Integration of kindergartens and daycare centers means merging childcare facilities such as kindergartens and daycare centers into one. It's not just about integrating names, but a lot of things are combined, such as the competent department and faculty of each facility.

Integration of kindergartens and daycare centers has long been intended to be implemented. The reason is that although the two institutions operate for the same purpose, the competent departments of kindergartens and daycare centers are different from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, respectively, resulting in a lot of educational gaps, as well as administrative and legal differences.

Kindergarten teachers generally have to obtain a kindergarten full-time teacher's license after completing a teaching course at a four-year university, while childcare teachers can obtain a childcare teacher's license with a professional bachelor's degree and a required course.

Because it hasn’t been easy to integrate these two different teacher training courses, integration of kindergartens and daycare centers has not yet been achieved.

Here are some points regarding the pros and cons of kindergartens and daycare center integration, 1. The professionalism of daycare center teachers increases. Integration of kindergartens and daycare centers increases the difficulty of obtaining certificates for childcare teachers, who have been pointed out for their somewhat low expertise as they become infant school teachers, so they can systematically educate and manage children.

2. You can receive uniform administrative treatment by one institution. If an institution manages infant school teachers, systematic and uniform administrative processing is possible in the administrative system or management. As a result, administrative costs will be greatly reduced, and a more specialized and diversified industrial structure is likely to be formed.

3. Children's starting lines should not be different as they enter elementary school. Assuming that infants attending daycare centers and infants attending kindergartens enter elementary school, the starting line is clearly different between the two groups. In terms of education, it is highly likely that children educated by kindergarten teachers with expertise are ahead of the starting line compared to daycare children.

L.L.F reporter Ji-Min Kim