Spending on private tutoring rises for first time in 4 years in Seoul

South Korea's private education spending per student rose on-year in 2013 for the first time in four years with elementary students leading the trend, government data showed Thursday. Local parents spent an average of 239,000 won (US$224) per child on private education last year, up 1.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the data by the Ministry of Education and the Statistics Korea. It marks the first on-year increase in spending since 2010, according to the data based on a survey of 78,000 students attending elementary, middle and high schools around the country. The average amount elementary students spent on private education increased 5.9 percent to 232,000 won while the corresponding figure for middle and high school students fell 3.3 percent to 267,000 won and 0.4 percent to 223,000 won, respectively. By subject, per-capita spending on private education for all school subjects except English remained unchanged or fell while that for music, art and physical education increased 5.6 percent, 28.6 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively. Money spent on private education was the highest in Seoul at 328,000 won and the lowest in South Jeolla Province at 168,000 won.