Grades dominate parent talks with elementary students

Conversations between parents and elementary school children in South Korea are increasingly centered on academic performance rather than aptitude or future aspirations, coinciding with rising levels of depression among younger students. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Education, the proportion of elementary school students who said they discuss their grades or academic performance with their parents every day rose to 30.5 percent in 2025, up from 25.7 percent five years earlier.

By The Korea Herald