The education bureau in Pyongsong, South Pyongan province, is forcing all high school seniors to take university entrance exams regardless of their post-graduation plans.
“The Pyongsong education bureau announced at the beginning of the month that all graduating seniors in the city would have to take the preliminary exam, with no exceptions. The order has more to do with keeping students at school than benefiting them academically,” a source in South Pyongan province told Daily NK recently.
North Korea’s preliminary exam is comparable to South Korea’s college entrance exam. The test is administered to all students seeking admission to vocational colleges or universities.
But since admission is limited to spots permitted by the regime, the preliminary exam is essentially meaningless for most graduating seniors.
“A relatively high percentage of students in Pyongsong take the preliminary exam, but the test-taking rate is abysmal in rural areas like Maengsan and Mundok counties. It’s pointless for rural students who can’t afford college to take the preliminary exam,” the source said.
Students uninterested in meaningless tests
While college-bound students diligently study for the preliminary exam, students planning to join the military or start careers show no interest in taking an exam that won’t affect their futures.
“For students who lack the resources to attend college, going to class is drudgery. That’s why graduating classes are generally relaxed, and homeroom teachers’ instructions typically go in one ear and out the other,” the source said.
Boys in the graduating class run off to play soccer or video games as soon as class ends, while girls discuss business opportunities or other ways of making a living.
Teachers don’t actually expect seniors to apply themselves to studies and do well on the preliminary exam. Instead, they just want to guide classes to graduation while keeping students out of trouble—which can involve relationships, fights, alcohol and cigarettes.
This suggests the ulterior motive behind the Pyongsong education bureau’s order for all graduating seniors to take the preliminary exam was keeping students on school grounds.
“The point is to keep graduating seniors politically sharp before they start their careers. Forcing them to take the test has nothing to do with academic achievement—rather, it’s just one more mechanism of control,” the source said.
