-, ▁six - ▁and ▁seven - year - olds ). ▁The ▁school ▁year ▁begins ▁in ▁March . ▁It ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁primary ▁school . ▁Norm ally ▁the ▁kind er gart ens ▁are ▁grad ed ▁on ▁a ▁three - t ier ▁basis . ▁ ▁Korean ▁kind er gart ens ▁are ▁private ▁schools , ▁and ▁month ly ▁costs ▁vary . ▁Korean ▁parents ▁often ▁send ▁their ▁children ▁to ▁English ▁kind er gart ens ▁to ▁give ▁them ▁a ▁head ▁start ▁in ▁English . ▁Such ▁special ized ▁kind er gart ens ▁can ▁be ▁mostly ▁taught ▁in ▁Korean ▁with ▁some ▁English ▁less ons , ▁mostly ▁taught ▁in ▁English ▁with ▁some ▁Korean ▁less ons , ▁or ▁completely ▁taught ▁in ▁English . ▁Al most ▁all ▁middle - class ▁parents ▁send ▁their ▁children ▁to ▁kind erg arten . ▁ ▁Kinder g arten ▁programs ▁in ▁South ▁Korea ▁attempt ▁to ▁incorpor ate ▁much ▁academic ▁instruction ▁alongside ▁more ▁play ful ▁activities . ▁Korean ▁kind er gart ners ▁learn ▁to ▁read , ▁write ▁( o ften ▁in ▁English ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Korean ) ▁and ▁do ▁simple ▁arithmetic . ▁Class es ▁are ▁conducted ▁in ▁a ▁traditional ▁class room ▁setting , ▁with ▁the ▁children ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁teacher ▁and ▁one ▁less on ▁or ▁activity ▁at ▁a ▁time . ▁The ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁teacher ▁is ▁to ▁overcome ▁weak ▁points ▁in ▁each ▁child ' s ▁knowledge ▁or ▁skills . ▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁education ▁system ▁in ▁Korea ▁is ▁very ▁compet itive , ▁kind er gart ens ▁are ▁becoming ▁more ▁intens ely ▁academic . ▁Children ▁are ▁pushed ▁to ▁read ▁and ▁write ▁at