The Ministry of Education in Korea announced on July 29 a policy plan to lower the age of elementary school entry from six to five from 2025. This policy aims to increase the birth rate and increase the economically active population and also intends to expand public education to provide high-quality education equally in the country. However, this plan might not help us be able to achieve those goals, even if it were executed. Kindergartens are not mandatory, and most children are receiving education appropriate to their developmental stage from early childhood teachers with expertise.

  A child's concentration maintenance time is 15-20 minutes. Elementary school teachers say that the most difficult grade to teach is the first grade. Because they have low concentration, they should develop cognitive, emotional, and physical development through activities. I wonder if they will be able to sit still for 40 minutes when they enter elementary school one year earlier. The policy did not consider the development of children at all. Moreover, an education policy usually has a three-year notice system. However, the policy was suddenly proposed without considering the opinions of people who are directly affected. This proposal was not appropriate from the start. So, the resignation of the minister was inevitable.    It is necessary to ensure that when making an education policy, public opinion must be reflected. Education-related policies are not decided only by the education minister. Many people, including teachers and students, have a lot of complaints about the nation's current educational system. This is the result of prioritizing the efficiency of the policy rather than the opinions of the people. I hope policymakers should think about who will be affected by the policy and listen to their opinions first.

By Jeong Myeong-jun, Sophomore, Department of Korean Language Education