Education in Menghe
Education in Menghe is universal and mandatory, with all citizens required to attend at least eight years of schooling - five in primary school, and three in middle school. A majority of students complete additional secondary education, which follows a dual-track system of college-prep high schools and terminal vocational schools. The vast majority of schools are public and fully state-funded, though a small number of private schools exist; homeschooling is prohibited.
The Menghean education system is extremely rigorous and competitive, and the Ministry of Education prides itself on the system's meritocratic design and on high school students' high performance in international assessments of student knowledge. Critics, however, allege that the intense demands of the education system are unhealthy for pupils, and that the focus on standardized testing suppresses creativity and critical thinking.
History
Menghe's first modern, universal education system was established in 1903, not long after the end of the Three States Period. Seeking to close the developmental gap between Menghe and the Casaterran powers, policymakers structured new schools after the Tyrannian model, and relied heavily on foreign teachers. Already relatively high for an underdeveloped country, Menghe's literacy rates climbed in the early 20th century, contributing to the country's economic growth.
During the 1920s, and especially after the 1927 coup that brought Kwon Chong-hoon to power, Imperial Menghean education took a more nationalist turn. Foreign teachers were barred from the country, and lessons and schedules were modified to instill military values, with students praying to the national flag, reciting an oath of loyalty to the state, and conducting "battle exercises" after classes. Textbooks openly taught that the ethnic Meng were racially and culturally superior to Casaterrans. This system has been credited with producing the fanatical tactics of Menghean soldiers in the Pan-Septentrion War, and it led Allied occupation authorities to abolish the country's public education system altogether in 1944, only gradually phasing it back in during the 1950s.
In 1965, the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe restructured its education system to follow the model practiced in Polvokia and Letnia. This consisted of five years of primary school (Chodŭng Hakgyo) and five years of secondary school (Jungdŭng Hakgyo), with students entering the system at the Standard age of seven and graduating at the Standard age of seventeen. Upon graduating from the latter, pupils took a Secondary School Exit Exam, and based on their scores they were eligible to move on to a two-year college preparation program, a two-year technical school, or direct entry to the labor market.
Officially, the first ten years of education were universally available. Yet due to shortages of funding and rural families' needs for farm labor, only in urban areas did a majority of students complete secondary education. The education system also placed a heavy emphasis on political lessons, including Marxist theory and Socialist doctrine.
Complaints about this system abounded, and in the 1990s the Ministry of Education successfully lobbied for educational reform. In particular, advocates for reform complained that the current system did not accommodate students with different levels of learning ability, and that it made it difficult for high-school-level students to study abroad in Western countries. The resulting system was implemented in 2000 and remains in use today.
Overview
The core component of the Menghean education track consists of five years of primary school, three years of middle school, and four years of high school, for twelve years in total. Of this, the first eight years are mandatory and the second eight years are optional. Many children also complete two years of preschool, especially in urban areas. Undergraduate college attendance is steadily rising, with over half of all students who completed secondary education moving on to a tertiary program.
At all transitions, the system is designed to promote students based on merit, sorting them between schools based on assessments of their performance and ability. High schools and colleges are ranked according to their academic quality, both overall and within specific fields, and students are only permitted to enroll in a given school if their standardized test scores fall above a certain cutoff point. The exams in question are the Unified Middle School Aptitude Test (abbreviated UMSAT) and the National College Entrance Exam (abbreviated NCEE), taken in autumn of grades 8 and 12, respectively.
High-school education follows a dual-track system. Depending on their score on the middle-school exit exam, students may be assigned to a four-year college-preparation high school, or to a technical school combining two years of general education and two years of vocational training; there is further variation in quality within each category. This is not a new product of the post-2000 system, but a functional successor to the two-year technical program which existed before then.
