The education department of Hamhung’s people’s committee conducted an on-site inspection of uniform and school supply distribution for new students at the start of the semester. The inspection followed a recent change that shifted responsibility for uniform distribution from commercial networks to schools themselves.
According to a Daily NK source in South Hamgyong Province on Friday, a three-person inspection team from Hamhung’s education department visited elementary, middle, and high schools on March 31 and April 1 during new student orientations and semester-opening events to examine uniform and supply distribution.
The team employed various methods to assess the situation, including random inspections of uniforms given to new students, conversations with teachers, and gathering feedback from parents.
Their inspection revealed that some new students wore uniforms with unhemmed skirts or pants, while others had received no shoes at all.
At one elementary school, they found that three out of 25 students in a single grade wore homemade uniforms because they hadn’t received state-supplied ones. Four students wore market-bought shoes, while five carried backpacks made in China.
“We don’t care what clothes, shoes, or bags students wear after class, but during formal school hours, anything other than state-supplied items is strictly forbidden,” the inspectors stated, urging homeroom teachers to “ensure new students develop the habit of wearing proper uniforms from the beginning.”
They also advised parents that “school isn’t a place to show off your wealth” and that they must use “uniforms and supplies provided by the state.”
Despite the issues found, the inspectors’ final report largely praised the schools’ distribution efforts. “It took considerable time and effort to measure students, label uniforms, shoes, and bags with names, numbers, and grades, and distribute the supplies, but schools and homeroom teachers successfully fulfilled their responsibilities,” they noted.
They also submitted recommendations to the provincial education bureau stating that homeroom teachers “must coordinate educational administrative activities efficiently and strengthen their relationships with clothing factories.”
According to the source, this inspection simultaneously evaluated the impact of changes to the uniform distribution system and established standards for expanding schools’ direct distribution of supplies.
Homeroom teachers have complained that the new method “places a heavy burden” on them, forcing them to “allocate more time to uniform-related duties than to preparing for classes.”
April 10, 2025 at 11:04AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)