1 - Introduction
Pyongyang, 1945. Is August 14 and the city is bustling social. 5 days before the Soviet army began a major offensive against the state of Manchukuo, Japanese protectorate in occupied China. The ultimate objective of the offensive is to free all the territories occupied by Japan, among which is Korea.
Soviet offensive coordinated with a general attack by the guerrillas, both mountain and urban warfare. The Japanese, knowing defeat
begin to evacuate and destroy all that they can not be factories, shops, government buildings and, in general, anything useful.
A day later, on August 15, ending the war in Asia. Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrenders and Korea erupted in spontaneous demonstrations celebrating the desired independence. Kim Il Sung, EPRC guerrilla leader (Revoluciario Korean People's Army) arrives in Pyongyang and gave a memorable speech, which calls for "those with power, to contribute forces, those with knowledge, which contribute to knowledge, and those with money, which donate money."
However, rhetoric aside, Korea was then a country where "those with knowledge" could be counted on the fingers. In total, in North Korea, only 9 people had higher education of some kind, most of them foreign technical schools. There were no universities and illiteracy affect 2'3 million people, mostly farmers.
Over 60 years later, North Korea has more than 290 universities, free and compulsory education of 11 years and proposes a target of intellectualizing the whole society, ie that everyone has a graduate level in higher education. Today, about 2 million people are tables with important functions in the economy, science, culture and administration in the DPR Korea. UNESCO
figure in about 1000 million illiterate adults. In addition, a fifth of the world's children have no access to education. None of them is North Korea.
This is a huge leap for a small Asian country blockaded economically and politically by imperialism. This is the first in a series of articles that examine the history of education in Korea as well as the principles on which it sits and each of the different educational stages a person passes by.
The structure is as follows. Point 1 is this introduction. Point 2 is the longest of all and includes the history of education in Korea. As later we will analyze each of the stages of education (primary, secondary, tertiary, preschool, ,...), distance in this part will not be discussed exhaustively referred to each of these stages of education, but rather major events and periods that occurred in the development of Korean educational model. At this point, for example, be analyzed educational theses published during the 70's Kim Il Sung or the campaign to abolish illiteracy in the 40's. I focus, however, to monitor year by year of the evolving education (except, of course, that correspond to a specific campaign).
Point 3 discusses the principles, ideals, methods, ... which is based on education in Korea. For example, he examines what is meant by the Juche in education.
The following items relate to each of the stages of education in Korea: primary, secondary, tertiary, preschool, education adult education for gifted ... Necessarily be repeated any idea mentioned in point 2 of the story, but overall is a systematic exposition of each of the stages.
Finally, the last two points relate to the political organizations of students, as well as special facilities for non-formal education (Great Hall of studies of the people, palaces for school children ,...).
said all that, step by analyzing the history of education in Korea.
2 - History of Education in Korea
I have divided the history of education in Korea 7 periods. In fact, education has always been in DPR Korea one of the areas in which greater emphasis has been the revolutionary government. So if we were to divide the history of North Korea in periods largely coincide with the development of education.
The first study periods of education before liberation of Korea, ie, under the Japanese occupation government. Coincides therefore with the years before 1945.
The second period runs from the liberation of the country until the beginning of the Korean War, that is, between 1945 and 1950. It is time that Korea is living the democratic revolution that education translates as universal access to education. In these years, founded the first Korean university and raises for the first time the training of nationals. On the other hand, the central campaign of this period is that of literacy, which is completed in 1949. Finally, I will close the history of this period with a school founded in 1948: Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
The third period is the Korean War (1950 - 1953), in which education is not paralyzed. It is interesting to study the radical reorganization suffered by the education system, most classrooms moving to underground locations. During the war, also most of South Korea is released and quickly began an education reform and democratic revolution.
The post-war (1953 - 1959) is a period that Korea seeks to recover prewar levels.
In the field of education, the goals will soon be much more ambitious. Thus, during these years, the school gets 100% of Korean children in primary and secondary. Finally, in 1959, all education in Korea shall become free.
During the 60's, Korea has sought to move from a democratic education to a socialist education. In the plenary session of the WPK Central Committee of August 1960, discussed the guidelines to be implemented. Thus, public education and introducing a radical reform of technical education, while establishing a comprehensive system of adult education. During the fifth period, establishing a system of technical education compulsory 9 years.
The following decade, at 70, is the period in which Kim Il Sung published his famous "Theses on Socialist Education", which develops the method, content and pedagogy of education in Korea. During this period is extended compulsory education to 11 years. This system continues today.
The last period, from the 80's, it's time that the PTC intends to intellectualize the whole society, that is, get everything Korean has a university graduate level.
The education issue focuses some of the discussions of the Fifth and Sixth Congress of the WPK. Are important steps taken to advance the goal of intellectualizing the whole society, as the National Congress of Workers of Education or the recent projects of Internet usage in education.
2.1 - The situation before the liberation (1905 - 1945)
Until 1905, Korea was an absolute monarchy with relative independence. Ri dynasty was in power during 500 years, withstanding the pressures Japanese (who in the sixteenth century began an armed invasion of the peninsula) and Chinese (who came to collect taxes in return for respecting the independence of Korea).
In 1905, Korea was invaded by Japan in the framework of Russia-Japan war. In it, Korea will definitely lose its independence, the ri dynasty is dethroned and the peninsula became the basis of the subsequent Japanese invasion of the rest of Asia.
Unlike proclaiming their propaganda, the Japanese system is not modernized Korea. It is true that started relatively large infrastructure projects, including dams, heavy industry and railroads. But all this was done for the benefit of Japan. For example, the industry is placed preferably on the east coast of Korea, to export directly to Japan. The railroads followed paths derived from the needs of war in Japan and over 90% of Korean trade with Japan, on favorable terms for the latter. Cities like Chongjin
blast furnaces were very harmful sanitary conditions for health workers. But perhaps a clearer case of humiliation is the fact that during the 40 years of occupation, over 200,000 Korean women were recruited as "comfort women" for Japan's imperial army.
The occupation regime, with its "modernization" only brought huge imbalances in the industry and a backward economy and focused on export. The dominant mode of production remained the feudal, reinforced by the treatment of tax vasallazgo Koreans. Slavery was widespread in mining and industrial centers. At the same time, it was Japan who introduced the first capitalist corporations in Korea. This meant that cities like Seoul and Hamhung to become revolutionary hotbeds. But the other
Korea was forged in the cities, with the help of the urban proletariat. The new Korea was born in the northern mountains, with the guerrillas. The guerrillas led by Kim Il Sung anticipated many of the characteristics of North Korean socialism.
Therefore, the history of Korea before the release is the story of the clash between two visions of society, a class struggle between two modes of production in Genesis. Let us analyze more in depth.
