North Korea’s Hamgyongnam-do People’s Committee Education Bureau has begun in earnest to realize the ‘strengthening of the educational foundation’ raised at the 11th plenary session of the 8th Central Committee of the Party. In particular, the education support project is being promoted as a major priority, but sources have reported that there is no actual government support and the responsibility and burden is left to teachers and parents on the front lines.
A source from Daily NK in South Hamgyong Province said, “According to the decision of the plenary meeting, the Provincial Bureau of Education ordered schools to renovate and modernize through the education departments of city and county people’s committees on the 4th.” “For this, teaching supplies and equipment are needed, but national support is not enough. “It is completely non-existent,” he said.
According to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party, Chairman Kim Jong-un ordered at this plenary meeting to strongly push for school reconstruction and modernization as a national project, saying, “The state will take full responsibility for school supplies, teaching supplies, and educational equipment, and provide the best possible care to educators and students.” “We must move firmly in the direction of providing business and learning conditions,” he emphasized.
However, the reality is far removed from these guidelines. The reality is that school modernization is virtually impossible without financial support from parents.
The principal of a high-end middle school in Hamheung City (our high school) held a teachers’ meeting after receiving instructions from the Provincial Bureau of Education and said, “Cooperation with parents is essential for the modernization of laboratory rooms and the issue of teaching aids, so homeroom teachers should work well with parents. It is said that he put pressure on teachers, saying, “If not, be prepared to give up your class.”
Principal Lee is said to have nipped in the bud the complaints raised among teachers, saying, “When have we ever run a school with the support of the government?”
The source said, “It is common here (in North Korea) to raise funds through parents when installing computers or repairing facilities in the name of school modernization.” One teacher said, ‘I don’t have a magic pen, so I end up pouring ink on a sponge.’”
In fact, teachers on the front lines are pointing out that ‘strengthening the educational foundation’ will be nothing more than an empty slogan unless essential government support, such as the supply of educational equipment, is provided.
Meanwhile, in relation to strengthening teacher capacity, which was also emphasized at this plenary meeting, the Provincial Bureau of Education plans to strengthen the role of teaching institutes that manage and supervise teachers’ reeducation and promote inspection from the end of this month to mid-March to evaluate teachers’ ability to write teaching plans. instructed to do so.
In particular, it has been reported that teachers are complaining about the heavy workload as the inspection guidelines have been issued to review not only existing teaching plans but also teaching plans for the new school year.
The source said, “In preparation for the inspection, teachers are working on writing teaching plans all day long,” adding, “It is said that the teaching team, with a small group of about 5 people, travels to dozens of schools in the district in a short period of time to compare and inspect teachers’ teaching plans. “This is a situation where the school has to take responsibility for even the smallest details, including lunch,” he said.
“Teachers are under pressure because of censorship,” the source said. “Despite this, there is no material support for the convenience of teachers’ lives, so teachers complain and are pessimistic about their situation, saying, ‘I am making a living with useless work.’”
Source: www.dailynk.com
