The nation's kindergartens and daycare centers are set to merge as early as 2026.

The education ministry on Thursday reviewed a plan to merge kindergarten education and daycare center childcare programs, which up until now have been managed separately by the education and the health ministry, respectively.

Following Wednesday's enforcement of a revision to the Government Organization Act, under which the education ministry has taken responsibility over daycare centers, the ministry is set to standardize the merged institution with a three-year transitional provision.

The ministry plans to collect opinions on five key tasks under the merger, including the admissions process, which is expected to prioritize enhancing convenience for parents and securing procedural fairness.

The ministry is also expected to decide between only hiring teachers certified to care for children up to five years of age, or hiring both teachers certified for children up to two years of age and others certified for caring for kids aged three to five by the year's end.

Free education and childcare, currently provided for families with children of up to two years of age, will be extended to include the three-to-five age group by 2027.