2.1.1 - The education under Japanese colonial rule
education under colonial rule was designed to turn Koreans declared "subjects of the empire."
All this in a context in which it was clear the national culture of Korea, policy measures clearly fascist.
Japanese is taught as mother tongue was forbidden to use Korean in public. This was a serious problem, since the Korean and Japanese are more grammatical and syntactical distance Castilian, French and Romanian among them. Later, he even banned the Koreans speak their language in familiar settings. Who challenged the linguistic rules faced fines and imprisonment.
suffered not only the language niponización this process: the policy of "renovation of the name" forced Koreans to change their name to a Japanese. Korean cities and towns also changed its name.
This totalitarian cultural policy extended its tentacles, of course, education. In addition to imposing the Japanese schools as "mother tongue", the colonial regime banned the study of history and geography of Korea, replacing the history of the Japanese Empire.
Other subjects to be studied in schools in Korea were "moral" and religion (Shintoism).
Anti-communism and militarism were key points on which sat this educational model, not only because they appear repeatedly in all subjects, but because the Japanese placed in all schools "advisors" to control education. In 1941, with the start of the Pacific War, these advisors became purely military.
At the same time, all students in Korea began to use military uniform. Soon, many students began to be recruited under the humiliating label of "volunteer." Since 1905, Korea experienced a curious process regarding educational model. The previous neglect of the ri dynasty to education meant that students had had no choice but to go to small private schools which taught elementary education. Japan came across this heritage when he invaded Korea and was a problem for its target to control everything. Therefore, Japan closed from el principio las escuelas privadas e instaló escuelas públicas.
De esta manera, en 1910 (5 años después de la invasión) había 2200 escuelas privadas en Corea. 9 años después, la mayoría habían cerrado, quedado en activo 737. En 1925, éstas se redujeron a 690 y 5 años después sólo quedaban 47.
En cualquier caso, la educación en la Corea colonial era un privilegio: sólo el 4'6% de los niños en edad escolar estaban matriculados. Por supuesto, el acceso a la educación tenía un carácter de clase. Un ejemplo es la Escuela Secundaria Nº3 de Pyongyang, que de 971 alumnos no tenía ninguno de familia obrera o campesina.
Even for those who had access to education, it was basic and generally did not extend more than 3 years.
Earlier I mentioned the fact that in North Korea was not a single university. In the south, in Seoul, there Kyongsong Imperial University, the only one in the country. But in class line of colonial rule, only the Japanese residents in Korea could access it.
On the other hand, the methodology used in schools was completely inhuman. Not encouraged a critical or creative. On the contrary, it was an appointment system, with constant repetition texts by students. Military discipline was imposed as a means of inculcating submission to the future "subjects of the empire", including corporal punishment and all kinds of coercive methods.
In short, education under the colonial regime had a clear political purpose: to enslave Korea. Tried to delete the culture, language, critical thinking and even the right to education. This is the reason why a major weapon of the guerrillas was education.
2.1.2 - A project for the future: the guerrillas and education.
The guerrilla war in Korea has numerous precedents of struggle,
armed both in organized as spontaneous actions. But early in the decade of the 30 when
truly born communist guerrilla Kim Il Sung.
The fight did not arise to take power immediately, and that Japanese imperialism was booming and the horizon is not a defeat near sighted. The feeling of despondency was not the only negative aspect facing the Korean guerrillas. In addition, Japan had achieved some success in demobilizing ideologically Koreans, through brutal campaign of anti-communism, submission to the Empire and religious consciousness.
These two aspects made the guerrilla strategy be structured in the medium and long term. Therefore, the EPRC is proposed to establish liberated areas in which they could demonstrate the validity of his project, by example.
guerrilla bases in these new schools were created. Of course, lacked good materials: books, study, teachers and even, sometimes, buildings. But the goal was paramount and many guerrilla cadres came to play the role of teachers. Kim Il Sung himself wrote several manuals that were used as teaching material. Other guerrilla leaders were sent to different areas released to start school.
Examples are many: Wangquin, Yanji, Hunchun, Helong, Kalun, Guyushu, Wujiaz ... This includes areas of Manchuria where they lived many Koreans. Furthermore, in the liberated areas promoted the political organization of students, through the Association of Korean Children and Young Communist League of Korea.
contents were technical education, general knowledge, and especially políticoideológicos. This was intended precisely to counter the intense campaign of anti-Japanese communist propaganda. By understanding the Korea began to be born free.
In any case, the areas comprising the communist guerrillas were mainly the north and east. What happened then in the cities?
There are certain parallels between the urban strategy of the guerrillas of the Korean and Cuban guerrilla Fidel. As the guerrillas had no presence in the cities, Kim Il Sung developed the 10-point program of the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland. This text, May 1936, was a common strategy with urban groups from left and he read:
"Delete slave labor and education, oppose the forced military service and military education of youth and children , provide instruction, based on our own language and our alphabet, and implement compulsory free education. "
The underground movement in the cities established night schools and private schools illegal. They taught the Korean writing and history and geography of Korea.
Also, Korean students were the vanguard of the First Popular Uprising of March, and students staged numerous strikes, especially in Kuangju (now South Korea). Some of the slogans that led the fighting was "Live Korean Independence!", "The abolition of the colonial education system!", "Out of Korea the Japanese masters!" Or "Freedom of expression! ".
These demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the Japanese military regime and eventually failed. The abolition of the colonial education system would only come with the final defeat of Japan on August 15, 1945.
2.2 - Liberation (1945 - 1950)
Korea was, for 5000 years, a single country. In the 40's, no one doubted his nation status. The various conferences held by the great powers during the Second World War (1939 - 1945) agreed set itself the goal of achieving the independence of Korea was occupied by Japan.
The war ended on August 15, 1945. The Soviet Union had declared war on Japan only 6 days earlier. According to bilateral agreements between the USSR and the United States, Korea would be released north of 38 by the first and the south by the Americans. The agreement would be formed collecting temporary management areas supervised by the two countries. By 1948, foreign troops should withdraw from Korea, free elections would be held across the country and form a single national entity.
So much for theory. In reality, the Soviets were the only free time came to hand. Even so, defeated the Red Army in Korea only major Japanese military enclaves, leaving large areas unoccupied. To coordinate with the Korean guerrillas, it freed itself many cities and towns.
Meanwhile, the Yankees were far from Korea. While hostilities lasted, the United States was not able to set foot on the peninsula. The first American troops set foot on Korean soil three weeks after the war ended.
This does not mean that South Korea remained until now in Japanese hands. Koreans themselves disarmed the army occupying the country and popular committees were formed quickly. They began a popular revolution in the country.
In fact, it was in South Korea where the committees had more strength, because that is where are the big cities and most of the underground communist movement.
Americans and Soviets had not counted on this survey. The difference is that while the Soviet administration was able to respect the autonomy of the popular committees and gave them legal entity, the Americans became repressed and political enemies of the new regime.
