Yonhap news agency reported that the government of the Republic of Korea is mulling an idea to extend after-school care for elementary school students. The extended hour will be filled with education programs, after-school activities, sports and folk games in an effort to assist working parents when it comes to child care.
South Korea to Extend After-School Care for Elementary School Students, Aiding Working Parents
The government is planning to extend the hours from the morning, as early as 7 am to 9 am and to 8 pm in the evening. The announcement will be made by the education ministry very soon, according to the source.
At the moment, working parents, especially mothers, are finding it difficult to balance their professional careers and child care as only 30 per cent of the elementary schools provide child care only till 5 pm. As a result, many professionals decided to opt to spend more time with their children than advancing their careers. During this initial stage, the education ministry will start with 200 elementary schools in four regions this month. Once stabilised, this plan will be expanded to all elementary schools nationwide by 2025. This will involve at least 120 full-time workers and 4.2 trillion won or $3.38 million in the budget to ensure the success of the initiative.
