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UNTIL 2012, only about one percent of the budget was allocated to education.
Last year the government raised the allocation for education to 4.3 percent, and this figure has increased by a further 1.54pc this year, bringing it to 5.84pc of the national budget.
“The education budget is still low compared to the number of students. The government should increase it further,” said Dr Thein Lwin, an education expert from the NLD Education Network.
In cash terms, the percentage increase means a leap from about K643 billion to K908 billion — an increase of more than K260 billion, out of a total national budget of about K7721 billion adopted in the 2013 union budget law of March 29. The government has estimated the income for the Ministry of Education at only K14 billion, which includes K2.7 billion from international aid. This means that the budget deficit is K83 billion.
“We’re going to increase the education budget every year to ensure improvements are made in education,” said U Thein Nyunt, Pyithu Hluttaw representative for Thingangyun township, and a member of Pyithu Hluttaw Education Promoting Committee.
In March, the education minister also pledged to reallocate K31.27 billion from the budget for the
basic education sector to office expenditure of the ministry.
“Any budget increase for education is good but it must bear fruit. There are a lot of needs in education, such as teacher training, transportation and other support for teachers in remote areas, as well as for teaching materials in the classroom,” said Dr Thein Lwin.
Despite a history of opacity, the education ministry is now sharing
more information with the public as well as engaging more with it – although contacting high-ranking officials remains a drawn out process.
Starting this financial year, the ministry introduced free compulsory primary education, which also includes disbursing free textbooks. The government provided textbooks and exercise books worth K2.87 billion to more than 5.2 million primary students in the 2011-2012 academic year. A total of 5.5 million primary students received free textbooks and exercise books in 2012-2013 too, according to the ministry.
The ministry is also going to appoint at least 10,000 junior assistant teachers (JAT) for primary schools around the country, and will renovate 1000 basic schools and offices at district level. There are already 52 district
education offices, 18 state and regional education offices and 300 township-level offices.
“District education officers’ offices are unnecessary. It’s enough to have school administration boards involving teachers and community leaders. The money should be spent in other education sectors,” said Dr Thein Lwin.
Education minister Dr Mya Aye told a seminar in April that the ministry would renovate schools and build new infrastructure, appoint more teachers, and fund teacher training.
The ministry has added one year to the duration of higher education degrees starting from the 2013-2014 academic year. “We need more infrastructures for this extension,” said Dr Mya Aye, adding that the ministry will need to spend more on reform in order for it to be effective.
The government will also use
K3 billion to support 6303 teachers across 1579 monastic schools at the primary, post-primary, middle and high school levels. The allocation was discussed at a meeting in Yangon on April 28 between the ministry of religious affairs and supervising sayadaws in monastic schools. Monastic school teachers will receive a government salary for the first time this year.
Administration, inferior infrastructure, technology and education policy are key issues that international engagement could help resolve. Lack of funds is one of the major hindrances in accomplishing education development goals, and the Ministry of Education is trying to engage with the international community more than ever. UNICEF, Japan International Co-operation Agency and AUSAID are working on educational projects in Myanmar.
The government is taking some positive steps in the education sector – notably budget increases and introducing free and compulsory education.But is this enough to lift Myanmar’s education standards out of the doldrums?
Education budget boost: is it enough?
Editors:Myo Lwin, Jessica Mudditt
Writers:Shwe Yee Saw Myint, Jessica Mudditt, Cherry Thein, Noe Noe
Aung, Thiha Toe, Zon Pan Pwint, Aye Nyein Win
Cover photo: Yadanar
Photographers:Kaung Htet, Noe Noe Aung,
Jessica Mudditt, Aung Htay Hlaing
Cover & Layout Design:Tin Zaw Htway, Ko Pxyo, Khin Zaw
For enquiries and feedback: [email protected]
A Myanmar TimesSpecial ReportBACK TO SCHOOL 2013
AUNG SHIN
Children at a school in eastern Shan State. Pic: Aung Htay Hlaing
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The government is taking some positive steps in the education sector – notably budget increases and introducing free and compulsory education.But is this enough to lift Myanmar’s education standards out of the doldrums?