Since then, North Korea and South Korea have gone their separate ways: some independently and others like puppets of Americans.
2.2.1 - The democratic ideal: the first reforms.
popular committees were not created by the guerrillas, in the same way that the Soviets were not created by the Bolsheviks. This does not mean that the committees were hostile to the new power. Instead, the guerrillas saw the people's committees a real organ of power of people.
Therefore, one of the first steps of Kim Il Sung after the liberation guerrilla cadres were sent to areas where there were still no people's committees for the organizers.
All belongings of the Japanese were put under the control of people's committees. Public schools also came to be addressed by the committees.
However, the people's committees and their leaders had no experience in administration. This is due to two reasons: first, Japan had pursued a policy of exclusion against the Koreans. On the other hand, North Korea excluded from the collaborationist government. Therefore, for all people involved in committees, was the first time they exercised management tasks.
This caused some chaos during the first months. During this time, some private and religious schools that were closed during the Japanese occupation, reopened their doors.
Aware of the chaos that was created, the provisional revolutionary government decided to open a Bureau of Education in November 1945. That same month, approved the Provisional Measure for School Education in North Korea. A year later, in December 1946, he passed another to enlarge. With these two measures were combined aspects such as the continuity between different stages of education, the holiday period, the duration of the school year ... Also laid the foundations of democratic education system, which was defined as a universal right to the same access to everyone, "regardless of place of origin, gender and education as the same age."
This meant the abolition of "special" education, that during the Japanese rule gave different models of Japanese and Korean education. It also meant that private and religious schools were gradually passing into public hands.
The new measures adopted in 1945 and 1946 also included a complete revision of the curriculum. The contents were removed and subjects reactionaries and fascists and Moral History of Japan and Shintoism. In return, he began studying at primary school and a Korean language course called Pueblo. If earlier, the Japanese education was to make the Koreans' subjects of the Empire ", the new education, and this particular subject, trying to give the Koreans the knowledge necessary to become autonomous subjects capable of participating actively in building the new popular regime. In other words, the subject turned to the Korean People in "popular subjects."
In high school, introduced the study of Korean literature and geography, banned before, and the social sciences. All these matters require new textbook. The government chose to bring the few experts and knowledgeable people in Korea to write, before going abroad. It also mobilized all North Korean printers, so that in 1947 the school year began with new textbook. That year was the first that truly began to feel the new democratic education, focusing on giving general knowledge about nature and society, with a distinctly political to form a new subject of education. It also contained a novel target in Korea aesthetic form and fitness of young people.
However, much remained to be done. The legacy of the past still weighed heavily in Korea. On the one hand, the content of education, none was Korean. The classes were full of examples based on characters, heroes, scientists, leaders and foreign countries, but Korea was conspicuous by its absence.
On the other hand, the methodology used in schools from the colonial era was still very widespread: corporal punishment, coercive methods, study through Appointment and Repeat ... In mid-March 1947, convened a National Education Workers. Kim Il Sung personally presided over the ceremony. It is contextualized the historical moment in which they lived, with great strides, but criticized the errors. Specifically, it called for a new teaching method, based on creativity, persuasion and critical thinking and categorically prohibited insulting or beating the students. It was decided to launch a mass campaign in schools, to correct errors and promote moral activist, while beginning the campaign against illiteracy, school representatives convened elections are held hygiene campaigns and appeared the first art festival. In this way, schools were no longer just a place to study to become a truly popular center.
The goal towards advancing education in North Korea, and in 1936 had made the 10-point program was universal compulsory education. In March 1946, the electoral platform driven by left-wing democratic parties and pledged to "introduce a universal compulsory education system and increase the number of primary and secondary schools, technical institutes and the public."
Therefore, since 1946 began two parallel campaigns. On the one hand, it mobilized the people of each village, town and city in the country to rebuild schools, through a mass campaign. On the other hand, spent an astronomical amount of education, especially in the construction of school buildings
. 19% of the budget was to stop in 1946 for educational purposes only.
In 1946, only a year after liberation, had 2482 operating primary schools and 217 secondary schools by 1379 and 44 which respectively had only 2 years earlier. In 1949, primary schools and 3861 were all over the country and the secondary 968.
Government established a revolutionary principle very characteristic of Korean socialism: to build schools where there were children there, regardless of their number. In fact, small villages with 10 or 20 children from all courses, also began to build their own school. The school construction bill included the measure in his school had no children over 4 km.
School construction became a true national priority. In September 1948, Kim Il Sung visited Kangwon Province on the east coast of Korea. He criticized local officials for more funding for the construction of government buildings (buildings political parties, buildings ,...) popular committee that the construction of schools. The message was clear: do not be repaired in spending on education.
2.2.2 - Training of national cadres, the establishment of the first university.
One of the major problems faced by the Korean education during the first years of revolution, was the alarming lack of pictures. There were no experts, teachers and professionals ready to begin teaching. Obviously, this problem also affected the Administration and Economics.
The provisional government was clear that the solution was found an early college. However, there was no consensus on how to get there. On the one hand, there were those who argued that there were no real conditions for founding a university, so it was better to establish departments, which could later be grouped and universities.
However, a majority of the government believed the opposite. Due to the lack of pictures, the worst thing you could do was disperse in different departments. The decision was to found a university that would serve as "mother" for the subsequent establishment of more universities.
Still, this did not solve the problem of finding who was to teach the classes. This was a new debate about the issue or not to invite foreign teachers in Korea. It was decided that other teachers could invite socialist countries, but as a last resort. There you'll prioritize teachers in Korea itself.
A step in this direction was the personal invitation letter that he wrote Kim Il Sung progressive professors and experts residing in South Korea. The letter offered them work in the construction of a new Korea, contributing their knowledge in the first Korean university history. According began to arrive from South Korea several new teachers, Kim Il Sung met them personally one by one.
On September 15, 1946, barely a year after release, he founded the first university of the people in Korea. Named after the guerrilla leader who fought for the liberation of the country, Kim Il Sung. At the opening ceremony attended by the first 1500 students.
The ceremony was full of optimism and pride. But the reality was that everything was going to do yet. The new university has not had its first building. The state was constructing the No. 1 Kim Il Sung University, at a cost too high for the day: 30 million won. Kim Il Sung proposed to increase that budget to 130 million financing the increase with a huge mass mobilization campaign.
For this, the state launched its entire propaganda machine, calling all people to put their two cents in the project. A farmer in Hwanghae Province, called Je Won Kim, served as an example. Je Won Kim, who had benefited from the recent reform in the country, donated surplus rice harvest. It was the first donation of a long campaign. By August 1948, 16,700 farmers had made their donations "Rice patriotic."
addition, the city of Pyongyang and the South Phyongan Province, workers, clerks, members of Union of Children and housewives, volunteered to participate in the work of the building. Kim Il Sung contributed to her 16 times.
