Surprise inspections of desk and chair conditions are underway at schools throughout Pyongyang. Meanwhile, parents are expressing frustration as the costs of replacing school furniture are being passed on to them.
A Daily NK source in North Korea recently reported, “Pyongyang’s education department notified schools in late April that it would conduct surprise inspections of desk and chair conditions at all elementary and middle schools in Pyongyang.” The source added, “Since May 10, education department officials have been showing up at schools without prior notice to examine desk and chair conditions.”
The inspections are linked to the education department’s March directive on “preparing school facilities inside and out before the new semester,” which emphasized furniture maintenance as a priority.
High schools have been excluded from the current round of inspections, as they will be evaluated after completing their spring agricultural support mobilization.
“Almost all high schools are currently mobilized for rice planting campaigns, so they’ve been exempted from this inspection,” the source said. “However, they’ve been notified that desk and chair inspections will begin immediately after their rural mobilization ends.”
North Korean schools have typically used desks designed for two students, but education authorities have now ordered these to be replaced with single-student desks. This directive has been met with resistance from students and parents who must bear not only the replacement costs but also ongoing maintenance expenses.
According to the source, operating costs for North Korean schools vary greatly depending on the principal’s capabilities, the presence of sponsoring organizations, and whether the school is in an urban or rural area. With minimal financial support from the government, schools without wealthy or powerful parents or sponsor organizations face significant burdens in raising operational funds.
When the desk replacement order was issued, schools demanded that students and parents cover the costs. One elementary school in Pyongyang’s Sadong District required each student to pay 50,000 North Korean won (equivalent to the price of 6-8 kilograms of rice in a local market) for a new desk, the source said.
“Parents who are struggling financially complained that they can barely afford food, let alone pay such a large sum to the school,” the source said. “Some parents even asked if their children could just sit at old desks at the back of the classroom.”
Parents have also expressed concerns about increased maintenance responsibilities. With two-person desks, students shared the burden of upkeep, but single desks place full responsibility on individual students.
“Parents have to repaint desks when they get scratched and repair them when they break,” the source said. “If authorities want new desks, the education department should provide support instead of just issuing orders.
