The real highlight of my to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) trip was the chance to visit the Kim Jong Suk Higher Middle School for gifted children. The school is named after the mother of Kim Jong Il. The school in Pyongsong is about a 100km away from Pyongyang and is called the University Town of DPRK.
This visit was part of the set itinerary for the group of “approved” tourists that were allowed into the country in July 2014. As part of the school visit, we, the tourists were given the chance to “speak” to the students – to tell them about our world or travel – anything enlightening – which would help the students “practice English” as well as help them expand their knowledge base. All the tourists, perhaps more eager than the students themselves, took stage and spoke about their experiences in their respective countries. I had to excuse myself on the pretext of being ill – never have stood before a class of students, kindergarten even less so (my tourist card said I was a school teacher – a blatant lie) and didn’t want to risk being exposed.
The school itself was very well maintained. Lovely gardens, a vegetable patch and grounds were all nicely maintained. The school grounds were dotted with “educative” statues and messages. The school was surprisingly well kept and students well behaved –
I think schools are run pretty much the way they are everywhere else. Children, as children will be, were curious, naughty, some attentive – but mostly well behaved. Hard to believe it of children anywhere, but that was what made them so different. I think the “difference” lies in our thinking and not the actual situation itself. DPRK loves its children and it is common to see the pictures of leaders surrounded by children on the front page of newspapers.
