Classical Greek vs. Modern Korean Early Childhood Education

"To age five they should do no hard toil nor any learning" and "[f]rom ages five to seven, children should watch others learning what they themselves will have to learn" — Aristotle on the education of the young.

Our five-year-old has just started kindergarten here in Korea. My wife is in a state of quasi-panic because some of her classmates know some of their multiplication tables. I think there's no way they could "know" them but they may have memorized them. Fortunately, the school we chose does not emphasize "learning," but many of my daughter's classmates are enrolled in afterschool programs.