The post-2000 Menghean education system is notoriously demanding and competitive, in part because scores on the two exit exams determine one's quality of education in the coming four years, and by extension whether one is able to find a skilled and prestigious career. The classes themselves are often intensely rigorous, and it is common for students to enroll in long after-school study sessions. In summarizing the debate, sociologist Choe Hyŏn-mi observes that "from the standpoint of producing a disciplined, qualified, and professional workforce and citizenry; the current Menghean education system is an outstanding success; from the standpoint of helping students achieve individual fulfillment and self-realization, it is an unmitigated failure."
| School type | Grade | Entry age (standard) | Entry age (round/conventional) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool | "G" | 5 | 4-5 | |
| "N" | 6 | 5-6 | ||
| Mandatory and universal after this point | ||||
| Primary school | 1 | 7 | 6-7 | |
| 2 | 8 | 7-8 | ||
| 3 | 9 | 8-9 | ||
| 4 | 10 | 9-10 | ||
| 5 | 11 | 10-11 | ||
| Middle school | 6 | 12 | 11-12 | |
| 7 | 13 | 12-13 | ||
| 8 | 14 | 13-14 | ||
| Unified Middle School Aptitude Test (UMSAT) | ||||
| High school | Technical school (general) |
9 | 15 | 14-15 |
| 10 | 16 | 15-16 | ||
| Technical school (vocational) |
11 | 17 | 16-17 | |
| 12 | 18 | 17-18 | ||
| National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) (High school only) | ||||
Primary and secondary education
Preschool
Formal preschooling in Menghe usually covers the two years before primary school enrollment, though various educational day care options are available even before then. It is not part of the mandatory eight-year education requirement, but since the 2000s it has become increasingly common for parents to send their children to preschool, especially in urbanized or developed areas. This practice stems partly from the desire to give one's child an early start and a competitive edge in elementary school, and partly from the lack of caregiving time in families where both parents work full-time or overtime.
Menghean preschools tend to advertise themselves as "lead-in schools," teaching basic mathematics, reading and writing, and memorization of songs. Some preschools also specialize in teaching children the standard Botong-ŏ form of Menghean if their families speak another dialect at home. Public preschools also introduce their pupils to political themes, albeit at a very basic level (i.e. being able to recognize the portrait of Choe Sŭng-min and the emblem of the Menghean Socialist Party).
Both public and private preschools exist, and both types typically charge enrollment fees, though in 2009 the government established an "early start" scholarship program to help low-income families enroll their children in kindergarten as well. In more recent years, the National Assembly has debated making pre-primary education mandatory and universal as well, and creating a standardized national preschool curriculum.
Primary school
Primary school (Chodŭng Hakgyo) is the first mandatory, universal stage in the Menghean education system; all children who are citizens and permanent residents required to enroll in the academic year after they reach the age of seven. Like many other education-related regulations in Menghe, this law uses an individual's Standard age, and corresponds to the age of 6 or 7 by conventional Western age reckoning methods. Primary school lasts five years, and students are assigned to schools based on their location of residence.
A typical Menghean primary school curriculum covers Menghean grammar, mathematics, natural science, geography, and history, and in recent years the Ministry of Education has supported increasing the availability of classes in music and art. Better-funded schools along the coast usually offer some foreign language instruction. In general, primary school is the most egalitarian and least competitive stage of the Menghean education system, though this has not prevented the emergence of elite private primary schools that market themselves as "shooting-star launch pads" to prepare students for high-quality middle schools.
In addition to providing basic education, all Menghean primary schools must train students in traditional ethics, self-discipline, and "living sensibly" (슬기로운 생활), a form of moral education which emphasizes loyalty and obedience. This usually intersects with political education, which is woven into lessons on history and geography. Most primary school students are also members of the Joguk Janyŏ, the children's wing of the Menghean Socialist Party, and wear the group's uniforms during classes.
In most parts of the country, primary school is taught exclusively in the official Botong-ŏ dialect. Primary schools in low-income rural areas are permitted to teach in a mix of Botong-ŏ and local dialects for the first two years, but by the fifth year all lessons must use the official dialect.
