North Korean schoolkids spend hundreds of hours learning just how great Kim Jong-un ‘really’ is
But the focus on the country's bonkers regime is holding pupils back, say experts
YOUNG school kids in North Korea spend hundreds of hours every year learning 'fascinating facts' about their glorious leader Kim Jong-un and his family.
Kindergarten kids spend more time studying the 'Kims' than they do on virtually every other subject, a new report reveals.
According to the study by the Korea Institute for Curriculum Evaluation each student learns about the lives of Kim, his father Kim Jong-il, his grandfather Kim Il-sung and grandmother Kim Jong-suk for 684 hours during the curriculum.
Lessons about former leaders Jong-il and Il-sung are 171 hours each, while those for Jung-suk come to just 34 hours.
Only classes for the Korean language and maths are given more time than lessons about current tyrant Kim Jong-un.
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But what exactly are the children learning?
The North Korean leaders - and their cronies - are notorious for revealing all about their amazing achievements to the world.
Notable examples include stories of their amazing sporting prowess, undeniable fashion appeal and even their abilities to turn back time!
North Korea says its goal of education is for “students to acquire the concept of revolution and endless loyalty towards the party and the supreme leader.”
The new curriculum shows North Korean education is changing in accordance to global standards, including more emphasis on English and information technology.
But experts say the huge focus on the 'Kims' is holding pupils back.
“Despite the limitations (of education) as an ideological tool, we can see that new ‘educational experiments’ are being tried in North Korea,” said educational adviser Kim Jin-sook in the report
“But the negative aspect is that North Korea’s political system and its policies are being reflected in education to promote and sustain the regime, and people’s perceptions are being affected by it."
Kim Family 'Facts' but can you spot the true one?
Kim Jong-il had a supernatural birth. According to his official biography, he was born on Korea’s most sacred mountain, Mt. Baekdu. At the moment of his birth, a new star formed and illuminated the sky.
Kim Jong-il was a fashion icon. In 2010, the North Korean media decided that Kim Jong-il’s fashion had taken the world by storm. The rest of the world knows that this never happened.
The whole world loved Kim Jong-il. North Koreans were made to believe North Korea was a phenomenally important country, and that Kim Jong il was the world’s most powerful leader.
Kim Jong-il Invented The Hamburger. Minju Joson, the North Korean publication, credit Kim Jong-il with creating the hamburger. It's said the leader invented a brand new sandwich and named it, “double bread with meat.”
Kim Jong-il was a master golfer. According to his biography, Kim Jong-il first picked up a golf club in 1994, at North Korea's only golf course. He shot a 38-under par round that included no fewer than 11 holes in one.
Kim Jong-il never used a toilet. His biography states that the leader never used a toilet - he apparently didn’t need to urinate or defecate. He could control the weather too.
Kim Jong-un stole time back from the Japanese. North Koreans believe during the occupation by Japanese “imperialists” in 1919, time was stolen. North Korea set its clock back by 30 minutes on August 15th to get it back.
Kim Jong-un has a severe addiction to Swiss cheese. He spends tens of thousands of pounds per year on imported Swiss cheese and demands it is available in all his palaces at all hours.
Kim Jong-un's bizarre haircut is highly fashionable. His shaved style is pretty popular in the country and even has a name....'Ambitious' It was reported that male university students in North Korea all copied his haircut!