A year later, on October 10, 1948, the building was finished. Again, it was a grand ceremony to celebrate.
One of the aspects that are looked after from the beginning at the University was that everyone could go with full assurance that it would form. In this way, and in 1946 implemented a 3-year course in college, to prepare people between 15 and 35 who had not received secondary education.
If in 1946 there were 1500 students in 7 faculties by 1947 the number was 8 schools and 3813 students. In 1948, the number of trainers double the figure for 1946.
In this way, could face the following step: create 10 new universities. Three of them came from departments of the University Kim Il Sung who separated from her and gained autonomy: Pyongyang Institute of Technology (now Kim Chaek University of Technology), Pyongyang Medical Institute and the Institute of Agriculture, Pyongyang ( which has now moved to the city of Wonsan).
In 1949, the number of 76'500 estudinates was almost 10 times more than the previous year. There were already 15 universities spread over different provinces and in December the first class graduated in the history of Korea.
Another matter of concern to the government and in 1947 was access to higher education for people working class and peasantry. That year, he made a study of the class composition of students. It was noted that most were children of workers. So in May 1947, the state began to give a stipend to all students in technical institutes and half of the university (those with less resources). In February 1949, the stipend and covered 80% of college students.
addition, the state began to make clothes twice a year to students in higher education: once in winter and another in summer, with clothing appropriate to the temperature of each station. Higher education also was responsible for training of secondary teachers and primary. The first University of Education, whose degree is 4 years old, was founded in July 1948.
In fact, since July 1946, and were already carried out training courses for teachers. Also introduced a number of teacher training centers, at least one per province. Teachers were retrained in the colonial period with courses in pedagogy based on the democratic ideal.
1947, the number of teachers rose by 46% over the previous year and between 1946 and 1950, 4000 teachers were trained.
2.2.3 - The literacy campaign
In 1945, among the adult population North Korea had 2'3 million illiterates. Most of them, in terms of occupation, were farmers and in terms of gender, women.
The government, in launching the literacy campaign, proposed three objectives:
In April 1947 is the time to unify all types of schools for adults, forming Literacy Schools (4 months), School for Adults (primary education in two years) and Adult Middle School (secondary education in three years).
committees were also formed independent inspection to verify that in all places is successful this model of adult education.
Literacy Schools admit students aged over 12 years. The subjects were Native Language, Arithmetic, Music, People and Politics. At the end of 4 months of study, students passed an exam and received a certificate that he could read and write.
The literacy campaign was done in stages. The crucial step occurred between November 1947 and March 1948, months in which farmers can not harvest work in Korea due to low temperatures. This
were mobilized throughout the country. Many workers and peasants donated money to build schools, while politicians from different parties and others in the administration offered to teach in these schools.
in 1946 to 556'000 people were literate in 1947 to about 800,000. In August 1947, launched the "Movement Kye Ri San", following a widespread story in the press. Ri Kye San was a peasant in a remote village in Kangwon Province on the east coast. From his childhood he suffered ill-treatment and only after the liberation and land reform, improved his situation. Own initiative, decided he had to meet Kim Il Sung to tell his story and show appreciation. Requested an interview with him and was granted.
In those days, the literacy campaign was in full swing, as Kim Il Sung, after discussing the situation in the field, asked if he was studying. She said no, he looked too old to do it and already had plenty of homework in the field. Kim Il Sung had convinced him otherwise and suggested that in three months to send him a letter written in his own handwriting.
On 20 November 1947 finally reached the letter, which was published along with the whole story in the press. The "Movement Kye Ri San" was the final impetus for a campaign that ended in spring 1949, with a wide review to certify North Korea the whole country could read and write. Once certified the results, we organized a solemn event in Pyongyang, where an immense crowd said that North Korea was the first country in Asia to achieve full literacy. Meanwhile, South Korea, there were still 11 million illiterates.
2.2.4 - Revolutionary School Mangyondae
After Korea's independence in 1945, Kim Il Sung was able to visit his native village after 20 years. Mangyongdae was a poor village on the outskirts of the city of Pyongyang. In the village there was never a school of any kind.
So in Mangyongdae not only built schools at different levels, but also served as headquarters for the huge Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
This school was a promise he had always existed within the guerrillas. The school was intended for children of dead guerrillas they had education and home, despite being orphaned. The guerrillas had always been convinced that one day liberate their country and would establish a new democratic and socialist. It was worth any effort, even at the expense of their own lives, and that the State would take over his family.
Finally, the decision was taken in late March 1947 at a meeting of People's Committee of North Korea. One of the first assignment, which was launched on 5 April that year, was to bring together all orphaned children, victims Japanese repression. The Bureau of Culture and Propaganda was put to work and through radio and press have persistently said this campaign.
But the nature of Korean socialism, not waited for people knocked on the door, we sought to children in villages, towns and cities. Most surprising of all was that a commission was created to wide, composed of former guerrillas, to search Manchuria (region bordering China Korea) to children of exiled Koreans who had suffered repression of Japan. It is an act of great humanistic content, precisely at a time when the missing pictures for the administration dramatically. These posts could be occupied by the guerrillas themselves are now going to Manchuria, but they did just the opposite.
In summer 1947, most children came to school. Kim Il Sung was to receive on August 3 and asked them about their parents, many of whom had struggled for years with him.
was selected the best teachers in the country and including a picture was elected Rector of the Provincial Committee of the WPK Pyongyang. In the opening ceremony in October, announced the school's claims: not only educate children but raise them as if they were your own kids.
A year later, in October 1948, was completed the new school building. Like the building of the University, the investment was massive.
Since January 1950 he started a tradition of the country: New Year's Day, the government celebrated with children Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
The school remains open today. On our visit to Korea in September 2008 we had occasion to visit. It is an impressive complex of buildings, among which includes several buildings for different kinds of materials, a building where military training is given, the student residence and a newly built theater. Is also building a new library digital-art computer and all facilities. Of course, with sports facilities and swimming pool.
Today, students are still children of military heroes who died during labor or service to the cause of socialism in Korea.
Many leading cadres of the Democratic Youth Union (to this day, the Socialist Youth League Kim Il Sung) have studied in this school. Military cadres and also the administration. It's amazing the level of facilities, the happiness of students, the immense amount of objects that help draw education practice ...
Pyongyang, 1945. Is August 14 and the city is bustling social. 5 days before the Soviet army began a major offensive against the state of Manchukuo, Japanese protectorate in occupied China. The ultimate objective of the offensive is to free all the territories occupied by Japan, among which is Korea.
Soviet offensive coordinated with a general attack by the guerrillas, both mountain and urban warfare. The Japanese, knowing defeat
begin to evacuate and destroy all that they can not be factories, shops, government buildings and, in general, anything useful.
