The National Education Commission is debating extending the school day for first- and second-graders, with supporters saying it could reduce reliance on hagwons and teachers warning it would only delay the after-school care gap. The first public debate on the proposal was held Thursday at the National Assembly Library with the National Assembly Futures Institute and the Korean Educational Development Institute. Researchers cited a large instructional-time gap with OECD averages, while union leaders called the plan a false fix and pushed for other reforms.
Second-grade students at Jungpyeong Elementary School in Nowon District, Seoul, leave school with bright smiles after a ceremony marking the start of summer vacation in July. Yonhap
The National Education Commission is debating extending the school day for first- and second-graders, sparking a clash between policymakers and educators.
Supporters argue that aligning instruction time with the OECD average will reduce parents' reliance on private tutoring centers, known as hagwons in Korean. However, teachers' groups warn that longer classes will merely delay the daily after-school hagwon cycle without solving the underlying gap in after-school care.
