Go to a consultation and the explanation begins with "here at our kindergarten". But the institution is not a kindergarten. This difference does not end with the name. A different law applies, and so what a parent can check and what a parent can demand are different too.

Kindergartens and academies fall under different laws

A kindergarten is a school under the Early Childhood Education Act. It delivers a curriculum (the Nuri curriculum), teacher qualifications are set in law, and it is subject to information disclosure.

An English academy for young children is an academy under the Private Teaching Institutes Act. It registers by declaring its subjects and fees, and follows the fee cap set by the metropolitan or provincial office of education. It has no obligation to deliver the Nuri curriculum, and the qualification requirements for its instructors differ from those for kindergarten teachers.

So using the word "kindergarten" leads parents to mistake the two for the same kind of institution. That is why the law prohibits the use of the term. Ministry of Education inspections have repeatedly found academies using "English kindergarten", "Kindergarten" and "preSchool" on their websites and blogs.

Check 1: is it registered as an academy?

The first thing to look at is whether it is registered. A registered academy has a registration number, and its courses, capacity and fees are declared. The registration certificate must be displayed inside the premises, so you can check it on a visit, and it can also be looked up on the office of education's academy information service.

There are three items to check: whether it is registered, the subjects declared, and the fees declared. The point is to see whether those three match how it actually operates.

Check 2: do the declared subjects match the actual lessons?

An English academy for young children registers by declaring the subjects it teaches. Yet cases have been noted of academies declaring only "English" while also running mathematics, arts and physical education.

Ask for the timetable, and if there are subjects other than English, ask on what basis they are run. Check where and how their cost is included as well.

The sentence to use in the consultation is simple: "Which subjects have you declared as taught, and which of those do the classes on this timetable fall under?"

Check 3: what is included in the fee?

An academy is subject to a fee cap, but charges other than the teaching fee can be taken separately: materials, supplies, transport, meals and snacks, special activities and so on.

The real burden only becomes visible when those are added together. Compare monthly fees alone and the institutions look similar; add the extras and the ranking often reverses. The surest approach is to ask for a written, itemised statement of "what is actually paid over a year".

Does this mean you should not send your child?

No. This article does not make the choice for you. But knowing that you are choosing an academy rather than a school makes it clear what to check.

• Is it a registered academy?
• Do the declared subjects match the actual lessons?
• What is the annual total of the teaching fee plus all other charges?
• What are the daily teaching hours and the class size?

How to build a language environment in the early years is covered separately in Early Development. Read alongside the choice of institution, it makes the judgement easier.

In summary

There is no such institution as an "English kindergarten" in law. An English academy for young children is the accurate name, and using the word kindergarten is in itself unlawful. So if the word "kindergarten" keeps coming up in a consultation, start by asking how the institution describes its own legal status. A great deal follows from that answer.