Busan education office expands 'age-5 bridge education' to daycare centers

The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced Tuesday that it will extend its "age-5 bridge education" program to daycare centers this year as part of a government-led pilot project to integrate childcare and early education services. The initiative aims to narrow the education gap between kindergartens and daycare centers while strengthening the continuity of learning from early childhood through elementary school.

On June 26, the office held an information session at its Education Research and Information Institute for directors and teachers from 33 pilot daycare centers participating in the 2026 age-5 bridge education program, sharing the policy direction for the childcare-kindergarten integration initiative. The session also covered operational guidelines, budget execution standards and best practices for projects planned in the second half of this year. "The session helped deepen policy understanding among practitioners and laid a stable operational foundation for the age-5 bridge education program at daycare centers," an office official said.

The 2026 age-5 bridge education program is a daycare-to-elementary school transition curriculum designed to help children move naturally from play-based learning rooted in the national Nuri curriculum into elementary school education. The office plans to reinforce the public education foundation suited to the era of childcare-kindergarten integration by expanding the program — which already links kindergartens and elementary schools — to include daycare centers as well.

Each of the 33 daycare centers selected through a public application process will receive 3.5 million won ($2,330) in operating funds. The pilot centers will carry out four activities tailored to their institutional characteristics and local conditions: running distinctive bridge education programs, strengthening teacher capacity, conducting parent education and outreach, and collaborating with linked elementary schools.

"Age-5 bridge education is a key task of the childcare-kindergarten integration policy, ensuring that children's learning and growth continue stably into elementary school regardless of the type of institution they attend," Busan Superintendent of Education Kim Seok-jun said. "We will expand the age-5 bridge education program from kindergartens to daycare centers so that all young children can experience high-quality education from the very starting line of learning."