The first policy in this period is reflected in the Joseon Education Decree (조선교육령; 朝鮮敎育令) and Private School Regulation (사립학교규칙) decreed in 1911. Joseon Education Decree is interpreted to have the purpose of obliterating all Korean cultural and spiritual independence to keep Koreans colonized forever. After the decrees, various policies established the education system to have three to four years of botong school (보통학교; 普通學校), a type of primary education; four years of godeung botong school (고등보통학교; 高等普通學校) and girls-only godeung botong school (여자고등보통학교; 女子高等普通學校), both forms of secondary education; two to three years of sileop school (실업학교; 實業學校) and gani sileop school (간이실업학교) with no particular limit, both forms of vocational schools; jeonmun school (전문학교; 專門學校), a form of tertiary education. Botong school focused on reading, writing, and arithmetic. The subjects Susin (수신), Korean, Japanese, hanja, and arithmetic were required. The school served more for as preparations for jobs, not for higher education. Godong botong school also focused on job training. Subjects included Susin, Korean, Hanja, and Japanese. As of 1915, there were 399 botong schools, 56,253 male botong school students, and 5,976 female botong school students compared to 291 Japanese primary schools, 31,142 male Japanese primary school students, and 28,206 female Japanese primary school students. 30% of the instructors in botong schools were Japanese, and 60% in godong botong schools.
For private schools, the Decree concerning private schools (사립학교령) was decreed in 1908. The decree was modified in 1911. In 1915, Modification of the regulation of private schools (개정사립학교규칙) was decreed. The decrees applied to all private schools. They promulgated that the purpose of the establishment of schools, head teachers, teachers, and textbooks must be regulated by the Empire of Japan. Moreover, the subjects of geography, history, and the Bible was prohibited. Consequently, the number of private schools decreased, from 1,973 in 1910 to 1,317 in 1912, 1,240 in 1914, and 690 in 1919.
The educational policies were modified after the March 1st Movement on March 1, 1919. The modified policies were promulgated on 1922. The educational policies for students speaking Japanese and Korean were separately created. Korean students were permitted to study in normal schools (사범학교; 師範學校). The quality of education as a whole also increased. The length of botong school was increased from four to six years. The subject of the Korean language, which had been abolished in some schools, changed to become a required subject. More schools were also established. When nationalistic leaders called for establishments of Minlip Daehak (민립 대학; 民立大學), the Japanese government made compromises to establish universities under the control of the government. As a direct consequence, Rules concerning the establishment of Keijō Imperial University (경성제국대학설치에 관한 법률) was promulgated in 1922. Although such policies were similar to the Japanese curriculum, the focus of the curriculum was to strengthen the Japanese education while diminishing Korean culture. This argument is supported by the facts that the time for the teaching of the Japanese language was two to three times longer than the time to teach the Korean language in primary and secondary education systems as well as the teachings of history of Japan and the geography of Japan.
In March 1938, the third Joseon Education Degree was promulgated by Jirō Minami. All Japanese elements were strengthened and the courses were forced to be taught in the Japanese language. The main points in this decree were that the names of schools were changed in the style of the Japanese language: "botong school" was changed to "simsang primary school" (심상소학교); "godeung botong school" to "middle school" (중학교); "girls-only godeung botong school" to "godeung girls' school" (고등여학교). The Korean language was also changed to an elective course, which meant its eventual end. "Simsang primary school" was renamed to "citizen's school" (국민학교; 國民學校) in 1941. In 1943, the Decree concerning education during wartime (교육에 관한 전시비상조치령) changed the education system to fit the war preparation. Consequent decrees modified the education entirely for war. Due to the changes, almost all the students were compelled to become soldiers and the schools were practically closed down.