A growing number of students at schools in Yanggang Province are cutting class without permission as winter begins, Daily NK has learned.
A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Monday that more and more students have recently been going absent from schools in Hyesan.
“They are refusing to go to class because of demands for money to buy firewood for the winter,” he said.
According to the source, elementary, middle and high schools in Hyesan have been making students contribute money from early October, ostensibly to purchase firewood for the winter.
The source said Yanggang Province is a mountainous area and one of the coldest regions in the country.
“Because of these climatic conditions, schools in Hyesan burden students with firewood when winter comes,” he said.
In the past, the local people’s committees, factories and enterprises provided winter firewood to educational facilities. However, with this practice disappearing, schools reportedly take it for granted that they should obtain winter firefood by shifting the costs onto students.
However, since most students come from families that are struggling, they cannot contribute money for firewood, and are reportedly being pressured by the schools as a result.
The source said students are responding by refusing to go to school, with a noticeable rise in the number of students going absent without permission.
The source said the students are refusing to go to school because “the schools are shaming students who did not contribute firewood money in front of their classmates.”
“Some schools are even unhesitatingly telling students who could not contribute money for firewood something absurd, namely, that they shouldn’t come to school if they have a conscience,” he added.
In fact, one homeroom teacher at an elementary school in Hyesan told a student who did not provide money for firewood that his parents “lacked a conscience,” and that they should find some way of paying for firewood for their children “no matter how difficult life is.”
Thus, as the days get colder, teachers are pressuring students to bring firewood money, even excluding them from class by telling them to go home and come back with the cash.
One high school student in Hyesan — unable to ask his parents for the money because of the household’s tough financial situation — reportedly spends all day wandering around outside after lying to his parents in the morning about going to school, returning home later at night.
The source said in the old days, teachers would go to the homes of students who cut class to resolve the problem.
“But now, they don’t even care if their students show up for class or not,” he said. “They’re impatiently focused on preparing firewood for winter.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
