In Korea, the public education system begins with elementary school for children of ages 6 through 11. Middle school is for children of ages 12 through 14, and high school for teens from 15 to 17. Students can then continue on to university from age 18. As of 2004, the total number of schools in Daejeon was 521, including 209 kindergartens, 120 elementary schools, 74 middle schools, 56 high schools, 6 junior colleges, 10 universities, 41 graduate schools, and 5 other schools.

Day Care Centers
There are Day Care and educational facilities for ages between infant and child. Most have full day programs. There are both government and private day care centers. The costs vary according to age and facility, but government supported facilities are usually between 120,000 won and 230,000 won a month and privately run centers range between ..170,000 and ..340,000.

Kindergarten
Education-centered facilities are for ages 5 through 7. Most operate until 2 p.m. There are both public and private kindergartens, with public kindergartens costing around 30,000 won and private ones costing somewhere near 150,000 won a month. Most kindergartens provide school meals and operate a school bus.

Elementary School
Foreigners may attend Korean schools if so desired and may transfer into a new school while a semester is still in session. To do so you must submit to the local school record of entry and exit or Proof of Alien Registration issued to you by the Immigration Office. There are no entrance fees, tuition, or textbook fees, though teaching materials, school lunches, picnic and educational trip-related costs must be paid for by the parent.

Middle School
All grade levels in middle school are compulsory education. In Korea, students who are graduating from elementary school are informed of where they will attend middle school which is determined by a middle school entrance recommendation management committee. Anyone desiring to enter their child in a Korean middle school after having attended elementary school outside the country must have transcripts from all grades signed or sealed by the head of that elementary school, proof of attendance, documentation from your foreign government that qualifies as a family register (hojeok deungbon), proof of domestic residence, and your Certificate of Alien Registration and a copy of the same. All these items should be submitted to the regional educational authorities in order to have the child assigned to a middle school. Once assigned a school, you must then go to the school and register your child there.

High School
Students who have had nine years of education in schools located overseas or at a foreign school in Korea may enter high school. Take the same documentation discussed above and go to the secondary education section at your city or provincial office of education to receive a school assignment. Tuition is around ..300,000 for each three month period whether at public and private schools, or around ..12 million a year. Korean high schools can be particularly rigorous, and are sometimes called "university entrance hell" because students must prepare from early in the morning to late at night to receive supplementary or individual lessons following each day's regular classes, this if they want to enter prestigious universities.