A day later, on August 15, ending the war in Asia. Japanese Emperor Hirohito surrenders and Korea erupted in spontaneous demonstrations celebrating the desired independence. Kim Il Sung, EPRC guerrilla leader (Revoluciario Korean People's Army) arrives in Pyongyang and gave a memorable speech, which calls for "those with power, to contribute forces, those with knowledge, which contribute to knowledge, and those with money, which donate money."
However, rhetoric aside, Korea was then a country where "those with knowledge" could be counted on the fingers. In total, in North Korea, only 9 people had higher education of some kind, most of them foreign technical schools. There were no universities and illiteracy affect 2'3 million people, mostly farmers.
Over 60 years later, North Korea has more than 290 universities, free and compulsory education of 11 years and proposes a target of intellectualizing the whole society, ie that everyone has a graduate level in higher education. Today, about 2 million people are tables with important functions in the economy, science, culture and administration in the DPR Korea. UNESCO
figure in about 1000 million illiterate adults. In addition, a fifth of the world's children have no access to education. None of them is North Korea.
This is a huge leap for a small Asian country blockaded economically and politically by imperialism. This is the first in a series of articles that examine the history of education in Korea as well as the principles on which it sits and each of the different educational stages a person passes by.
The structure is as follows. Point 1 is this introduction. Point 2 is the longest of all and includes the history of education in Korea. As later we will analyze each of the stages of education (primary, secondary, tertiary, preschool, ,...), distance in this part will not be discussed exhaustively referred to each of these stages of education, but rather major events and periods that occurred in the development of Korean educational model. At this point, for example, be analyzed educational theses published during the 70's Kim Il Sung or the campaign to abolish illiteracy in the 40's. I focus, however, to monitor year by year of the evolving education (except, of course, that correspond to a specific campaign).
Point 3 discusses the principles, ideals, methods, ... which is based on education in Korea. For example, he examines what is meant by the Juche in education.
The following items relate to each of the stages of education in Korea: primary, secondary, tertiary, preschool, education adult education for gifted ... Necessarily be repeated any idea mentioned in point 2 of the story, but overall is a systematic exposition of each of the stages.
Finally, the last two points relate to the political organizations of students, as well as special facilities for non-formal education (Great Hall of studies of the people, palaces for school children ,...).
said all that, step by analyzing the history of education in Korea.
2 - History of Education in Korea
I have divided the history of education in Korea 7 periods. In fact, education has always been in DPR Korea one of the areas in which greater emphasis has been the revolutionary government. So if we were to divide the history of North Korea in periods largely coincide with the development of education.
The first study periods of education before liberation of Korea, ie, under the Japanese occupation government. Coincides therefore with the years before 1945.
The second period runs from the liberation of the country until the beginning of the Korean War, that is, between 1945 and 1950. It is time that Korea is living the democratic revolution that education translates as universal access to education. In these years, founded the first Korean university and raises for the first time the training of nationals. On the other hand, the central campaign of this period is that of literacy, which is completed in 1949. Finally, I will close the history of this period with a school founded in 1948: Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
The third period is the Korean War (1950 - 1953), in which education is not paralyzed. It is interesting to study the radical reorganization suffered by the education system, most classrooms moving to underground locations. During the war, also most of South Korea is released and quickly began an education reform and democratic revolution.
The post-war (1953 - 1959) is a period that Korea seeks to recover prewar levels.
In the field of education, the goals will soon be much more ambitious. Thus, during these years, the school gets 100% of Korean children in primary and secondary. Finally, in 1959, all education in Korea shall become free.
During the 60's, Korea has sought to move from a democratic education to a socialist education. In the plenary session of the WPK Central Committee of August 1960, discussed the guidelines to be implemented. Thus, public education and introducing a radical reform of technical education, while establishing a comprehensive system of adult education. During the fifth period, establishing a system of technical education compulsory 9 years.
The following decade, at 70, is the period in which Kim Il Sung published his famous "Theses on Socialist Education", which develops the method, content and pedagogy of education in Korea. During this period is extended compulsory education to 11 years. This system continues today.
The last period, from the 80's, it's time that the PTC intends to intellectualize the whole society, that is, get everything Korean has a university graduate level.
The education issue focuses some of the discussions of the Fifth and Sixth Congress of the WPK. Are important steps taken to advance the goal of intellectualizing the whole society, as the National Congress of Workers of Education or the recent projects of Internet usage in education.
2.1 - The situation before the liberation (1905 - 1945)
Until 1905, Korea was an absolute monarchy with relative independence. Ri dynasty was in power during 500 years, withstanding the pressures Japanese (who in the sixteenth century began an armed invasion of the peninsula) and Chinese (who came to collect taxes in return for respecting the independence of Korea).
In 1905, Korea was invaded by Japan in the framework of Russia-Japan war. In it, Korea will definitely lose its independence, the ri dynasty is dethroned and the peninsula became the basis of the subsequent Japanese invasion of the rest of Asia.
Unlike proclaiming their propaganda, the Japanese system is not modernized Korea. It is true that started relatively large infrastructure projects, including dams, heavy industry and railroads. But all this was done for the benefit of Japan. For example, the industry is placed preferably on the east coast of Korea, to export directly to Japan. The railroads followed paths derived from the needs of war in Japan and over 90% of Korean trade with Japan, on favorable terms for the latter. Cities like Chongjin
blast furnaces were very harmful sanitary conditions for health workers. But perhaps a clearer case of humiliation is the fact that during the 40 years of occupation, over 200,000 Korean women were recruited as "comfort women" for Japan's imperial army.
The occupation regime, with its "modernization" only brought huge imbalances in the industry and a backward economy and focused on export. The dominant mode of production remained the feudal, reinforced by the treatment of tax vasallazgo Koreans. Slavery was widespread in mining and industrial centers. At the same time, it was Japan who introduced the first capitalist corporations in Korea. This meant that cities like Seoul and Hamhung to become revolutionary hotbeds. But the other
Korea was forged in the cities, with the help of the urban proletariat. The new Korea was born in the northern mountains, with the guerrillas. The guerrillas led by Kim Il Sung anticipated many of the characteristics of North Korean socialism.
Therefore, the history of Korea before the release is the story of the clash between two visions of society, a class struggle between two modes of production in Genesis. Let us analyze more in depth.
2.1.1 - The education under Japanese colonial rule
education under colonial rule was designed to turn Koreans declared "subjects of the empire."
All this in a context in which it was clear the national culture of Korea, policy measures clearly fascist.
Japanese is taught as mother tongue was forbidden to use Korean in public. This was a serious problem, since the Korean and Japanese are more grammatical and syntactical distance Castilian, French and Romanian among them. Later, he even banned the Koreans speak their language in familiar settings. Who challenged the linguistic rules faced fines and imprisonment.
suffered not only the language niponización this process: the policy of "renovation of the name" forced Koreans to change their name to a Japanese. Korean cities and towns also changed its name.