The main exception to this rule is found in the four semi-autonomous provinces of Argentstan, Daristan, Turkestan, and Siyadag. There, parents may send their student to either a "National School," which conducts all lessons in Botong-ŏ, or a "Regional School," which uses the recognized regional language for general instruction but teaches Botong-ŏ Menghean as a second language. National Schools are usually more rigorous, but also offer students better job opportunities elsewhere in the country, and are the preferred option for parents in the emerging middle class.
Middle school
Middle school (중등 학교 / 中等學校 Jungdŭng Hakgyo) lasts for three years, covering grades 6, 7, and 8, and like primary school is both mandatory and universal. Between 2000 and 2012, middle school assignment was based on a standardized examination, but it has since been replaced by a lottery system for most students. The exception are "shooting star schools," elite middle schools for highly gifted students, which select applicants based on teacher recommendations and performance on an admission test.
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For most of the 20th century, Menghean middle schools followed a "stationary class" system, in which the same group of students is assigned a homeroom and teachers for each subject are rotated in and out at 45-minute intervals. One problem with this system is that it requires all students to advance at the same pace, meaning that by 8th grade one class may include students at different levels of learning. More recently, a growing number of schools have responded by switching to a "stationary teacher" system, in which each teacher is assigned a classroom and students move from class to class.
Because scores on the UMSAT middle school exit exam determine whether students will progress to high schools or technical schools, if they progress to tertiary education at all, middle schools in Menghe are much more rigorous than primary schools, and students are expected to take their studies more seriously. It is common for schools to post all students' ranked grades outside the door to the classroom, or to maintain a public board ranking the success of each class collectively, and to offer additional rewards to top-performing students. More than 70% of middle school students attend privately run after-school tutoring sessions, a figure which rises to 97% in major cities like Donggyŏng and Sunju.
Middle schools in Menghe often require pupils to wear uniforms. These differ extensively by school, some modeled on Joguk Janyŏ uniforms, others on a Western tie and blazer, and others still on a plain collared shirt, though under Ministry of Education all girls' uniforms, whether skirts or pants, must extend as far as the knees.
The Ministry of Education outlawed the use of corporal punishment in the classroom in 1964, but in practice it remains relatively widespread; in a 2013 survey, 27% of middle school boys and 9% of middle school girls reported being subjected to slapping or light caning in the last two years. In response to stricter enforcement of the 1964 law, teachers have also resorted to other methods of punishment, such as forcing students to stand up for an extended period of time.
Upper secondary education
Upper secondary education in Menghe (grades 9 through 12) follows a two-track system. Based on a combination of test scores and personal preference, students enroll in either a high school or a technical school. The former are geared toward preparing students for college, and the latter are terminal vocational programs which may be followed by advanced vocational training.
The approximate ratio of enrollment between the former and the latter has shifted from 40:60 in 2006 to 60:40 in 2016, leading the Ministry of Education to place a "soft ceiling" on high school enrollment and slow the expansion of high school capacity. These measures, though deeply unpopular, were intended to keep skilled youth unemployment under control by limiting the growth of the supply of college graduates.
High school
High schools (고등 학교 / 高等學校, Godŭng Hakgyo) are conventional four-year upper-secondary programs, covering a broad range of general subjects while also offering limited elective classes. They are mainly structured as college-prep institutions, though a non-trivial percentage of students will fail to win college admission each year. High school entry is limited to those with sufficiently high scores on the UMSAT examination, and there is further ranking among high schools themselves, with the best programs presenting the most restrictive entry requirements.
High school is widely regarded as the most stressful stage in the Menghean education system, and for good reason. The entire period is dominated by preparation for the NCEE college entrance exam, which will determine whether students can secure access to a prestigious university.
Technical school
Technical schools (직업 학교 / 職業學校, Jigŏb Hakgyo) form the second leg of the dual-track system. They originated as a carry-over feature from education in Letnia. The purpose of the technical school track is to shorten training for less intellectually skilled students and streamline their entry into semi-skilled professions, and it was retained in 2000 as a result of strong lobbying by the Ministry of the Economy.