Education budget boost: is it enough?Education Highlights
Budget allocation for education 5.84 percent
Education Budget K908 billion
Budget Deficit K83 billion
Budget Allocation to Monastic Schools K3 billion
Number of schools to renovate and rebuild 1000
Number of teachers to appoint for primary education 10,000
Number of basic education school (Basic Education) 40,876 (2011)
Number of institutions (Higher Education) 163 (2012)
Number of students (Basic Education) 8 million (2011)
Number of school teachers (Basic Education) 0.3million (2011)
Number of students (Higher Education) 0.5million (2011)
Number of teachers (Higher Education 20,000 (2011)
A child rides a water buffalo to school in Shan State. Pic: Aung Htay Hlaing Source: Ministry of Education
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TRACY COSGROVE has been help-ing disadvantaged children for the past 18 years, after she and her husband decided they wanted a way to show their young children “another side of Asia.” Following the tragic death of her husband in a car accident in 1998, Tracy contin-ued her voluntary activities and in 2003 founded the Melissa Cosgrove Children’s Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation named after her daughter.
Along with countless health-related projects in Thailand, Tracy has initiated the building of 30 schools and orphanages in Myanmar, with the first opening in 2005. The most recent was a school for 120 children in Rakhine State, which at the end of February was handed over to the education department.
In the past, the foundation has worked with street children, traf-ficked children, children whose parents are migrant workers and those with HIV/Aids. It is now focused on health and education related activities.
An interior designer by profes-sion, Tracy personally identifies and chooses the projects that are supported: her interest in Myan-mar was piqued when she assisted a trafficked Myanmar boy to return to his family from Thailand.
She told The Myanmar Times, “I’m not a big NGO and I wouldn’t call it charity work – it’s about em-powering people.”
Tracy is a no-nonsense person – the type who sees a tragic situation and simply gets to work improving it. One gets the feeling that “No” isn’t in her vocabulary.
She said she doesn’t get over-
whelmed by thinking about the number of people who need as-sistance – she tries not to focus on that, but instead concentrates on what can be achieved.
During her first visit to Myan-mar in 2004, a friend took her to a village in Bago Region, which is about 3 hours from Yangon. She
travelled in a “Flintstones car, past a lot of checkpoints” while being followed by a policeman on a motorbike. Although the local police initially wouldn’t allow her to get out of the car, when Tracy took one look at the local orphan-age she resolved to rebuild it from its dilapidated state. She imme-diately set up an appointment
with the then British ambassador to Myanmar, Vicky Bowman, and pleaded for financial assistance to get the project started. Three months later, the job was done, and she set about rebuilding a kindergarten in the same town-ship. She also supports a monas-tery in the same area.
Due to the fact that the founda-tion isn’t encumbered by the red tape that can surround many non-government organisations, the scope of her work is flexible. Tracy is building a school in a vil-lage located an hour by boat from Ngapali, and when she happened to see a girl with what appeared to be a spot her eye, she took a
photo and posted it on Facebook. A doctor friend diagnosed it as a cancerous tumour and the teenager was promptly flown to Yangon for an operation. She is grateful to Air Mandalay for flying the girl free of charge.
While traveling on the ferry to Dalla village on 6 May, Tracy said:
“The last time I was on the ferry, I saw a boy who looked really, really sick. He was grey. It turned out that he needed a heart transplant.”
Thanks to Tracy’s compassion and powers of persuasion, she raised the necessary funds for the operation and the boy has success-fully recovered.
When we arrive at Hope Or-
phanage, Tracy swings into action – asking her assistant Phyo Wai to find out the children’s needs and how best to provide help on an ongoing basis. Though business-like when doing the organising, she puts her notebook down towards the end and stops to take photos of the children, saying “Pyone!” (Myanmar for “smile”). She laughs and kids around with them with such ease that it seems as though she’s known them for years.
Although this orphanage in particular is being supported by a family in Australia, Tracy said that Facebook is an excellent means of obtaining funding from overseas supporters. Peoples’ generousity is such that she often has to tell people to wait until the next proj-ects presents itself – she doesn’t fundraise unless there is a specific goal in mind.
