North Korea is pushing to build a distance education network as part of a drive to provide all workers with technical training, but universities are struggling because virtually nobody is interested.
“Teachers at the Songrim College of Metallurgy are in crisis mode because nobody wants to take virtual classes,” a source in North Hwanghae province told Daily NK recently.
According to the source, North Korean universities offer distance education programs for people from all walks of life—including officials, laborers, and teachers—who want to learn alongside their regular careers.
These programs were created under the Distance Education Act, enacted in April 2019 during the third session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly. North Korea aims to use this network to provide remote technical classes to the population.
The problem is that workers see little point in spending their limited time on distance learning.
“Technicians who work directly with equipment in the field actually know more than university graduates who mostly learn theory with little practical experience. Few people are interested because there’s not much to learn, and completing the courses doesn’t lead to promotion or reassignment,” the source said.
Teachers assigned to these programs are frustrated.
“They have to create curriculums and lesson plans for distance learning on top of their normal course load. Since they need signatures from division and department heads, they must prepare materials even when nobody has signed up,” the source explained.
Making matters worse, many North Koreans don’t even know these programs exist.
“Not many people know about the distance learning network. Those interested are usually curious young people, but curiosity only goes so far. There are practical limitations since the state intranet is only accessible from certain locations,” the source said.
While North Korea is emphasizing technology and trying to use distance learning to create more knowledgeable workers, hardly any workers are using these classes or see a need for them.
“The fundamental issue is that distance learning doesn’t help people make a living. There’s nothing to gain from it, and the environment isn’t conducive to remote study. For now, the distance learning network is just a propaganda slogan for the government,” the source concluded.
March 13, 2025 at 04:00AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)