Teaching in North Korea- An Insight

I have always been fascinated by North Korea. It is perhaps the only country in the world where there are more questions than answers. As a teacher, I am understandably intrigued by the varying teaching styles employed in different cultures, the way students learn and what they are taught. This may be even more so for the fiercely oxymoronic communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“What I learned from teaching English in North Korea” is a captivating glimpse into the mysterious education system in this secretive nation. The article is an excerpt from the memoir “Without You, There Is No Us” by South Korean author Suki Kim on her tenure as an English teacher in her neighbouring north. Albeit succinct, the article giving a troubling yet sobering insight into the construct of her students’ minds.

“I did not question him further, but I thought I understood. It must have…