Education in technical schools is broken up into two "blocks." The first two years focus on general knowledge, providing a streamlined and simplified version of the four-year high school curriculum. During this time, students are also introduced to various vocations, and may tour local factories or workshops. For the next two years, students specialize in the vocational area of their choice. This is usually done within the same school, but for certain specialized vocations students may be transferred to specialized schools. The fourth year of study is structured as a dual education system, with students working part-time at an internship or apprenticeship in a relevant trade.
Both Jachi-hoesa conglomerates and local small and medium enterprises often partner with technical school administrators to recruit semi-skilled workers, usually offering paid apprenticeships in exchange for a guarantee that the student will work with that company after graduation. Due to a rising excess supply of college-educated students, there is strong demand for semi-skilled vocational jobs in Menghe, and the current Ministry of National Economic Development predicts that as industrial modernization continues, the share of blue-collar jobs requiring skilled or semi-skilled qualifications will increase.
Nevertheless, there is still a strong social stigma against technical education. Due to the intense competition leading up to the UMSAT exam, students sent to technical high schools are often labeled as underachievers or assumes to be less intelligent than their peers. Recently, the government has tried to combat this view through publicity campaigns that frame technical education as "Socialist labor," and stressing that the ultimate dishonor is to be unemployed or underemployed as a college graduate. These measures, in combination with a soft ceiling on annual high school enrollment, have managed to keep the youth unemployment rate under control, though negative perceptions of blue-collar labor still persist.
Tertiary education
In 2016, 54.29% of all graduates from secondary education in Menghe enrolled in tertiary programs. The country's tertiary enrollment statistics require careful interpretation, however, as the dual-track high school system means that two-year technical degrees are counted as secondary education. Thus, if technical degree equivalent education is included, the level of higher education enrollment is considerably higher.
This current level marks a dramatic increase since Menghe's economic reforms began; in 1989, the tertiary gross enrollment rate was below 9%. The quality of Menghe's universities has also improved dramatically, in part because of a special Ministry of Education fund to support world-class programs and attract talented foreign professors. Measured by the number of graduates, Menghe's tertiary education programs are especially strong in engineering, computer science, and the natural sciences, which the Ministry of National Economic Development identified as "critical areas for building a competitive 21st-century workforce."
Even so, major concerns remain about the quality of Menghean higher education. High student-to-faculty ratios and research-based incentives remain persistent problems, and students often graduate with limited critical thinking skills and poor foreign-language ability. Efforts to address these problems have thus far focused on the highest-ranked universities, increasing social stratification among graduates.
Study abroad programs
In 1990, the Menghean government loosened its restrictions on overseas study programs, encouraging the best-performing students to complete university degrees abroad. In 2000, slightly under 100,000 young adults left Menghe on student visas; by 2012, that figure had more than tripled. The main destination countries were Dayashina, Tol Galen, and Ostland. From 2016 to 2018, the study-abroad rate declined slightly, but it remains high at approximately 312,000 students.
While the liberalization of student-visa programs was intended to help build a more elite educated workforce, throughout the 2000s over 3/4 of Menghean students studying abroad were still in their countries of study five years after graduation. Most cited higher salaries and more established research programs as their reasons for not returning, but the more open political environment in democratic countries also played a role.
Concerned about brain drain, the Menghean government has launched a number of programs offering higher salaries and generous research funds to science and engineering students who return from abroad. It has also imposed greater restrictions on overseas-study applications. By 2015, the return rate had risen to 54%, though it is unclear whether this was related to the new programs or to the more developed job market at home.
In recent years, Menghe has also become a destination for exchange students, and it is now the leading destination for exchange students in Dzhungestan, Polvokia, Ummayah, and Qusayn, among others. Even so, Menghe remains a net "exporter" of exchange students.
