The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 5th that it will invest a total of 95.2 billion won this year to expand its "Teacher-to-Child Ratio Improvement Project," which reduces the number of children per daycare teacher to two—below the legal standard of three children per teacher.
The initiative was launched to ease operational burdens on daycare centers struggling with declining enrollment due to low birth rates. The core objective is to reduce workloads for childcare teachers and improve care quality by providing subsidies for personnel and operating costs.
Seoul first introduced the program in 2021 as a nationwide first, gradually expanding coverage to classes for ages 0, 1, 2, and 3, as well as classes for children with disabilities. The number of supported classes grew from 110 in 2021 to approximately 1,500 last year and will double to 3,000 this year.
Starting this year, new national government funding for age-0 classes will enable all such classes in Seoul to achieve the improved 2:1 ratio. The city plans to concentrate its own budget on classes for ages 1-3 and children with disabilities to fill gaps in national subsidies, ensuring all infants and toddlers receive equal access to high-quality care regardless of age or type.
Under the program, teachers in age-1 classes are expected to care for four children, age-2 classes for six children, and age-3 classes for ten children. Age-3 classes will see the largest reduction, from 15 to 10 children. Teachers in classes for children with disabilities will be responsible for two children each.
An impact analysis conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family found positive outcomes at daycare centers with lower ratios: teachers spent more time on individual observation and interaction with children, while safety incidents dropped to approximately one-third of pre-program levels.
"Reducing the number of children per teacher is a proven policy that delivers three benefits: improved working conditions for childcare teachers, safer care environments, and greater parental trust in daycare centers," said Ma Chae-sook, Director of the Women and Family Affairs Office at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "In addition to age-0 classes now receiving national funding, we will strengthen support for ages 1-3 and children with disabilities to ensure all young children receive high-quality care."
