School leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
Neither the 2015 Education Law and the 2015 Common Education Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea make specific reference to principals, directors, or heads of educational institutions. Article 27 of the 2015 Common Education Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea uses the term “general education workers” to include the both teachers and the “workers who guide them”.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The 2015 Education Law and the 2015 Common Education Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea describe roles of general education institutions, including implementing approved curricula, improving teaching methods, securing resources but do not specifically outline the roles and responsibilities of the principal.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: The school principal is in charge of all of the administrative responsibilities in the school.
Developing teaching and learning: Articles 40 and 41 of the 2015 Education Law states that educational materials such as the materials, experimental equipment, and teaching aid equipment are produced and supplied by “institutions, enterprises and organizations”. Textbooks, reference books, private lesson books, and educational video recordings are provided by education guidance institutions. The 2015 Common Education Law states that “general education institutions shall regularize and standardize education administration work, shall manage the educational environment in conformity with pedagogical requirements, and must frugally manage school buildings, planning, and facilities”.
Promoting collaboration: No information was found.
Supporting staff development: The vice principal inspects the teaching plans of the subject teachers and is responsible for the ideological education of the students. According to the 2015 Common Education Law, “general education institutions must normally organize things such as teaching observations, teachers’ competitions, experiment equipment and teaching material exhibitions to tirelessly raise teachers’ teaching abilities.” The law does not specify who is directly responsible for these observations.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: According to Article 27 of the 2015 Education Law, education workers must have refined moral characters. Article 52 of the 2015 Common Education Law also discusses administrative responsibilities of education workers, outlining punishable offences such as conducting private teaching for selfish purposes and publishing textbooks for commercial purposes.
Others: Both the 2015 Education Law and the 2015 Common Education Law emphasize adherence to state-determined policies in the DPRK's education system by education workers.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
Article 21 of the 2015 Education Law states that “Ranks and members of the body of education institutions shall be determined by taking into consideration the importance, scale, and number of education workers who have degrees or academic positions in the relevant authorities. The work of determining the rank and members of the body of education institutions shall be done by the central labour administration guidance institution.” Article 27 states that education workers must “have high scientific and technical qualifications, and educational and practical qualifications, and must responsibly do professorial education work. The State shall preference and respect education workers in society.”
The 2015 Common Education Law states that “teacher qualifications for the common education sector shall be given to persons who have attained reached designated standards as subjects who have graduated from teachers colleges and teachers universities or have received equivalent education. Teachers must possess high educational and practical qualifications and the character of an educator and must actively work to advance their qualifications.”
According to the 2015 Higher Education Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, teaching qualifications shall be given in cases where designated standards have been attained by subjects who have received university regular course education, doctoral school education, and teacher training that trains university lecturers.
Appointment decision
Article 29 of the 2015 Common Education Law states that the “selection of students for teacher training and the placement of students who have finished the teacher education process shall be done by the central education guidance institution and relevant authorities.”
Employment equity measures
No information was found.
Working conditions
According to the 2014 Labour Protection Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, workers are provided health examinations and preventative treatment. The working day is eight hours, with overtime being prohibited. Workers are also guaranteed rest and leave.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
Article 29 of the 2015 Higher Education Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea states that “teachers shall be trained through university regular course education, doctoral school education, and teacher training that trains university lecturers. Central education guidance institutions and higher education institutions shall adopt a teacher training system in an orderly manner and train many competent teachers”. Teachers must learn the science and techniques of the sector of their major, and education theory and methods.
The 2015 Common Education Law states that, “the State shall adopt a teacher education system in an orderly manner and must grow competent teachers in the common education sector so that they have good prospects.” Article 28 of the same law mandates that the State “shall create teachers colleges and teachers universities in the centre and the provinces, and must train teachers for the common education sector in a planned way. The central education guidance institutions and relevant authorities must ceaselessly improve and strengthen the teacher education system to smoothly assure demand for teachers in the common education sector”.
Induction and in-service training
Article 47 of the 2015 Education Law states that the training for teachers is conducted by the local political institutions. According to the 2015 Higher Education Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, teachers shall “regularly receive re-education. Central education guidance institutions and higher education institutions shall correctly adopt a refresher training system for teachers and must normally organize re-education for each field of major”. At the common education level, “central education guidance institutions and regional People’s Committee shall adopt a refresher training system for teachers, and must normally give short courses by types of school and types of subjects.”
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
There is no specific mention of school management boards or committees. Article 51 of the 2015 Common Education Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea states that the “supervision and control for general education work shall be done by the central education guidance institution and relevant supervision and control institutions”.
3.2. Middle leaders
There is a division head for each division which assists the department and teachers, reviews the lesson guides, and organizes the study of the subdivision materials or subcommittee meetings. According to the 2015 Common Education Law, at the primary school level, divisions are organized by grade level. At the secondary level, the division heads are organized by subject level such as the Mathematics and Physics Division, the Biology and Chemistry Division, the Korean Language and Foreign Languages Division, and the Performing Arts Division. In addition, there is an Academic Affairs Advisor, who is responsible for adjusting the timetable and preparing the class schedule.
3.3. Parents
No information was found.
3.4. Students
Neither the 2015 Education Law nor the 2015 Common Education Law do not provide any information about student-led organizations like student councils. Article 45 of the 2015 Common Education Law does, however, state that “general education institutions must educate students to love organizations and groups from an early age and willingly keep socialist morals and legal order in close connection with the youth league organization”.
The 2015 Higher Education Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, mentions that “higher education institutions shall strengthen organizational life and social and political activities among students and educate them so that they have sound ideology and morals.”
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
The 2015 Education Law gives many responsibilities to “the education institution,” such as the ability to combine and apply different methods that can raise the effectiveness of professorial education; determine education content and method in conformity with the purpose of the education and nature of the subject; apply education methods to education content that has been composed; implement financial budgets. It is unclear if these decisions are made by a school leader. Drafting of the curriculum and educational doctrine as well as the deliberation of state textbooks is the responsibility of the central education guidance institution.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
Article 46 of the 2015 Education Law states that “guidance over education work shall be done by the central education guidance institution and the relevant central institution under the standardized guidance of the Cabinet.” Article 51 states, “Supervision and control over education work shall be done by the education guidance institution and the given supervision and control institution. The education guidance institution and the given supervision and control institution shall properly supervise and control education work and the guarantee of education conditions.”
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
According to the 2015 Higher Education Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, teachers receive a qualification grade in Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The grade is reassessed every 3 years. The grade assessment of teacher qualifications for Levels 1 and 2 shall be done by the non-standing grade reassessment committee, and the grade assessment of teacher qualifications for the other Levels shall be done by the central education guidance institution. At the common education level, “a central education guidance institution and regional People’s Committees shall have teacher grade determination committees for making findings on teacher qualifications grades. The teacher qualifications grades determination processes, methods, and evaluation standards shall be determined by the central education guidance institution.”
