Discourse on the continuity between early childhood and elementary education in news articles: 2008–2025

This study examined how the continuity between early childhood and elementary education has been represented in social discourse by applying text mining to 601 news articles published between 2008 and 2025. The results are as follows. First, keywords such as ‘learning’, ‘private education’, ‘math’, and ‘English’ consistently appeared throughout the period. Second, cluster analysis revealed four core themes: psychological burdens on children and parents, academic and play-based preparation, family and societal concerns, and the developmental and curricular continuity across educational stages. Third, discourse patterns shifted over time, from a focus on academic readiness in the early years, to growing concerns over private education and parental anxiety, to pandemic-related issues such as ‘first school day’ and ‘anxiety’. In recent years, policy-related terms such as ‘early school entry’, ‘entry age’, and ‘school system reform’ have become more prominent. The findings underscore the continued emphasis on academic preparation in public discourse, revealing tensions between policy goals and social expectations.