The Interesting Facts about Education System in North Korea

VIVA – The education system in North Korea is fully controlled by the government. Education is compulsory for all citizens for 11 years up to the secondary level. In addition, the education system in North Korea is based on socialistic ideals. Classes focus on the Korean language, math, literature, and government.

Well, here are some interesting facts about the education system in North Korea.

1. Free education fees

All education in North Korea is free of charge. Children in North Korea will go through one year of kindergarten. Then, they continue their primary education at the People's School, from ages six to nine.

After that, they will enter the secondary school from the age of 10 to 16. In North Korea, after completing secondary education, men and women are required to join the military program for a dozen years. But if the student is talented, then they can be discharged from the military.

2. The literature read by North Korean students carefully censored

UNESCO says that North Korea is one of the most literate countries at 98-100%. However, for North Korean students, their literature lectures are heavily censored. Usually, the writing upholds socialism and Kim Il-sung's concern for literature.

For example, Lim Hwa-Won's "The Fifth Photograph" indoctrinates the mind with a story from the perspective of a woman who sees the "failure" of post-Soviet Russia in the 1990s due to western influence.

A study by the Korea Institute for Curriculum Evaluation finds students spend 684 hours learning about the current leader Kim Jong-Un, his father Kim Jong-il, his grandfather Kim Il-sung and his grandmother Kim Jong-suk. North Korea states its education system is for “students to acquire the concept of revolution and endless loyalty toward the party and the supreme leader.”

In North Korea, propaganda efforts extend to education. Every classroom in North Korea displays photos of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, learning "revolutionary history" through storybooks, music, novels, and artwork closely associated with the Kim Family.

The UN Commission of Inquiry reported that North Korea's education system is based on two goals. These goals are to build loyalty and idealism for the country and to foster hatred for the enemy, namely the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

Many students who go into higher education come from royal family backgrounds. Higher education in North Korea is divided into colleges, universities, and vocational schools. One of the most prestigious schools in North Korea, Kim Il-Sung University, is extremely hard to get into.

Only students who are related to higher government officials and have good grades can sit for entrance exams. If a student is gifted in science or mathematics, they often go to the University of National Defense.