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Controversy erupts over Ahn's kindergarten remark

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Presidential contender Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party speaks at a gathering of private kindergarten teachers in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap
Presidential contender Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party speaks at a gathering of private kindergarten teachers in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap


By Kim Bo-eun




A controversy is brewing over a remark presidential contender Ahn Cheol-soo made at a gathering of private kindergarten teachers in Seoul, Tuesday.

"We must refrain from setting up large-scale independent public kindergartens," Ahn said as part of his education pledges.

Public kindergartens consist of elementary school-affiliated ones and independent institutions.

Ahn's remark triggered a backlash from public kindergarten teachers and school parents.

"Controlling the establishment of large-scale independent public kindergartens is a policy that disregards parents' wishes for more government-supported education and childcare," the Korean Association of Public Kindergarten Teachers said in a statement, Wednesday.

Due to the dire lack of public kindergartens, which only account for six percent of the total institutions, parents of young children apply for multiple public kindergartens and wait for years for openings.

In addition, some parents prefer independent public kindergartens as they have larger, better facilities and the principal has expertise in preschool education, whereas school-affiliated ones are headed by the elementary school principal.

Ahn's statement also stirred politicians of rival parties, who claimed the words were a means to secure votes of private kindergarten teachers at the event.

The Korea Kindergarten Association, which hosted the event, is comprised of over 80 percent of 4,200 private kindergartens nationwide.

However, Ahn's camp said it supported the expansion of public education and that the move to control large-scale independent public kindergartens was based on the high costs of establishing them, compared to the cost-effective alternative of school-affiliated kindergartens.

This is because independent institutions need to be set up from scratch, while school-affiliated ones can share classrooms and facilities with the school.

Setting up an independent public kindergarten can cost billions of won, whereas school-affiliated public kindergartens can be opened with 60 million won, according to the camp.



Kim Bo-eun bkim@koreatimes.co.kr


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