culture

Units of general education are directing efforts to the education of schoolchildren in patriotism.

“Love for the country does not come of its own accord. It blossoms and grows from valuing and loving even a tree and pebble of the native village while receiving education in patriotism from childhood. The school turned several spaces of the campus into places for education in patriotism and gave education in various ways to help students cultivate the mind of knowing the country first before acquiring knowledge,” said Ri Il Sim, Children’s Union instructor of Ryomyong Primary School in Taesong District, Pyongyang.

The school put up visual aids showing the name of the country, national emblem, national flag and other symbols of the DPRK in several halls in the campus so that students could know well about the national symbols and value them.

Also seen there are other visual aids introducing such juvenile heroes and heroines as nine-year-old Kim Kum Sun and Mok Un Sik, who sacrificed their lives to keep the secrets of the guerrilla army during the anti-Japanese armed struggle, and the struggle of the children’s guards and the children’s guerrilla units who fought bravely against the enemy during the Fatherland Liberation War. Seeing the visual aids, students make up their mind to copy the noble spiritual world of the young revolutionaries and patriots who made their name in the history of the Korean children’s movement.

At the school, students who were exemplary in study and Children’s Union activities in the previous week are honoured to raise the national flag at the national flag hoisting ceremony held on every Monday morning.

According to Ri Il Sim, it meets with a favourable reaction from students and their parents as well.

“Seeing the flag of the DPRK I raised with my own hands amid the solemn playing of the national song, I hardened my resolve to study harder and become a scientist who supports the country with science,” said Hong Yon Jun, a fifth-year pupil.

June 9 Ryongbuk Senior Middle School in Taesong District, Pyongyang, directs efforts to education through the room for education in Kim Jong Il’s patriotism, gives wide publicity to the laudable deeds performed by schoolchildren to encourage its students to follow their examples.

Reading sessions of books, presentations of compositions and poetry recitals on the theme of patriotism often organized by the school are important occasions for cultivating love for the country and the spirit of devoting oneself to the organization and collective and encouraging students to put them into practice.

In the course of it, the number of students helping and leading one another forward and doing good things for the school and class voluntarily and those planting and tending trees of good species in the campus by themselves is increasing day by day, said Song Jwa Hyok, Children’s Union instructor of the school.

Through their visits to the homes of DPRK Hero Kim Song Dok, a graduate of the school, and honoured disabled soldiers in the dong, they also feel respect for the revolutionary forerunners and renew determination to dedicate themselves to the country.