As North Korean schools prepare for the new academic year starting April 1, parents are frustrated by school decoration fees their children are expected to pay.
“Schools across Pyongsong and other parts of the province are asking students to contribute to classroom decoration costs. Nearly all schools are collecting cash,” a source in South Pyongan province told Daily NK recently.
Every year, North Korean schools repaint classroom walls and chalkboards in mid-March before classes begin. But with insufficient budgets to cover these expenses, schools pass the costs to students.
“Parents with school-aged children generally anticipate covering classroom decoration expenses when March arrives. But they’re increasingly frustrated by how much they’re being charged,” the source said.
According to the source, one Pyongsong elementary school recently demanded about 90,000 North Korean won (approximately $11 at current black market exchange rates) per student for decoration supplies. The exact amount varies by grade size, with parents in smaller grades expected to pay more than 100,000 won (about $12.50) per child.
The requested amount (90,000-100,000 won) is enough to purchase around 10 kilograms of rice at the market. This represents a substantial expense for families already struggling to provide two meals daily.
The decoration fee is particularly burdensome during the spring “lean period” when food supplies typically run low.
“People are trying to cut back on groceries since the ‘barley hump’ began in March. With schools demanding such large sums during this difficult time, parents are desperate about finding ways to come up with the money,” the source said.
Some parents reportedly go into debt to cover these fees, fearing their children will face bullying if they don’t pay on time.
“As making a living becomes harder, people generally limit themselves to having just one or two kids. Yet strangely, raising children seems to grow more expensive each year. Many parents are stressed about the upcoming school year because of these decoration fees,” the source added.
[Read in Korean](https://www.dailynk.com/20250325-4/)