North Korea holds national educators meeting

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held the 13th national educators' meeting in the capital city of Pyongyang on Friday, in which top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's work on education was read out.
Kim's work on educational ideas was delivered at the meeting by Choe Thae Bok, member of the Political Bureau and secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the official KCNA news agency reported Saturday.
Kim noted in his work that the WPK has decided to make a fresh educational revolution in order to consistently follow former leaders Kim Il Sung's and Kim Jong Il's educational ideas and exploits, cement the foundation of Juche (the spirit of self-reliance) revolution and realize a great leap forward toward building the DPRK into a rich and powerful country.
The goal of the revolution in education is to turn the country into an education powerhouse by cultivating all school youth and children into pillars of the country and by training them to be well versed talents in science and technology, Kim said, adding an important task ahead is to improve the educational system and management.
The students should be offered learning materials developed on a practical, comprehensive and modern basis, as required in the present knowledge-based economy, Kim stressed in the work.
He also called on educators and officials to devote their wisdom to helping the students grow into world-famous scientists and inventors, thus making contributions to their motherland.
The meeting marks a historic milestone in eulogizing Juche-based idea on education and bringing about drastic change to the cause of education, as the universal 12-year compulsory education has just begun to take effect and a new era of building the DPRK into a highly civilized nation has been ushered in, the KCNA report said.
In September 2012, the Supreme People's Assembly, or the parliament of the DPRK, approved the universal 12-year compulsory education.
The 12-year compulsory education shall be enforced free of charge for all children aged from 5 to 17. It consists of one year of pre-school education, five years of elementary schooling, three years of junior middle schooling, and three years of senior middle schooling.