Age Culture, School-Entry Cutoff and the Choices of Birth Month and School-Entry Timing in South Korea

Abstract

This study explores how the age culture and elementary school-entry cutoff in Korea affect the decisions of parents on both birth and school-entry timing for their children. There is a traditional method of age calculation in Korea that is different from other countries, and Korea also has a distinctive age culture influenced by Confucianism. Korean age culture, which prescribes standards of behavior according to age, influences parents' decisions about school-entry timing as it relates to the child's Korean age and its effects on age group identity and peer relationships in school. This study suggests that the distinctive age reckoning and culture strongly affect school-entry timing. This study also provides evidence that deliberate birth-month selection exists in Korea and shows that the birth-month selection is related to school-entry timing.

Keywords: Birth timing selection, Confucian age culture, Korean age reckoning, School-entry cutoff, Educational achievement

JEL Classification: I20, I28, J13