“The network [of supporters] is growing and growing,” she said with a smile.
Tracy also has a policy of hiring locals to build the schools and orphanages, in order to boost employment opportunities in the areas she works.
Her son and daughter also help her with projects in Myanmar and Thailand, and she said that her own parents are also active sup-porters.
Tracy repeatedly states how her work has been aided by the kind-heartedness of Myan-mar people – whether it’s a taxi driver that returns part of his payment to contribute to a youngster in need, or people banding together to achieve a common goal – all without financial reward.
She said, “It was a close com-munity when I was growing up in Manchester, but it wasn’t like this. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
In 2003, The Evening Times gave Tracy the “Scotswoman Award,” in recognition of personal courage and dedication towards others. It’s not difficult to see why.
Building schools, brick by brickJESSICA MUDDITT
“I wouldn’t call it charity work – it’s about empowering people.” Tracy Cosgrove
Phyo Wai and Tracy Cosgrove at the orphanage in Dalla. Pic: Jessica Mudditt
Tracy Cosgrove with children in Myanmar. Pic: supplied
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Myanmar Times' reporter Shwe Yee Saw Myint hit the streets to ask people whether school is a drag or something to savour.
Is school cool?
Kyaw Kyaw Tun, 13
I loved school, but I had to drop out two years ago because my family doesn’t have any money. It was really disappointing. But now I want to earn money for my family by selling books on the streets.
Thi Ha Moe Oo, 24
I enjoyed primary school but high school life wasn’t so good. There’s less time to spend with friends and I was under so much pressure to pass matriculation exams. I am happier now than I was at school.
Nay Lin Aung, 12
I like school now that I am in eighth grade. I go to school in Kyauktada township, which is close to my house. I have lots of friends and it’s fun playing at break time. I love my teachers and I enjoy my classes.
Aung Paing Phyo, 24
I went to a small primary school and the teachers were so nice. It felt like everyone knew everyone and it was a really friendly place. My favourite part was playing in the play ground. It was the best time of my life.
Ma Paing Aye MyaThu, 20
I liked school because I had a lot of friends – and it’s great because my old school friends go to the same university as I do. But I didn’t like school when teachers discriminated against the poor students by treating the wealthy ones a lot better.
San Myint Tin, 26
I liked school, but some things about it were difficult. I live in Magway Region in upper Myanmar and I lived in Saw Hla village. We didn’t have enough teachers and it took me a really long time to travel to the city where school was. A lot of students were in the same situation. I passed the matriculation exams and got a distinction in physics, but overall I don’t think the quality of teaching was very good.
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A FEW years ago, an expat living in downtown Yangon noticed a distressed young girl on the balcony opposite his apartment building.
She had been doing calisthenics under the hot sun for hours, quite clearly against her will. The expat was so concerned that he called the ward councilor, but was shocked to find himself being reprimanded rather than the girl’s parents. The ward councilor made the man sign a document stating that he would never intrude on other peoples’ business again.
According to a teacher who spoke to The Myanmar Times on condition of anonymity and who will be referred to as “Mr Smith,” there is a widespread belief in Myanmar that “what happens in the home stays in the home.”
The author of a parenting book, Aung Thein Kyaw, said that violence towards children is common practice and an accepted part of Myanmar culture – including at schools, where teachers use caning and other painful techniques to discipline students.
In a 2009 Myanmar Times article, Aung Thein Kyaw said that a teacher from Aung Lan in Magwe punched a student so hard that it broke his tooth. Another died from injuries after being beaten by a teacher at a school in Pwin Oo Lwin.
Corporal punishment appears endemic: In a 2001 study by UNICEF and Research International Asia (Thailand), 40pc of the 10,073 children surveyed in Myanmar said that their parents beat them.
A 2002 study by UNICEF found that 17pc of respondents were unhappy at school because their teachers used corporal punishment.
However despite repeated calls from the United Nation’s Committee on the Rights of the Child (CROC) to repeal or amend a number of laws, including the implausibly titled Whipping Act (1927), the government is yet to do so. As recently as 2011, it rejected recommendations to make corporal punishment in the home unlawful. And although the government has issued directives that corporal punishment should not be used at schools, no law expressly prohibits it.
