Historic “Law on the Enforcement of Universal Compulsory Primary Education System” was proclaimed at the Fourth Session of the First Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in September, 1949.

Thanks to this law the children of workers and peasants who were too poor to go to school before liberation, could have sacred rights and duty to study at primary school free of charge in Korea.

It is of weighty importance in world history as it was the first law on universal compulsory primary education enforced among people’s democratic states.

In October 1958 the Fourth Session of the Second SPA of the DPRK adopted and proclaimed a law “On Enforcement of Universal Compulsory Primary Education System and Preparation for Compulsory Technical Education System.”

It said the system of free education would be enforced at primary middle school from November 1, 1958, and the State would supply textbooks and school things free of charge to the bereaved children of patriotic martyrs and those of some citizens who received state assistance.

It also said that technical schools would be set up for graduates from primary middle schools and 2-year compulsory technical education system would be enforced in the future.

In November 1966 the Sixth Session of the Third SPA of the DPRK adopted and proclaimed a law “On the Enforcement of the Universal 9-year Compulsory Technical Education System.”

The law said that the enforcement of the universal 9-year compulsory technical education system began in all parts of the country on April 1, 1967 and four-year primary schools and five-year middle schools would give general education and basic technical education free of charge to all the youth and children ranging from the age of seven to the age of 16.

The adoption of the laws were of weighty importance in further consolidating the socialist educational system in the DPRK and raising the general cultural and technical level of the working people.