Here are some facts about NK's educational system from one who lived there. As is increasingly true in our own land, education there is geared to making robots for the "system." This piece is from our new 30-day manual, available free at http://baekjeong.com .

Education in North Korea is categorized into preschool, elementary, secondary, and "higher". Preschool is a two-year program that has low level (first year) and high level (second year). Elementary includes a four-year primary school and a six-year middle school. Higher education is similar to the University system in South Korea. The undergraduate program is held in a technical college (three-year program), a college (four-years), or a university (four to seven-years). After the undergraduate program, there are research and PhD courses (two to three years).

The nation believes it has made a country where "anyone can learn." The purpose of education in North Korea is to create competent people who will work for their government. On May 5, 1977, North Korea, using the words of Kim Il-sung, announced the heart of their view of education: "All students must be educated not to follow individualism and egoism but to devote oneself for the benefit of society and government and its revolutionary actions by the law of collectivism." North Korean constitutional law also mentions in article 43, "We educate and foster a new generation who will be innovators struggling for their society and people. We will create a new communistic human being who has knowledge, virtue, and a sound body." It is clear that the purpose of education in North Korea is to train the revolutionary, armed with communistic ideology by reconstructing human thoughts.

In the six-year middle school program, there are subjects such as Revolution history of Kim Il Sung, Honored leader Kim Jong-il's revolution history, Korean language, algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry, biology, Communism and ethics, music, physical education, English, Russian, and Chinese. Not only in specifically political subjects, but also in all the others, the contents of the textbooks and the lessons are strictly geared toward the praise of socialism, patriotism, communism, anti- Americanism, anti-imperialism, "anti-puppet government-ism", and anti-religion.

However, in these days, North Korea seems to be attempting to focus on fostering competent and talented persons. For example, they started an elective course system so that students can choose what they want and learn what they actually can use. Also in October, 2002, they brought up new rules to revise their educational work to meet the current trend of the Cabinet council. Since then, North Korea has been upgrading contents and the quality of their education through innovative changes.

God is preparing to do His work and to enlarge this nation through education. We pray that only God's will may be done in North Korean education.