt competitive examinations and ranking systems for students under the age of six. To protect brain development and emotional growth, schools are directed to replace traditional testing with developmental assessments, such as observing communication skills and self-help abilities through student portfolios.

South Korea is set to implement an amendment to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons starting October 1, 2024. This law prohibits academies and private tutors from conducting written, oral, interview, or practical tests—including performance-based evaluations like problem-solving—for the purpose of recruiting young children or assigning them to specific levels. The measure specifically targets the ‘4-year-old exam’ or ‘7-year-old exam’ phenomenon, where academies have used entrance exams or external scores like TOEIC to select students or divide classes.

While diagnostic observations or consultations are permitted after enrollment with parental consent, they must use descriptive feedback rather than scores or rankings. Violators face administrative fines of up to 3 million won, and severe cases may result in teaching suspensions or imprisonment. Despite the upcoming ban, civic groups like World Without Worry About Private Education report that some academies are already promoting special holiday classes for children aged 4 to 7. Critics suggest further regulations may be necessary to prevent loopholes such as the use of ‘trial lessons’ or portfolios to circumvent the ban.