North Korea is reforming the educational systems at Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and Kang Pan Sok Revolutionary School, as well as introducing teacher evaluation systems and improving facilities. Through these efforts, the authorities appear intent to bolster loyalty among the young elite by improving their education environment.
Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and Kang Pan Sok Revolutionary School are North Korea’s most prominent educational institutions for children of the elite. In fact, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the creation of curricula that set the schools apart from ordinary schools in October of last year.
“[While visiting Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School] he praised the two schools as models of the highest standards, and ordered that education at revolutionary schools be differentiated from the curriculum of ordinary schools. He further said that unique educational content and teaching methods be created at revolutionary schools so that children — the core framework of the revolution who will carry on the feats of the future revolution — are cultivated into top talent,” a Daily NK source in North Korea said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
During his visit to the school, Kim also said that “turning Red Flag Mangyongdae Revolutionary School into a model school nationwide in teacher education, a school above all other schools that all educational units look up to, is the principled demand of our party’s strengthening of revolutionary schools.”
According to the reporting partner, “Kim ordered [school authorities] to return to the time when the revolutionary schools were first founded and renew educational content and teaching methods at a fundamental level. He ordered that educational standards at revolutionary schools be improved so that they become nationwide models of pan-national science and technology talent cultivation and intermediate educational curricula.”
Starting April 1, 2024, the two revolutionary schools are set to launch specialized educational programs using textbooks from No. 1 high schools and technical high schools. The new educational programs will employ a variety of educational methods, including debates, experiments, practical training and team activities.
As part of the renewal efforts, the authorities also plan to significantly increase psychological training and implement mutual debate periods for the students, all measures aimed at cultivating students into well-socialized individuals with outstanding talents in many fields, the reporting partner said.
“In fact, Kim’s on-site instruction that revolutionary schools must firm up the core framework of the revolution by raising students as brilliant talent who work unconditionally for the nation and take charge of the future actually led to the enactment of the Prodigy Education Law.”
In February, North Korea passed the Prodigy Education Law during the 24th Plenary Meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly. According to North Korean state-run media, the new law included provisions to establish and strengthen a well-organized education system for gifted students with a view to cultivate outstanding talent in specialized fields. The law also dealt with measures related to selecting students for gifted education institutions, establishing educational doctrines, and guaranteeing educational conditions.
FIRING TEACHERS AND STAFF WHILE IMPROVING TEACHER ACCOUNTABILITY
North Korea has also crafted several systems to strengthen the capacity of teachers at the two revolutionary schools.
“The plan is for students to evaluate teacher quality and class content for each department and subject after completing their end-of-year exams, and for this to be reflected in human resource decisions,” the reporting partner said. This suggests North Korea intends to bolster the capacity of teachers and improve the quality of education by adopting a “teacher evaluation system.”
Meanwhile, a sweeping replacement of teachers at the revolutionary schools was carried out after Kim’s on-site guidance visit, the reporting partner said.
“Last December, the authorities conducted a test of all teachers at the revolutionary schools, despite the fact it wasn’t the time when teachers take the state’s teacher placement exam. This January, school authorities announced who would be discharged or transferred based on the test results. Afterwards, they selected outstanding male and female teachers with good backgrounds from Kim Il Sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education and Pyongyang Teachers Training College, inducted them into the military, and gave them positions teaching specialized subjects. They also replaced most of the staff [in the two schools]. People with low levels of loyalty or sincerity and people who commuted from far away were the first to be retired.”
The authorities are also taking pains to address the facilities and meals at the two revolutionary schools, the reporting partner said.
“The facilities, divided into indoor and outdoor spaces, are being repaired. Inside, they plan to replace all the cafeteria, dormitory and classroom equipment. Outside, they are carrying out an order to repair the cracks and repaint old buildings, including the main halls built during the time of Kim Il Sung, along with replacing the windows with aluminum frames.
“As for meals, they’ve reestablished the daily menu amounts, with the Organization and Guidance Department directly approving the monthly meal plans for students 8 to 10 years old, 11 to 14 years old and 15 to 18 years old. The plan is to provide seafood, meat, grain, vegetables, fruits and even snacks suitable for promoting [healthy] growth.”
Ultimately, the North Korean authorities desire to firmly maintain their socialist system by raising the loyalty of young members of the elite.
“Students who experienced the changes in the revolutionary schools after Kim’s visit took even more pride in the fact that the party considers them the core framework of the revolution, and even their parents are pledging to continue their loyalty through the generations. Both the students and their parents are welcoming [the changes].”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of reporting partners who live inside North Korea and China. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
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