Starting on the 1st of next month, new education regulations
come into effect in North Korea that will see students receive an additional
12th year of mandatory state schooling. This means that some students preparing for the new semester are having to deal with substantial new costs.
Speaking from North Pyongan Province, a source told Daily
NK on the 31st that following the restructuring of the school
system in the period since last August, students there have been paying $5 per head in classroom maintenance and redecoration costs.
The education shake-up means has also meant the division of the former six-year high school curriculum into two separate three-year institutions. For some students, this means travelling extended distances to school.
“Many students now face a long commute, so they want their parents to buy them bicycles,” she explained. “Parents worried about children having to travel 20-ri (8km) to school are spending around $60 on second-hand ones.”
Some of the other costs incurred by all students include school
uniforms. During the Kim Il Sung era, students received uniforms as ‘gifts’
from the state, but the onset of the Arduous March in the 1990s saw this halt,
and from the early 2000s uniforms have been purchased at official state prices.
However, as the state only manufactures uniforms for distribution once every two
years, many people also purchase them privately, which costs $3-4, or
KPW25,000.
“Other items needed for the new semester like shoes are $7,
and book bags are $10, so that all comes to at least $25,” the source said. “Most parents
want to see their children succeed, but it does translate into a significant
economic burden.”
However, it is not all bad news. “Contrary to most people’s expectations, people starting Year 12 this semester have actually received their textbooks from the state,” she added.
