South Korea Questions Cram School Culture and Childhood Stress

Academic pressure in South Korea has intensified to the point that many preschoolers now take private extracurricular classes, prompting concern from the human rights commission and lawmakers. Government data cited in the report says about 80 percent of school-aged students receive some form of private education, and the market reached $20.3 billion in 2024.

The story focuses on hagwons, or cram schools, concentrated in neighborhoods such as Daechi, where entrance ‘‘level tests’’ for children as young as 4 are common. The educational ecosystem around hagwons includes study cafes that enforce focus, soundproofed "Therapy Zone" boxes and a competitive atmosphere in which some students spend dozens of hours a week on extracurricular classes.

Those pressures have raised worries about children’s mental health. Parents recounted tragedies and growing anxiety, and experts cited rising symptoms of depression among young children.

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