Elementary school students in Seoul get an average of just over three hours of spare time per day during the week, a report showed Sunday, indicating growing competition even among younger age groups.

Elementary school children in the capital spend an average of 195.6 minutes per day in leisure activities, which is about the same as the 195.2 minutes for students in high school, according to the report by the state-run National Youth Policy Institute.

The report was based on a survey of 1,745 students attending elementary, middle, or high school in Seoul at the end of last year.

South Korean parents are renowned for their educational fervor, which often puts students under immense pressure to attain good grades and enter prestigious universities. Graduates of elite colleges are considered highly likely to enjoy successful careers and a stable future.

The report is seen as an indication that elementary school children, despite spending fewer hours at school than their older peers, spend much of their free time studying at private institutions and engaging in other extracurricular activities.

The average middle school student was found to spend 241.2 minutes in leisure activities per weekday, or 45 minutes more than their counterparts in elementary and high school, the report said.

On weekends, middle school students spent an average of 487.3 minutes in leisure activities, followed by 442.5 minutes for elementary school children, and 405.1 minutes for high school students.

By level of income, children from lower-income families had more free time than their peers from middle-income families, by about 15 minutes, but spent less time with their parents on weekends.

"As more and more mothers work, they have less time to care for their children, but their excessive fervor for private education has led to such results," said Kim Hye-sook, a professor of education at Yonsei University in Seoul.

The report also showed that much of the children's spare time was spent on additional studies rather than sports or hobbies, regardless of their age.

Elementary school students spent an average of 208.1 minutes of their time outside of school studying per day, while students in high school and middle school spent an average of 196 minutes and 193 minutes studying, respectively. (Yonhap News)