Education of Children in DPRK
In November 1989 the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. Protecting children’s rights is an important issue which is decisive of the future of countries.
It is a consistent policy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to attach importance to children and ensure their rights and interests on a preferential basis.
The state provides 12-year free compulsory education to all the children. The universal 12-year compulsory education is a system consisting of one-year pre-school course, five-year primary school course and six-year middle school course. What is worthy of note here is that it is an advanced compulsory education system whereby all the children receive education until they reach working age, a people-oriented system whereby the state bears all the expenses for educating them. Thanks to this legal protection, all the Korean children learn to their heart’s content under excellent educational conditions provided by the state.
The country has many islets inhabited by a small number of persons including lightkeepers. Surprisingly, there is a school in such an islet without exception. It is part of the country’s education system to build a school for several children in the islet and send a teacher. This is a system which takes into consideration the rights of children to the protection by their parents. Such an educational system would be hard to find in any other countries.
The following fact clearly shows how much importance the country gives to the education of children. When several areas in the northern part of the country were afflicted by flooding in late July, the state bestowed benevolence on the children in the stricken areas.
The ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and the government directed national efforts to building houses for the victims. But as it was expected two or three months would be needed to complete the housing construction and stabilize the living of the victims, they took a crucial measure of bringing all the students and other children of the afflicted families to Pyongyang and providing them with care and education in a safe and convenient environment entirely at state expense. Accordingly, the children in the disaster areas could receive education without interruption in Pyongyang under the care of the state.
According to the local media, among the families of flood victims preschoolers numbered more than 2 190, students over 4 380.
There is another fact that should not be overlooked.
The country takes all necessary measures so that all students will have no difficulties in their studying. It provides satchels, notebooks, school things and other items to all the children across the country at low prices, virtually free of charge.