This totalitarian cultural policy extended its tentacles, of course, education. In addition to imposing the Japanese schools as "mother tongue", the colonial regime banned the study of history and geography of Korea, replacing the history of the Japanese Empire.
Other subjects to be studied in schools in Korea were "moral" and religion (Shintoism).
Anti-communism and militarism were key points on which sat this educational model, not only because they appear repeatedly in all subjects, but because the Japanese placed in all schools "advisors" to control education. In 1941, with the start of the Pacific War, these advisors became purely military.
At the same time, all students in Korea began to use military uniform. Soon, many students began to be recruited under the humiliating label of "volunteer." Since 1905, Korea experienced a curious process regarding educational model. The previous neglect of the ri dynasty to education meant that students had had no choice but to go to small private schools which taught elementary education. Japan came across this heritage when he invaded Korea and was a problem for its target to control everything. Therefore, Japan closed from el principio las escuelas privadas e instaló escuelas públicas.
De esta manera, en 1910 (5 años después de la invasión) había 2200 escuelas privadas en Corea. 9 años después, la mayoría habían cerrado, quedado en activo 737. En 1925, éstas se redujeron a 690 y 5 años después sólo quedaban 47.
En cualquier caso, la educación en la Corea colonial era un privilegio: sólo el 4'6% de los niños en edad escolar estaban matriculados. Por supuesto, el acceso a la educación tenía un carácter de clase. Un ejemplo es la Escuela Secundaria Nº3 de Pyongyang, que de 971 alumnos no tenía ninguno de familia obrera o campesina.
Even for those who had access to education, it was basic and generally did not extend more than 3 years.
Earlier I mentioned the fact that in North Korea was not a single university. In the south, in Seoul, there Kyongsong Imperial University, the only one in the country. But in class line of colonial rule, only the Japanese residents in Korea could access it.
On the other hand, the methodology used in schools was completely inhuman. Not encouraged a critical or creative. On the contrary, it was an appointment system, with constant repetition texts by students. Military discipline was imposed as a means of inculcating submission to the future "subjects of the empire", including corporal punishment and all kinds of coercive methods.
In short, education under the colonial regime had a clear political purpose: to enslave Korea. Tried to delete the culture, language, critical thinking and even the right to education. This is the reason why a major weapon of the guerrillas was education.
2.1.2 - A project for the future: the guerrillas and education.
The guerrilla war in Korea has numerous precedents of struggle,
armed both in organized as spontaneous actions. But early in the decade of the 30 when
truly born communist guerrilla Kim Il Sung.
The fight did not arise to take power immediately, and that Japanese imperialism was booming and the horizon is not a defeat near sighted. The feeling of despondency was not the only negative aspect facing the Korean guerrillas. In addition, Japan had achieved some success in demobilizing ideologically Koreans, through brutal campaign of anti-communism, submission to the Empire and religious consciousness.
These two aspects made the guerrilla strategy be structured in the medium and long term. Therefore, the EPRC is proposed to establish liberated areas in which they could demonstrate the validity of his project, by example.
guerrilla bases in these new schools were created. Of course, lacked good materials: books, study, teachers and even, sometimes, buildings. But the goal was paramount and many guerrilla cadres came to play the role of teachers. Kim Il Sung himself wrote several manuals that were used as teaching material. Other guerrilla leaders were sent to different areas released to start school.
Examples are many: Wangquin, Yanji, Hunchun, Helong, Kalun, Guyushu, Wujiaz ... This includes areas of Manchuria where they lived many Koreans. Furthermore, in the liberated areas promoted the political organization of students, through the Association of Korean Children and Young Communist League of Korea.
contents were technical education, general knowledge, and especially políticoideológicos. This was intended precisely to counter the intense campaign of anti-Japanese communist propaganda. By understanding the Korea began to be born free.
In any case, the areas comprising the communist guerrillas were mainly the north and east. What happened then in the cities?
There are certain parallels between the urban strategy of the guerrillas of the Korean and Cuban guerrilla Fidel. As the guerrillas had no presence in the cities, Kim Il Sung developed the 10-point program of the Association for the Restoration of the Fatherland. This text, May 1936, was a common strategy with urban groups from left and he read:
"Delete slave labor and education, oppose the forced military service and military education of youth and children , provide instruction, based on our own language and our alphabet, and implement compulsory free education. "
The underground movement in the cities established night schools and private schools illegal. They taught the Korean writing and history and geography of Korea.
Also, Korean students were the vanguard of the First Popular Uprising of March, and students staged numerous strikes, especially in Kuangju (now South Korea). Some of the slogans that led the fighting was "Live Korean Independence!", "The abolition of the colonial education system!", "Out of Korea the Japanese masters!" Or "Freedom of expression! ".
These demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the Japanese military regime and eventually failed. The abolition of the colonial education system would only come with the final defeat of Japan on August 15, 1945.
2.2 - Liberation (1945 - 1950)
Korea was, for 5000 years, a single country. In the 40's, no one doubted his nation status. The various conferences held by the great powers during the Second World War (1939 - 1945) agreed set itself the goal of achieving the independence of Korea was occupied by Japan.
The war ended on August 15, 1945. The Soviet Union had declared war on Japan only 6 days earlier. According to bilateral agreements between the USSR and the United States, Korea would be released north of 38 by the first and the south by the Americans. The agreement would be formed collecting temporary management areas supervised by the two countries. By 1948, foreign troops should withdraw from Korea, free elections would be held across the country and form a single national entity.
So much for theory. In reality, the Soviets were the only free time came to hand. Even so, defeated the Red Army in Korea only major Japanese military enclaves, leaving large areas unoccupied. To coordinate with the Korean guerrillas, it freed itself many cities and towns.
Meanwhile, the Yankees were far from Korea. While hostilities lasted, the United States was not able to set foot on the peninsula. The first American troops set foot on Korean soil three weeks after the war ended.
This does not mean that South Korea remained until now in Japanese hands. Koreans themselves disarmed the army occupying the country and popular committees were formed quickly. They began a popular revolution in the country.
In fact, it was in South Korea where the committees had more strength, because that is where are the big cities and most of the underground communist movement.
Americans and Soviets had not counted on this survey. The difference is that while the Soviet administration was able to respect the autonomy of the popular committees and gave them legal entity, the Americans became repressed and political enemies of the new regime.
Since then, North Korea and South Korea have gone their separate ways: some independently and others like puppets of Americans.
2.2.1 - The democratic ideal: the first reforms.