The Child Law allows for a form of “admonition by a parent or teacher… which is for the benefit of the child”, while the Penal Code states that: “nothing which is done in good faith for the benefit of a person under 12 years of age... is an offence by reason of any harm which it may cause.”
Although Myanmar is a signatory to CROC, campaigners seeking to end corporal punishment interpret local laws as eroding the rights of
children under the UN Convention. For example, CROC outlines a government’s responsibility to “take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity,” however existing laws permit the contrary.
UNICEF’s representative to Myanmar, Mr Bertrand Bainvel, told The Myanmar Times that, “corporal punishment and verbal threatening are very common and deep-rooted forms of discipline in schools in Myanmar.” Unfortunately, changing attitudes to a well-established practice in homes and schools will be difficult.
Corporal punishment remains a global issue – to date, only 30 countries have made it illegal in the home. In such places, television and radio campaigns have proved highly effective in changing societal values about the perceived benefits of corporal punishment – chiefly, that it’s effective.
As Mr Smith explained, “Sometimes parents believe that giving the child a beating is being a good parent: It’s the way they
themselves were taught to do well at school and to respect their elders. It’s important to introduce alternatives.”
Although parents undoubtedly want the best for their children, extensive research has found that corporal punishment produces exactly the opposite.
In April 2011, the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children stated that: “Studies show that discipline at school through either physical or emotional humiliation hinders a child’s ability to learn, undermining the very purpose of education.”
International studies have also found that corporal punishment
leads to higher incidences- of truancy and drop-out rates. The Pediatrics journal states that: “Children who are spanked, hit, or pushed as a means of discipline may be at an increased risk of mental problems in adulthood — from mood and anxiety disorders to drug and alcohol abuse.”
Mr Smith said that in his experience, those who are subject to corporal punishment “inevitably start to bully others. We all have a
certain capacity to hold hurt: When we’re holding too much, we have to get rid of it and so we impose it on others. The child who is being hurt will hurt others.”
Mr Smith said he believes that verbal abuse can be even more damaging than inflicting physical pain – a position echoed in the UN Convention. CROC states that “some non-physical forms of punishment are cruel and degrading and, thus, incompatible with the Convention. This includes punishment that belittles, humiliates, denigrates, scapegoats, threatens, scares, or ridicules the child.”
Mr Smith said, “The body can
heal but if [children are] given negative verbal messages, their belief structure is affected. In the long-term, that can be more damaging.”
UNICEF has been advocating for the elimination of corporal punishment in schools in Myanmar since 2001. It continues to work with the Ministry of Education to promote Child Friendly Schools (CFS), which aim to provide learning environments that are “physically and mentally healthy, safe, psycho-socially supportive and protective of children,” said Mr Bainvel.
UNICEF assists schools and teachers in finding alternatives to corporal punishment, which are known as “positive discipline.” More than 60,000 teachers at 15,000 schools have undergone training programs to date.
Alternatives such as “timeout” – where a child is removed from the situation for a short period and remains quiet, or temporarily removing privileges such as watching television, is more effective than corporal punishment in deterring undesired behavior, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics: “The child may act out more in the short run, but these strategies are highly effective if used consistently.” Such alternatives are worth trying – particularly when there's so much at stake.
Against the cane: corporal punishment in MyanmarUNICEF has provided alternative discipline training to 60,000 teachers, but corporal punishment remains legal.
“Sometimes parents believe that giving the child a beating is being a good parent.”
Teacher
JESSICA MUDDITT
Pic: Kaung Htet
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FOR most Myanmar people, white and green are beloved colours that signify a time in life to learn and study. They are the colours of the traditional Myanmar school uniform, which is compulsory for students at state schools. Girls in secondary school wear a white traditional jacket with long sleeves, accented by a long, green skirt called a longyi, on special occasions (most of the time they wear short sleeves). Boys wear long-sleeved white shirts with a mandarin collar on Mondays and Wednesdays, and short sleeves on other days, matched with green trousers, or a longyi.
