"Short-Term Gains from Early Private Education Have Limits in Building Future Competitiveness"

[Financial News] An expert in cognitive science has said that academic private education for infants and young children, which repeatedly drills them in problem-solving to improve short-term scores or speed, is unlikely to lead to long-term competitiveness. The key capability needed in a rapidly changing future society is not simply the acquisition of knowledge but problem-solving skills. Such skills are developed most effectively when children construct knowledge for themselves through everyday activities and play, the expert explained.
The Ministry of Education said on the 13th that it will hold a parent discussion event, titled "A Parent Discussion Forum on Improving Perceptions of Private Education for Infants and Young Children," for parents in the Seoul metropolitan area on the 14th at L Tower in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, together with the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education and the Korea Cognitive Science Society.
Ryu Jeh Kwang, president of the Korea Cognitive Science Society, is scheduled to examine the limitations of academic private education from a cognitive-science perspective during a special lecture at the event.
Ryu explained that the "short-term performance gains" from private education, which temporarily raises scores and speed through repeated practice, are fundamentally different from the "transfer of learning" that remains in the mind over time and can be applied to new situations. Short-term results produced through mechanical repetition are difficult to apply when circumstances change. By contrast, learning tailored to the developmental characteristics of infants and young children can lead to the "transfer" of knowledge to new environments, he analyzed.
Ryu identified problem-solving skills as a core capability future talent must possess and presented five abilities that support it: "problem discovery and representation," or recognizing what needs to be solved; "transfer of learning," or applying what has been learned to new situations; "metacognition," or examining one’s own thoughts and learning; "cognitive flexibility," or changing methods and trying again; and "perspective shifting and collaboration," or sharing ideas and developing solutions together.
Ryu emphasized play as the most effective way for infants and young children to learn these abilities. He advised that play is the optimal form of learning because it balances exploring new approaches with repeating activities that use methods children have already learned, allowing them to construct knowledge for themselves.
The event is being held for the third time, following sessions in the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions. In addition to Ryu, actor Jung Eun-pyo, Park Balgeum, a teacher at Hwawon Kkotdeul Kindergarten, and Taehyeong Kim, director of the Institute of Cognitive Science at Seoul National University and a professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering, will participate as panelists and discuss parents’ concerns about private education submitted in advance. The event will be livestreamed online through the YouTube channels of the Ministry of Education and the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education.
Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin said, "The faster the pace of change becomes, the more important competency-based education is—education that goes beyond acquiring knowledge, enables students to identify problems for themselves, and helps them create new solutions with others." He added, "We will provide thorough support so that all infants and young children can fully benefit from developmentally appropriate, play-centered education at kindergartens and daycare centers and lay the foundation for the capabilities they will need in the future. "

[email protected] Kim Man-ki Reporter