As the quality of education in North Korean schools declines, an increasing number of parents are asking their children to be tutored, Daily NK reported.
An official from South Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Thursday on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, “Recently, as the quality of school education has declined, more parents in Hamheung City are hiring private tutors for their children. “There is,” he said.
He added that parents used to hire tutors for foreign languages such as English and Chinese, or for singing, dancing and musical instruments, but now they are also hiring tutors for learning Hangul.
According to officials, the school environment in Hamheung is so bad that elementary school students are unable to read and write Hangul correctly.
The situation is similar in Esan City, Ryoedo Prefecture. A ministry official told Daily NK: “The level of schooling is so low that children cannot read or write Hangul. Parents now have to hire private tutors for their children.”
Sources acknowledged that teachers were treated so poorly that the quality of education declined.
Sources in South Hamgyong Province said that teachers currently receive “only 1 gram of rice even if they are at school from morning till night,” adding that teachers are facing difficulties and are “trying to go to school a little in the morning.” I'll leave as soon as I come,” he added. To make money. Can teachers concentrate on teaching under these circumstances? After all, students spend more time playing than learning in school. ”
When parents in Hamheung City of elementary school children realized that their children didn't know math or Korean, they asked, “What on earth are the students learning at school?'' The answer she got was that teachers “often leave school by telling students to study quietly and alone.”
“She didn't know who to blame because she knew what teachers were up against,” the source said. She said she hired a tutor because she felt she had to take responsibility for her child's education.
The problem is that while public education is collapsing, parents are relying on private tutors, creating educational disparities. The educational gap between children who receive private education with the help of wealthy parents and those who do not is widening.
Officials from Ryōe Province say that while there has always been a disparity between children from wealthy families and children from poor families, the “sad reality'' is that parents' financial strength determines their children's educational level. “Not only is this happening again, but it seems to be getting more and more serious,” he said with bitterness. It gets worse over time. ”
He added, “In such a situation, parents who are unable to even feed their children properly are becoming increasingly frustrated. He says he hopes the government will show some consideration.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lawler.
Daily NK works with a network of intelligence sources in North Korea, China and other countries. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous. To learn more about Daily NK's network of news partners and information gathering efforts, please visit our FAQ page here.
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