“We Should Learn to Live, Learning is Power”: Pyŏllara, Night Schools and the Dilemma of Workers’ Education in Colonial Korea

Abstract

This study examines the pedagogical roles of the print media movement for youth associated with night schools in colonial Korea, focusing on the socialist magazine Pyŏllara (1926–1935). The movement deserves attention because of its educational function, in which activists endeavored to empower young workers. Since formal schooling was limited under colonial conditions, the night schools often complemented the role of public schools, providing opportunities for school-aged children. However, even in schools supported by socialist groups, the educational content and curriculum often remained rudimentary despite their ultimate pursuit of political education. This gap often situated workers’ education in a dilemma between basic literacy and raising political awareness. Despite this dilemma, the magazine and night schools nonetheless provided young workers with exceptional opportunities to empower themselves, which could hardly be done in public schools at the time.