"We must open the opportunity to learn for children of the working class and train them so they can build a new and prosperous Korea. To achieve this, we must destroy the colonial education system from Japanese imperialism and establish a new system education, which is popular and democratic. " (Kim Il Sung)
popular committees were not created by the guerrillas, in the same way that the Soviets were not created by the Bolsheviks. This does not mean that the committees were hostile to the new power. Instead, the guerrillas saw the people's committees a real organ of power of people.
Therefore, one of the first steps of Kim Il Sung after the liberation guerrilla cadres were sent to areas where there were still no people's committees for the organizers.
All belongings of the Japanese were put under the control of people's committees. Public schools also came to be addressed by the committees.
However, the people's committees and their leaders had no experience in administration. This is due to two reasons: first, Japan had pursued a policy of exclusion against the Koreans. On the other hand, North Korea excluded from the collaborationist government. Therefore, for all people involved in committees, was the first time they exercised management tasks.
This caused some chaos during the first months. During this time, some private and religious schools that were closed during the Japanese occupation, reopened their doors.
Aware of the chaos that was created, the provisional revolutionary government decided to open a Bureau of Education in November 1945. That same month, approved the Provisional Measure for School Education in North Korea. A year later, in December 1946, he passed another to enlarge. With these two measures were combined aspects such as the continuity between different stages of education, the holiday period, the duration of the school year ... Also laid the foundations of democratic education system, which was defined as a universal right to the same access to everyone, "regardless of place of origin, gender and education as the same age."
This meant the abolition of "special" education, that during the Japanese rule gave different models of Japanese and Korean education. It also meant that private and religious schools were gradually passing into public hands.
The new measures adopted in 1945 and 1946 also included a complete revision of the curriculum. The contents were removed and subjects reactionaries and fascists and Moral History of Japan and Shintoism. In return, he began studying at primary school and a Korean language course called Pueblo. If earlier, the Japanese education was to make the Koreans' subjects of the Empire ", the new education, and this particular subject, trying to give the Koreans the knowledge necessary to become autonomous subjects capable of participating actively in building the new popular regime. In other words, the subject turned to the Korean People in "popular subjects."
In high school, introduced the study of Korean literature and geography, banned before, and the social sciences. All these matters require new textbook. The government chose to bring the few experts and knowledgeable people in Korea to write, before going abroad. It also mobilized all North Korean printers, so that in 1947 the school year began with new textbook. That year was the first that truly began to feel the new democratic education, focusing on giving general knowledge about nature and society, with a distinctly political to form a new subject of education. It also contained a novel target in Korea aesthetic form and fitness of young people.
However, much remained to be done. The legacy of the past still weighed heavily in Korea. On the one hand, the content of education, none was Korean. The classes were full of examples based on characters, heroes, scientists, leaders and foreign countries, but Korea was conspicuous by its absence.
On the other hand, the methodology used in schools from the colonial era was still very widespread: corporal punishment, coercive methods, study through Appointment and Repeat ... In mid-March 1947, convened a National Education Workers. Kim Il Sung personally presided over the ceremony. It is contextualized the historical moment in which they lived, with great strides, but criticized the errors. Specifically, it called for a new teaching method, based on creativity, persuasion and critical thinking and categorically prohibited insulting or beating the students. It was decided to launch a mass campaign in schools, to correct errors and promote moral activist, while beginning the campaign against illiteracy, school representatives convened elections are held hygiene campaigns and appeared the first art festival. In this way, schools were no longer just a place to study to become a truly popular center.
The goal towards advancing education in North Korea, and in 1936 had made the 10-point program was universal compulsory education. In March 1946, the electoral platform driven by left-wing democratic parties and pledged to "introduce a universal compulsory education system and increase the number of primary and secondary schools, technical institutes and the public."
Therefore, since 1946 began two parallel campaigns. On the one hand, it mobilized the people of each village, town and city in the country to rebuild schools, through a mass campaign. On the other hand, spent an astronomical amount of education, especially in the construction of school buildings
. 19% of the budget was to stop in 1946 for educational purposes only.
In 1946, only a year after liberation, had 2482 operating primary schools and 217 secondary schools by 1379 and 44 which respectively had only 2 years earlier. In 1949, primary schools and 3861 were all over the country and the secondary 968.
Government established a revolutionary principle very characteristic of Korean socialism: to build schools where there were children there, regardless of their number. In fact, small villages with 10 or 20 children from all courses, also began to build their own school. The school construction bill included the measure in his school had no children over 4 km.
School construction became a true national priority. In September 1948, Kim Il Sung visited Kangwon Province on the east coast of Korea. He criticized local officials for more funding for the construction of government buildings (buildings political parties, buildings ,...) popular committee that the construction of schools. The message was clear: do not be repaired in spending on education.
2.2.2 - Training of national cadres, the establishment of the first university.
One of the major problems faced by the Korean education during the first years of revolution, was the alarming lack of pictures. There were no experts, teachers and professionals ready to begin teaching. Obviously, this problem also affected the Administration and Economics.
The provisional government was clear that the solution was found an early college. However, there was no consensus on how to get there. On the one hand, there were those who argued that there were no real conditions for founding a university, so it was better to establish departments, which could later be grouped and universities.
However, a majority of the government believed the opposite. Due to the lack of pictures, the worst thing you could do was disperse in different departments. The decision was to found a university that would serve as "mother" for the subsequent establishment of more universities.
Still, this did not solve the problem of finding who was to teach the classes. This was a new debate about the issue or not to invite foreign teachers in Korea. It was decided that other teachers could invite socialist countries, but as a last resort. There you'll prioritize teachers in Korea itself.
A step in this direction was the personal invitation letter that he wrote Kim Il Sung progressive professors and experts residing in South Korea. The letter offered them work in the construction of a new Korea, contributing their knowledge in the first Korean university history. According began to arrive from South Korea several new teachers, Kim Il Sung met them personally one by one.
On September 15, 1946, barely a year after release, he founded the first university of the people in Korea. Named after the guerrilla leader who fought for the liberation of the country, Kim Il Sung. At the opening ceremony attended by the first 1500 students.
The ceremony was full of optimism and pride. But the reality was that everything was going to do yet. The new university has not had its first building. The state was constructing the No. 1 Kim Il Sung University, at a cost too high for the day: 30 million won. Kim Il Sung proposed to increase that budget to 130 million financing the increase with a huge mass mobilization campaign.
For this, the state launched its entire propaganda machine, calling all people to put their two cents in the project. A farmer in Hwanghae Province, called Je Won Kim, served as an example. Je Won Kim, who had benefited from the recent reform in the country, donated surplus rice harvest. It was the first donation of a long campaign. By August 1948, 16,700 farmers had made their donations "Rice patriotic."
addition, the city of Pyongyang and the South Phyongan Province, workers, clerks, members of Union of Children and housewives, volunteered to participate in the work of the building. Kim Il Sung contributed to her 16 times.
A year later, on October 10, 1948, the building was finished. Again, it was a grand ceremony to celebrate.
