The Ministry of Education announced that it will expand free education and childcare support from age 5 to age 4 to strengthen early childhood care next year. Additionally, the teacher-child ratio for 0-year-old classes will be improved from one teacher per three children to one teacher per two children, and the number of care institutions in vulnerable areas will be significantly increased from 56 to 200.
To foster AI talent leading the future society, the ministry plans to establish a fast-track for innovative bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, and strengthen the institutionalization and support for postdoctoral researchers as part of the ‘AI Top 3 Leap’ initiative. The Ministry of Education held a ‘2026 Ministry of Education Work Report’ at the Government Sejong Convention Center on the 12th.
Support will be expanded to autonomously select and utilize AI educational materials, and ‘K-Education AI’ will be developed for universal use in classes and administration. To enable all students to use AI proactively and critically, question-centered classes and descriptive/narrative assessments will be expanded, and AI-focused schools will be gradually increased.
To strengthen national responsibility for education and care, the ministry will establish the ‘Whole Neighborhood Elementary Care and Education Model’ for cooperation between local governments and schools, and provide an annual 500,000 won voucher for after-school programs for third graders. To ensure basic academic skills for all students, the National Basic Academic Support Portal will be operated, and personalized learning content will be provided based on diagnostic results, along with the expansion of the two-teacher system in classrooms.