North Korea is promoting a nursery support program, with local organizations and officials eagerly participating because program success factors into their own performance reviews.
“August and September of this year have been designated a nursery support period. On Sept. 1, the Hamhung party committee and people’s committee carried out an interim assessment of the nursery support program and issued follow-up orders,” a source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK recently.
The source said the Hamhung party committee and people’s committee have posted signs at each nursery entrance indicating the patron organization to ensure supplies are evenly distributed. The two committees have also instructed organizations to arrange nursery repairs—both inside and outside—as part of their support.
The committees announced plans to conduct a final assessment of the nursery support program at the end of September. The assessment will focus on the amount of supplies provided and the extent to which nursery conditions have improved. The results will directly impact the performance reviews of the organizations and officials involved.
This has motivated organizations and enterprises to work overtime supporting nurseries.
Organizations scramble to meet support targets
For example, the Hamhung Knitwear Factory delivered 50 kilograms of rice, gauze handkerchiefs for children, and 500 diapers to its assigned nursery and arranged for window replacement.
The nursery’s original windows had been replaced haphazardly whenever one broke, resulting in mismatched colors and filthy glass. The nursery looks much better now after the factory arranged for all windows to be replaced uniformly.
In the past, parents were solely responsible for all nursery repairs, both inside and out. However, during the two-month nursery support period, organizations and enterprises have taken over this responsibility, providing supplies and arranging repairs, according to the source.
Nursery directors have eagerly awaited the support period, when they feel more comfortable requesting needed supplies and repairs from patron organizations and enterprises.
“While organizations and enterprises had already been sponsoring nurseries and kindergartens informally, that support wasn’t linked to their performance reviews. But establishing the nursery support period in 2022 left organizations with no choice but to support their nurseries. Since their performance is subject to public review, managers at organizations have been taking things much more seriously,” the source said.
Nursery staff are delighted to see gradual improvements in facility conditions, the source added.
However, others note that the laborious aspects of nursery support typically fall on the shoulders of low-level clerks and workers at organizations and enterprises.
“Whenever the nursery support period rolls around, workers at the bottom of the hierarchy have to pick up the slack by donating cash or goods and helping with various tasks. Improving nursery conditions is a noble cause, but many are frustrated that the burden falls on ordinary workers,” the source said.
