In South Korea, children start their formal education at age 6 with elementary school. Prior to elementary school, many children attend kindergarten or preschool starting around ages 3-5. Here is an overview of the South Korean education system and typical ages for starting school:
Preschool (Age 3-5)
Many Korean children attend preschool (called 유치원 or yuchiwon in Korean) starting around age 3. Preschool is not compulsory in South Korea but the majority of children do attend. Preschool provides activities and early education to help prepare children for elementary school. The preschool curriculum focuses on areas like language skills, early math concepts, motor skills development, and social/emotional skills.
Kindergarten (Age 5-6)
The year before starting elementary school, most Korean children will attend kindergarten (called 어린이집 or eorini jip in Korean). Kindergarten builds upon the preschool curriculum to further prepare children for elementary school. The kindergarten curriculum covers:
- Language development
- Early literacy skills
- Basic math concepts
- Science activities
- Music and art
- Social and emotional learning
Kindergarten aims to foster essential skills like listening, speaking, reading, writing, and social interaction to help smooth the transition into elementary school.
Elementary School (Age 6-12)
Formal schooling begins at age 6 with elementary school (초등학교 or chodeung hakkyo). Elementary school runs for 6 years from Grades 1-6. The core elementary school curriculum includes:
- Korean language
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Physical Education
- Music and Fine Arts
- Practical Arts
- English
Elementary school lays the foundation across academic subjects while also developing students’ physical, social, and emotional skills.
Middle School (Age 12-15)
After completing elementary school, students advance to middle school (중학교 or jung hakkyo) for grades 7-9. The middle school curriculum covers core subjects like:
- Korean language
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social studies
- Physical education
- Music and art
- Technology/Home economics
- Ethics
In middle school, students begin to focus more deeply on academic subjects in preparation for high school.
High School (Age 15-18)
Korean high school (고등학교 or godeung hakkyo) runs for 3 years from grades 10-12. Academic pressures intensify in high school as students prepare for the challenging national college entrance exam (수학능력시험 or Suneung). The high school curriculum includes:
- Korean language
- English
- Mathematics
- Korean history
- Social studies/Ethics
- Science
- Physical education
- Music/Art
- Vocational education
Students choose either a humanities or science-focused curriculum in high school based on their future academic interests and careers.
Conclusion
In summary, the typical progression of schooling in South Korea is:
- Preschool: Age 3-5 (optional)
- Kindergarten: Age 5-6
- Elementary School: Age 6-12
- Middle School: Age 12-15
- High School: Age 15-18
Formal compulsory education begins at age 6 and runs for 9 years until middle school. High school continues until age 18 in preparation for university entrance exams. With this structured education system and cultural emphasis on academic achievement, South Korean students consistently rank among the top performers globally in academic assessments.