"It has been very well built this building. It is amazing that we, despite having no experience in the construction of large buildings, have raised this magnificent modern work of engineering, unaided and in just one year.
...
The donated rice farmers wholeheartedly, has become a great center of learning ... This is unbelievable! "(Speech Fagmentos Kim Il Sung)
...
The donated rice farmers wholeheartedly, has become a great center of learning ... This is unbelievable! "(Speech Fagmentos Kim Il Sung)
One of the aspects that are looked after from the beginning at the University was that everyone could go with full assurance that it would form. In this way, and in 1946 implemented a 3-year course in college, to prepare people between 15 and 35 who had not received secondary education.
If in 1946 there were 1500 students in 7 faculties by 1947 the number was 8 schools and 3813 students. In 1948, the number of trainers double the figure for 1946.
In this way, could face the following step: create 10 new universities. Three of them came from departments of the University Kim Il Sung who separated from her and gained autonomy: Pyongyang Institute of Technology (now Kim Chaek University of Technology), Pyongyang Medical Institute and the Institute of Agriculture, Pyongyang ( which has now moved to the city of Wonsan).
In 1949, the number of 76'500 estudinates was almost 10 times more than the previous year. There were already 15 universities spread over different provinces and in December the first class graduated in the history of Korea.
Another matter of concern to the government and in 1947 was access to higher education for people working class and peasantry. That year, he made a study of the class composition of students. It was noted that most were children of workers. So in May 1947, the state began to give a stipend to all students in technical institutes and half of the university (those with less resources). In February 1949, the stipend and covered 80% of college students.
addition, the state began to make clothes twice a year to students in higher education: once in winter and another in summer, with clothing appropriate to the temperature of each station. Higher education also was responsible for training of secondary teachers and primary. The first University of Education, whose degree is 4 years old, was founded in July 1948.
In fact, since July 1946, and were already carried out training courses for teachers. Also introduced a number of teacher training centers, at least one per province. Teachers were retrained in the colonial period with courses in pedagogy based on the democratic ideal.
1947, the number of teachers rose by 46% over the previous year and between 1946 and 1950, 4000 teachers were trained.
2.2.3 - The literacy campaign
In 1945, among the adult population North Korea had 2'3 million illiterates. Most of them, in terms of occupation, were farmers and in terms of gender, women.
The government, in launching the literacy campaign, proposed three objectives:
- The abolition of illiteracy.
- increase the level of political consciousness of the population.
- That all this work was done through mass mobilization campaigns.
In April 1947 is the time to unify all types of schools for adults, forming Literacy Schools (4 months), School for Adults (primary education in two years) and Adult Middle School (secondary education in three years).
committees were also formed independent inspection to verify that in all places is successful this model of adult education.
Literacy Schools admit students aged over 12 years. The subjects were Native Language, Arithmetic, Music, People and Politics. At the end of 4 months of study, students passed an exam and received a certificate that he could read and write.
The literacy campaign was done in stages. The crucial step occurred between November 1947 and March 1948, months in which farmers can not harvest work in Korea due to low temperatures. This
were mobilized throughout the country. Many workers and peasants donated money to build schools, while politicians from different parties and others in the administration offered to teach in these schools.
in 1946 to 556'000 people were literate in 1947 to about 800,000. In August 1947, launched the "Movement Kye Ri San", following a widespread story in the press. Ri Kye San was a peasant in a remote village in Kangwon Province on the east coast. From his childhood he suffered ill-treatment and only after the liberation and land reform, improved his situation. Own initiative, decided he had to meet Kim Il Sung to tell his story and show appreciation. Requested an interview with him and was granted.
In those days, the literacy campaign was in full swing, as Kim Il Sung, after discussing the situation in the field, asked if he was studying. She said no, he looked too old to do it and already had plenty of homework in the field. Kim Il Sung had convinced him otherwise and suggested that in three months to send him a letter written in his own handwriting.
On 20 November 1947 finally reached the letter, which was published along with the whole story in the press. The "Movement Kye Ri San" was the final impetus for a campaign that ended in spring 1949, with a wide review to certify North Korea the whole country could read and write. Once certified the results, we organized a solemn event in Pyongyang, where an immense crowd said that North Korea was the first country in Asia to achieve full literacy. Meanwhile, South Korea, there were still 11 million illiterates.
2.2.4 - Revolutionary School Mangyondae
After Korea's independence in 1945, Kim Il Sung was able to visit his native village after 20 years. Mangyongdae was a poor village on the outskirts of the city of Pyongyang. In the village there was never a school of any kind.
So in Mangyongdae not only built schools at different levels, but also served as headquarters for the huge Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
This school was a promise he had always existed within the guerrillas. The school was intended for children of dead guerrillas they had education and home, despite being orphaned. The guerrillas had always been convinced that one day liberate their country and would establish a new democratic and socialist. It was worth any effort, even at the expense of their own lives, and that the State would take over his family.
Finally, the decision was taken in late March 1947 at a meeting of People's Committee of North Korea. One of the first assignment, which was launched on 5 April that year, was to bring together all orphaned children, victims Japanese repression. The Bureau of Culture and Propaganda was put to work and through radio and press have persistently said this campaign.
But the nature of Korean socialism, not waited for people knocked on the door, we sought to children in villages, towns and cities. Most surprising of all was that a commission was created to wide, composed of former guerrillas, to search Manchuria (region bordering China Korea) to children of exiled Koreans who had suffered repression of Japan. It is an act of great humanistic content, precisely at a time when the missing pictures for the administration dramatically. These posts could be occupied by the guerrillas themselves are now going to Manchuria, but they did just the opposite.
In summer 1947, most children came to school. Kim Il Sung was to receive on August 3 and asked them about their parents, many of whom had struggled for years with him.
was selected the best teachers in the country and including a picture was elected Rector of the Provincial Committee of the WPK Pyongyang. In the opening ceremony in October, announced the school's claims: not only educate children but raise them as if they were your own kids.
A year later, in October 1948, was completed the new school building. Like the building of the University, the investment was massive.
Since January 1950 he started a tradition of the country: New Year's Day, the government celebrated with children Mangyongdae Revolutionary School.
The school remains open today. On our visit to Korea in September 2008 we had occasion to visit. It is an impressive complex of buildings, among which includes several buildings for different kinds of materials, a building where military training is given, the student residence and a newly built theater. Is also building a new library digital-art computer and all facilities. Of course, with sports facilities and swimming pool.
Today, students are still children of military heroes who died during labor or service to the cause of socialism in Korea.
Many leading cadres of the Democratic Youth Union (to this day, the Socialist Youth League Kim Il Sung) have studied in this school. Military cadres and also the administration. It's amazing the level of facilities, the happiness of students, the immense amount of objects that help draw education practice ...
Juan Nogueira López
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