Relationship with conscription
Between 1994 and 2005, students who accepted admissions offers into institutions of higher education were exempt from conscription, a policy intended to reduce the interruption in skill accumulation for this group. The policy was terminated for the incoming cohort of 2006 in order to expand recruitment (university enrollment had increased since 1994) and increase the number of skilled personnel.
Currently, college-bound males selected for conscription are allowed to defer their service until they complete their degree. Students at Menghe's top 20 colleges and universities are given green-line exemptions, and can volunteer for service after completing their degree.
Problems and reforms
Wile remarkable, the quintupling of Menghean tertiary education enrollment between 1990 and 2010 has produced a number of strains within the system. These have created serious concerns about the quality of Menghean university graduates, especially those in lower-ranked programs.
As cohorts of doctoral students were small and poorly trained in the 1970s and 1980s, relatively few qualified professors are available, and Menghe's political environment has limited the influx of foreign educators. On top of this, the demands of economic growth and military modernization created strong incentives for university faculty to focus on research or seek work outside of academia. High student-to-faculty ratios are compounded by the persistence of hierarchical cultural norms: students are discouraged from asking questions or challenging a professor's viewpoint, and professors seldom devote much attention to students' individual needs.
So far, efforts to address these problems have concentrated on Menghe's highest-ranked universities, as part of a deliberate policy to build a vanguard of elite graduates. In this field, they have shown some progress, with degrees from Sunju Technical University and Chŏnghwa University becoming increasingly competitive in the global labor market. Even so, the "lower half" of Menghe's colleges and universities show few signs of improvement.
Entrance exams
UMSAT
The Unified Middle School Aptitude Test (통일 중등 학교 수학 능력 시험 / 統一中等學校修學能力試驗, Tongil Jungdŭng Hakgyo Suhak Nŭngryok Sihŏm) , abbreviated UMSAT in Anglian-language literature, is a standardized test taken by all middle-school students in the fall of their 8th year. Scores on the UMSAT determine placement in high schools, and in particular work to sort students between college-prep and technical school systems.
NCEE
The National College Entrance Exam (전국 대학 입학 시험 / 全國大學入學試驗, Jŏnguk Daehak Ibhak Sihŏm), often abbreviated as NCEE in Anglian-language literature, is the most important of the two entrance exams, and dictates students' entrance into non-technical tertiary education. Unlike the UMSAT, it is not mandatory, but nearly all high-school students choose to take it. It has been described as the bolt around which the entire Menghean education system pivots.
The test is broken up into five sections, of which the first four are mandatory. For the fifth, students can choose either a Natural Sciences version of the test, or a Social Sciences version, and within each version they can choose two subtopics. Regardless of what configuration one chooses, the total score is the same.
- Menghean language
- Mathematics
- National history and politics
- Foreign language: choose one
- Social sciences option: choose two
- World history
- Geography
- Economics
- Traditional ethics and thought
- Natural sciences option: choose two
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Earth science
The test is usually offered in mid-November, and scores are made available in late December, leaving students with two weeks in which to submit university applications. The scores themselves are normalized onto a bell curve, and follow the same distribution every year, allowing continuity in the admissions process.
All but the lowest-ranked universities maintain publicly available minimum entry scores, and restrict their applicant pool to students with that level or higher. Some may also require that applicants take a version of the test in a relevant area; for example, a school of engineering may consider only applicants that took the Natural Sciences version and chose Physics as one of their sub-sections, or a college specializing in the humanities may accept students with lower scores on the math section if their scores on the history and social sciences sections were high enough.
Every year, the bottom 10 to 20% of test-takers fail to win admission into college, either because their scores were too low or because their applications were rejected for other reasons (though the latter is rare; a good score all but guarantees admission). They are given the option to retake the test in the following year, but will still be competing against the next cohort of students, and many choose not to.
Private education
In the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe, private education was banned, in part because of the nature of the state-run economy and in part due to a state desire to maintain a monopoly on students' moral education. This law remained in place until 1995, when the government began to gradually relax the relevant law, formally recognizing private education as a legitimate alternative in 2003.
