이 연구에서는 1950년대 후반부터 1960년대 초반의 산업화 시기를 중심으로 북한에서 종합기술교육이 도입, 전개된 과정을 살펴보고 그 결과 북한의 교육이 교육 과정과 내용, 방법 면에서 어떤 특성을 지니게 되었는지를 검토하였다. 북한에서 종합기술교육의 도입은 교육적 측면에서는 맑스가 주장하였던 사회주의 교육이론을 구현한 것이었으며, 사회경제적 측면에서는 급속한 산업화에 필요한 기술인력의 양성이라는 경제적 필요성을 충족시키기 위한 조치였다. 북한에 도입된 종합기술교육은 스탈린 시기 소련에서 정형화된 마카렌코식 교육이었다. 1950년대 후반에 종합기술교육의 원리에 입각하여 기술교육과 생산실습을 중시하는 방향으로 학제와 교육과정의 개정이 이루어졌다. 학교에서는 '일반교육과 기술교육의 결합' 및 '교육과 생산로동의 결합'이라는 두 가지 원칙이 교육과정 운영의 원칙으로 제시되었다. 종합기술교육이 전개된 결과 북한의 교육은 교육과 생산노동이 긴밀하게 연계되고 교육의 상대적 자율성의 여지가 축소되었다. 또한 교육과정은 분류와 통제의 정도가 강한 분과형 교육체제로 구성되었다.
The aim of this study is to examine the process and the characteristics of the polytechnical education during the industrial period in North Korea. In North Korea, the introduction and the implementation of polytechnical education was closely related to North Korea's socio-economic situation, especially the rapid industrialization. Rapid industrialization created shortages in the industrial labor force, especially for skilled workers. Educational reform was regarded as one of the solutions to improve the productivity for the drive for industrialization. Polytechnical education was introduced from Soviet Union and reorganized the school system and curriculum. During the 1950s after Korea War, the technical and practical subjects had revived, and the subjects of natural science had promoted. It was different from the human studies-centered curriculum after liberation. The two principles of the polytechnical education were emphasized in the new curriculum and pedagogy, which were 'combination of the general knowledge and the technical skills'. and 'linking between education and productive labor'. Even though the inter-dependent cooperation between school and workplace was emphasized in polytechnical reform, it was not always successful. In schools and factories, students were often regarded as surplus labor power to achieve the production goal. Eventually, through the implementation of polytechnical education, the characteristics of education in North Korea was formed as follows. First, education and production are closely connected, and the education is more dependent on the economy than other countries. Second, the curriculum is organized in the form of collection codes, because of the influence of Soviet education.