Homeschooling in North Korea

Key Requirements at a Glance

• 12-year compulsory education law adopted September 2012 by Supreme People's Assembly with Kim Jong Un approval
• Education is free, universal, and state-controlled; no private schools recognized
• Compulsory ages: 4-15 years (kindergarten through secondary); structure is 1+5+6 years as of 2018
• Common Education Law (2011, amended 2015) governs secondary education and mandates state responsibility for school-age citizens
• Article 43 of Constitution mandates socialist pedagogy to create 'steadfast revolutionaries' with Juche ideology
• All curricula include state ideology, labor party policies, and revolutionary traditions with militaristic monitoring
• Homeschooling is not mentioned in legislation and is incompatible with mandatory state-controlled education system
• Education expenses (admission, classes, practical training) are covered by the state

Legal Framework

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) education framework rests on: (1) Socialist Constitution of the DPRK Articles 39-46 (duties of the State and citizens regarding education); (2) Universal 12-Year Compulsory Education Ordinance, adopted at the 6th session of the 12th Supreme People's Assembly on 25 September 2012 with Kim Jong-un present; (3) Education Law (revised periodically by the SPA Presidium). The 12-year compulsory system began implementation on 1 April 2013 with a 3-year transition. Structure under the 2012 Ordinance: Kindergarten (1 year, age 5) + Primary School / People's School (5 years, ages 6-10) + Junior Secondary School (3 years, ages 11-13) + Senior Secondary School (3 years, ages 14-16). Some sources describe the cycle as 5-17 reflecting ages by graduation. The DPRK previously operated 11-year compulsory education from 1972 (the first such system in the world at that time). Responsible authority: Ministry of Education / Education Commission of the DPRK.