Tuition subsidy plan for foreign toddlers insufficient: NHRCK

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The National Human Rights Commission of Korea criticized the Ministry of Education on Thursday for insufficient subsidies and kindergarten programs for foreign children, urging the government to take action.

“Initially, the Ministry of Education stated that it would investigate ways to expand its tuition program subsidies further than it is now. However, not only is their plan to do so insufficient, but no concrete data has been submitted to back up its plan,” said the NHRCK. “The Education Ministry’s response alone to our call cannot be constituted as a clear acceptance of the NHRCK’s recommendations.”

On July 6, the NHRCK issued an official statement, calling on the education minister to establish a committee with relevant central administrative agencies and experts to come up with a detailed plan to expand preschool and kindergarten subsidy programs for foreign national children.

“Given that many parents who are migrant workers are not economically active or have limited Korean language skills, it is even more important to provide educational support for these parents’ children,” the NHRCK said in July.

In response, the Ministry of Education stated on Oct. 27 that it will begin to subsidize foreign children's kindergarten tuition fees starting from March 2024. The ministry also added that if its plan to merge kindergartens and day care centers into a single educational institution passes, foreign children attending day care will also be able to receive such expenses by 2025.

Regarding the Ministry of Education's tuition subsidy plan, the NHRCK stated that it was insufficient, as the Education Ministry failed to provide a road map to accomplish the aforementioned goals.

"While the Ministry of Education stated its goals to achieve its subsidy plan by 2024 and 2025, there isn't a clear action plan that shows how they're going to put it into action," Cho Hyun-wook from NHRCK's child rights division told The Korea Herald. "The ministry needs to provide a clear timeline that shows when they plan to achieve what and how it plans to initiate the tuition subsidy plan. They should also cooperate with relevant administrative agencies and experts to actualize their plan instead of making a brief statement."

Currently, under Article 24 of the Early Childhood Education Act the Ministry of Education subsidizes educational expenses for children aged 3 to 5 to help them access preschools and kindergartens for a nominal fee. This subsidy, however, is only available to children with Korean citizenship. The South Korean government offers free tuition for elementary, middle and high school students for both Korean and non-Korean students.

The NHRCK emphasized that the subsidy should be given to all children to provide equal educational opportunities for everyone, following the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Korea signed in 1991.

By Lee Jung-joo(lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com)