Though generally free to conduct their own lessons, private schools must have the content of their curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education, and can be shut down if regulators find "consistent shortcomings in student performance or gross negligence on the part of staff."
Private schools in Menghe remain relatively rare, in part because the public education system already provides a wide range of alternatives for gifted children. Parents also tend to express concerns that children attending private schools may not perform as well on standardized tests, which regulate entry into tertiary education and can be highly influential in the labor market. In recent years, enrollment in public schools has started to accelerate, in part due to growing concerns that public education is not sufficiently well-rounded.
Homeschooling is still prohibited in Menghe, punishable by steep fines for parents and compulsory attendance in a boarding school for children.
Special tracks
Accelerated learning
Accelerated learning, also known as a "Chŏllima leap," is a policy which allows high-performing students to skip a year of education. It is only available at the preschool, elementary, and middle school levels, and has declined in importance since the 2000s, in favor of sorting students by grade as they enter the next school level.
Students who move up via a Chŏllima leap and are not held back in a future year are exempted from conscription, eliminating the possibility that they will enter the military before the age of eighteen.
Shooting Star schools
Shooting Star schools (유성 학교, Yusŏng Hakgyo) were created in 1981 as an alternative track for children performing consistently above their peers. Students could transfer in at the end of any academic year, with a parallel track existing for both primary and secondary schools. Shooting star schools lasted for the same duration as their normal counterparts, but incorporated a denser curriculum covering material in greater depth.
Like Chŏllima leaps, Shooting Star schools declined in number after the restructuring of the education system in 2000, as their role was filled by a wider ranking of all middle and high schools. In the process, they evolved into a more exclusive and elite education track, catering to highly gifted students with excellent test scores and extracurricular records.
Post-2000, Shooting Star schools retained the 5+5 format of their predecessors, with a single five-year secondary school block. After completing Grade 10, students in these programs are allowed to take the NCEE qualifying exam and apply to tertiary education programs, two years ahead of their counterparts on the standard tracks. Nearly all Shooting Star graduates move on to college, and like Chŏllima leap beneficiaries they are exempt from conscription.
Gundae Hakgyo
Gundae Hakgyo (군대 학교 / 軍隊學校) are four-year academies intended to prepare students for careers as military officers. They exist at the same level as conventional high schools, and students can choose to apply to them if their UMSAT scores are high enough.
In addition to nationalist doctrine and physical training, these schools include courses on military history, military science, and technical areas such as field navigation. The Menghean Army and Menghean Navy both run their own military schools (Yukgun Hakgyo and Haegun Hakgyo, respectively) including dedicated schools for aviation, engineering, and medicine. These are seen as prestigious institutions, where students can gain a high-quality education and then proceed on to a successful career in the military. Graduates generally go on to serve as commissioned officers in a command role, via the Menghean National Defense Academy or Menghean Naval Academy.
Special education
Until 1993, students with learning disabilities were placed in the same classes as regular students, and held to the same standards, resulting in high repeat rates. During that time, parents would often arrange for children with special needs to be quietly granted "severe medical exemptions" and withdrawn from the education system, usually with the help of bribes to school officials.
Since then, the government has worked to establish dedicated schools for children with learning disabilities. These schools run continuously for eight years, and follow a different curriculum, which stresses "personal self-realization and gradual liberation from one's disability." A few of these schools even offer terminal technical degrees, usually for low-skill occupations.
Critics allege that this system is mainly designed to keep children with learning disabilities from disrupting regular classes, and more broadly to keep them out of public view, a discriminatory policy that continues into adulthood. Cases of abuse or mistreatment by teachers are widespread, but are seldom reported in domestic media, and a 2013 internal audit by the Ministry of Education acknowledged that the majority of these schools "practice supervision, rather than education." Bribery for medical exemptions is also widespread, and an estimated four-fifths of children with severe learning disabilities remain home with their parents throughout the day. These problems are especially pronounced in rural and impoverished areas.
