KTU asks government to withdraw plans for earlier English instruction

According to "The Basic Plan for Developing Human Resources" English is to be mandatory in every school year, including the first year of elementary school. English is currently taught from the third year of primary school. Although the plan provides for a three-year test period before it is extended to all schools, it contains a potential danger.

Language is not just a means of communication but a key aspect of a culture. Language affects the thinking of its speakers as well as the culture where it is used. Therefore, the decision to teach foreign language courses in the public school system, especially to early-year children, requires very careful consideration and processes for collecting a variety of views and public opinion.

Unfortunately, the ministry's decision was made without consulting parents and teachers. We urge the government to withdraw the plan until meaningful consultation processes are in place, and academic and cultural considerations are addressed.

Introducing English education in the early years of elementary school could provoke parents to spend even more money on English training at private institutes, which is already an absurdly big industry. Ultimately, early English education will cause more inequality in education.

In terms of a child's developmental process, it could be confusing to have exposure to the native language and foreign language simultaneously, especially for young learners aged six to seven whose native language is not yet systematically organized. It is clear that Korean language learning would be underemphasized.

Therefore we at the KTU Elementary School Committee ask the Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development to retract the ONE-WAY plan to experiment with making English courses mandatory for grades one and two. We also ask the ministry to establish consultation procedures that will involve educational organizations and parents associations before it carries out the plan.

2006.01.12
KTU Elementary School Committee (Kim Jin-soo)

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