[lg policy] Korea lifts English education ban

[Harold Schiffman]

Korea lifts English education ban for first, second graders
Posted : 2019-03-14 15:57
Updated : 2019-03-15 09:42
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www2/common/morelist.asp?categorycode=704&id=mj6c2>
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_265365.html#>
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_265365.html#>
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_265365.html#>
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_265365.html#>
1.3K
No Elementary school student is too young to learn English. Not anymore.
gettyimagesbank
By Jung Min-ho

Lawmakers have approved an amendment to revert the policy banning English
education for first and second graders at elementary schools.

The National Assembly passed the amendment Wednesday to allow first and
second graders to learn English in after-school classes. The move comes
only a year after the policy came into force to prohibit all English
classes for children "too young to learn a foreign language."

After introducing the policy, the Ministry of Education was criticized by
teachers and parents alike. Many said the policy would only deepen the
English gap between the rich and the poor, who cannot afford expensive
private education.

Given that English is not a regular subject for first and second graders,
if they want, they will be allowed to learn English in after-school classes
from next semester.

Initially, the ministry defended the policy, saying it was in line with the
Constitutional Court's 2016 ruling that found its ban on intensive English
education for first and second graders constitutional. The court said
teaching them Korean and English simultaneously could hinder their
development of Korean proficiency.

But many scholars were skeptical, saying learning a foreign language at an
early age outweighs its negatives ― if there are any ― in the long term.


mj6c2 at koreatimes.co.kr More articles by this reporter
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www2/common/morelist.asp?categorycode=704&id=mj6c2>
<http://ktimes.pressreader.com/>

Korea wrong to stop teaching English to young children: experts
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_242341.html>
The government’s policy to ban English education for children who are “too
young” is based on the assumption that teaching them Korean and English
simultaneously may hamper their m...
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_242341.html>
Tens of thousands of English teachers to lose jobs
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_242114.html>
About 7,000 afterschool English teachers at elementary schools will lose
their jobs in March when the new policy comes into force for first and
second graders. When the Ministry of...
<https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/03/181_242114.html>

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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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