English Immersion Program Ban Upheld By Korean Court

It looks like that Korean kids will be seeing less English teaching in their early elementary school years:

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the government’s order to ban English immersion programs for first and second graders in private elementary schools is constitutional.

The court ruled unanimously on Thursday that the ban could be seen as the proper means of preventing the negative impact of excessive private tutoring.

Parents of students at Younghoon Elementary School, a high-profile private school, filed a petition in December 2013 asking the court to review the constitutionality of the ban.

Under the English immersion curriculum, the school taught most subjects, such as mathematics and science, in English.

“The government’s instruction was designed to prevent parents’ excessive zeal over private education for English so that young children could grow as well-rounded people,” the court said. [Korea Times]

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