North Korea pushes Russian classes in schools but lacks teachers to run them
North Korea is expanding Russian-language classes in schools in 2026 as its alliance with Moscow deepens. A severe shortage of trained Russian teachers, however, is disrupting lessons across the country, and some schools now give English teachers short crash courses in Russian and send them straight into classrooms. Russian lessons began at schools when the […]
In 2026, North Korea is introducing Russian-language classes in schools as its ties with Russia grow stronger. However, a lack of trained Russian teachers is causing disruptions in lessons across the nation, and some schools are using English teachers with brief Russian training to fill the gaps. Russian lessons started when the second semester began on October 1, according to a source in Ryanggang province.
They teach English and Russian as the main foreign languages, but there aren't enough teachers to teach Russian properly. From fourth grade in primary school through senior middle school, students study Russian. Foreign language classes, primarily focused on English and Russian, take up about three hours a week, depending on the grade and school type.
North Korea follows a 12-year compulsory education system, with dedicated Russian subject teachers in primary schools and underprepared teachers receiving crash courses in Russian at some schools. Teacher colleges and universities are working to train more Russian specialists, but it will take time for these new teachers to reach schools.
Some students and parents view Russian education as an extra burden, as they see it as less useful than English. Despite the push for Russian education, the main outcome has been a heavier workload on schools and students.
Written by urgent.news from Daily NK's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
