North+Korea


 * General School System (GSS) includs Kidergarten to Tenth Grade elementary-secondary schools and higher education.

- Primary education Kindergarten has two levels for two years--one year f lower class starts at age four and upper clas starts at age five with the begining of free compulsory education. Elementary school calld "People School" begins at age six, and it take four years to finish.

- Secondary education Higher middle school is secondary school in North Korea. It includes six years of schooling, divided in two levels. Lower level is first four years from age 10 to 13 and the higher leve is next two years from age 14 to 15.

- Tertiary education Higher education has two systems with different academic purposes and continuing education. First, academic options are univesities wifh four to six years course which offers higher academic education of GSS, four years of College of Education for secondary teachers and three years of Teachers College for primary shool teachers, and three years of junior colleges. After competing these universities, students can continue master, doctoral and even post-Doctoral schools. Other hgher continuing education is uiversities attached to factories, farms, or fishery cooratives. There is also Air and Corrspondence University with five-year curriculum.

Another type of school system s special purpose school for talented chldren and children from elite class. It has revolutionary school or elite school, which begins from age five and lasts ten years, schools for art and sports which is from age six through 18, and schools for foreign language whch is from age tn to 18, and schools for science from age ten to 21.

