In late September, North Korea held a meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly and, through it, announced changes to the country’s system of state education, extending it from 11 to 12 years.
Thereafter, inside sources revealed that the authorities had embarked on a recruitment drive for the revised system, which includes both academic and vocational varieties of what North Korea calls ‘middle school’, but which correlates with high school in most western states.
It has also been revealed that the system is to begin at a new time next year, something which is set to create temporary social upheaval.
An inside source explained to Daily NK back on the 11th, “The new education system will enter force in October of 2013, so that is when the students will enter middle school. The new school year will begin in October, and graduation will be in September the following year.”
With graduation changing to September from its traditional March, college admission, military service entrance and work placement dates will all need to be reorganized as well. In other words, all major administrative schedules in North Korea will have to change.
For example, North Korea’s 11-year compulsory education system currently starts in April and ends in March of the following year. Therefore, military manpower recruitment begins in late March.
However, if middle school graduation is in autumn, then military recruitment will have to wait until October. Yet, the Chosun People’s Army is not going to accept gaps at all levels of the military for six months. Such issues will also afflict industrial enterprises and farms.
Therefore, the impact of the changes is expected to spread to all levels of society. The military may have to temporarily extend service periods, while workplaces and farms may require external support.
“This is not simple educational reorganization,” the source said. “It is an attempt to change this society’s concept of time. There will probably be confusion next year.”