Specialized primary and secondary schools also exist for the blind and severely hearing-impaired, and offer a standard curriculum modified for students' needs. Unlike programs for students with learning impairments, these schools are considered equally competitive as their conventional counterparts; deaf students can take the UMSAT and NCEE exams, while for blind students a Sinmun braille version exists, with a special testing facility and an extended time limit. These schools are almost exclusively boarding schools, a policy intended to ensure that students from rural areas receive the same quality of education as those living in cities.
Criticism
Social effects
Intense competition in the education system, combined with a social hierarchy that emphasizes intelligence, have resulted in pronounced education-based elitism within Menghean society. Youths who only completed technical school are often treated as second-class citizens; those who earned entry into college-prep high schools but failed the NCEE exam are regarded as the lowest failures, ranking even below technical graduates. Since the 2000s, it has become common for government bodies to require that applicants for administrative positions have a college degree, effectively barring those with a technical degree only from entering politics.
In recent years, the state has mounted a publicity campaign encouraging students to pursue vocational education, making extensive use of Socialist imagery and pointing out that holders of technical degrees are more likely to move into stable jobs in their first year after graduation. This campaign has had only a limited effect on the social stigma around technical education.
Academic problems
Much criticism of the Menghean education system centers on its strong focus on rote memorization rather than interactive or holistic learning. Middle and high school curricula are primarily designed to prepare students for the UMSAT and NCEE, respectively, and are often accused of teaching to the test. In the process, they neglect skills such as critical thinking and deny students opportunities to engage in active learning.
Students in Menghe rarely ask questions or contribute comments in class, a practice which has been attributed to four main factors: large classes which divide teachers' attention, lecture-based lessons that emphasize memorization rather than discussion, hierarchical norms that discourage students from questioning teachers' judgment, and students' fear that they will be called out as ignorant if wrong.
Students' health
The demanding requirements of Menghean high schools place a severe drain on students' physical and mental health, especially with regard to sleep. It is not uncommon for classes to begin at 6 AM, and even after formal instruction ends, mandatory supervised-study sessions may last until 8 PM. On top of this, 98% of students enroll in after-school lessons during the year leading up to the NCEE exam. For those who are unable to afford a private tutor, the Youth Vanguard converts its after-school meetings into test-prep sessions.
School policy can also intrude into students' personal lives. A random survey of schools conducted by two researchers at Pyŏng'an East University found that 89% of Menghean high schools forbade romantic relationships between students, on the basis that it distracted them from academic commitment. Many middle and high schools even regulate students' hairstyles, prohibiting anything that is seen as nonconformist or disruptive.
Though the Ministry of Education does not advocate any central policy in this vein, middle and high schools commonly post ranked lists of students' names and grades in the classroom, the hall, or sometimes at the entrance to the building. In some cases teachers have been known to assign menial tasks to the lowest-performing students, or to call on pupils not by their names but by their numerical grade rank in the class. Failing to secure college entry due to a low NCEE score is considered the lowest dishonor, below even attendance at a technical school; Menghean 18-to-24 year olds have the highest suicide rate for their age group in Septentrion, and more detailed statistics (where available) show sharp upticks in suicides during the week after exams and the week after grades are published.
Policy responses
On certain issues, the government has been responsive. Concerns about unhealthy sleep habits led the government to pass a law requiring that paid and state-sponsored after-school tutors end their classes before midnight, though this does not prevent students from studying individually beyond this time. Similarly, where public boarding schools have enforced earlier lights-off curfews, students often respond by waking up earlier to review. Both international critics and government officials acknowledge that the problem is mainly student-led, as anyone who prepares less intensely than their peers risks failing to enter college. Other responses include increased counseling services to prevent suicides and re-integrate failing students, and a comprehensive if vaguely worded mandate encouraging schools to incorporate more interactive lessons that extend deeper than rote memorization.