Teachers also wear a version of the uniform. Middle school teacher Daw Myint Myint Cho, who has worked as a teacher for 27 years, and currently teaches at BEMS (9) South Dagon, said that wearning the uniform earns her a great deal of respect.
“When I started working as a teacher, I preferred different clothes rather than a plain and unadorned uniform,” she said.
“But as the years passed, I began to notice a marked difference in how people relate to teachers in uniform,” she said.
When she takes the bus wearing her uniform, passengers will give her a seat or offer to carry her basket.
“When I go to the market, the seller will even throw in extra things for free,” she said.
Daw Myint Myint Cho said she believes that people are very respectful to teachers in uniforms because teachers create a feeling in them that he or she might be their son’s or daughter’s teacher.
“Even when we go to celebrations or weddings, we wear the white and green uniform,” she said.
Some students also say they are treated with more respect when wearing a school uniform.
“I love wearing my school uniform,” said Maung Ye Htet Aung, a ninth grade student at BEHS (2) Dagon Seikkan.
Maung Ye Htet Aung said young students can take the bus free of charge when wearing a school uniform in that area.
“The bus conductors never
charge us,” he said.Daw Hnin Hnin Wai, who is a
high school teacher at BEHS (2), said a mother of a 7-year-old girl came to her recently to enrol her child at the school. The mother originally wanted to send her to an international school, called the International Language and
Business Centre, but the young girl refused to go there, and told her mother she wanted to go to the state school because “she specifically wanted to wear a white and green uniform.”
“At my school, students love wearing uniforms, they don’t mind it one bit that the colour is the same at every school,” Daw Hnin Hnin Wai said.
“Outside school hours, they wear what they like and they are free to choose any fashionable clothes, so wearing a school uniform during
school hours doesn’t matter to them,” she said.
Of course, she and Daw Myint Myint Cho said that not every student enjoys wearing the uniform, and that sometimes, it can also be
uncomfortable for teachers, too. But Daw Myint Myint Cho said she has never heard a student complain.
“During 20 years of teaching experience at high school, I have never experienced a pupil having a problem with wearing a uniform,” she said.
However some students in
middle school level have difficulties wearing a longyi, Daw Myint Myint Cho said. They are still young, so they aren’t accustomed to fastening a longyi tightly. At that age, students wear a special longyi that
ties at the waist with a fastener.If students do not comply
with the uniform – if they come to school with a designed or patterened longyi, there is no fine or punishment, but they will be asked to go home and change.
Ma Yoon Nwe, a middle school student at BEHS (2) in Yankin said she doesn’t like wearing a longyi, because it clings to her body and restricts her freedom of movement when she goes outside at lunch time.
“The uniform doesn’t make it easy to play and run. If I wear trousers, I can run really well,” she said.
“I also feel hot in a long-sleeved jacket.”
However it seems that the white and green is here to stay – and something to be proud of.
Wearing the white and green: students and teachers discuss compulsory school uniforms
“Even when we go to celebrations or weddings, we wear the white and green uniform.”
Daw Myint Myint Cho, Teacher
ZON PANN PWINT
Students in uniform take a break for snacks in Bahan township in Yangon. Pic: Kaung Htet
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What made you decide to work in education?When I was younger, I was a wild-life biologist working on a wildlife refuge and one day, a teacher brought his students to do out-door studies. After their visit, the teacher asked me, ‘Have you ever considered teaching? You are a natural with those kids.’
What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?Being a mentor and model for good teaching practices and working with students to realise their dreams.
What is the one gadget you can-not live without and why?My iPod - because I love music.
What’s your favourite holiday destination?Ngapali Beach.
Does your work involve a lot of travel?No – I live two minutes from my office.
What’s your favourite restau-rant in Yangon?Alamanda Inn in Golden Valley – it’s French cuisine.
What was your very first job?I had a newspaper route and mowed lawns for people in my neighborhood. I was 10-years-old and had money!
Describe yourself in three words:Dependable, spontaneous, loyal.
What was the last book you read? The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America, by Joe Posnanski
What is your advice for young people who seek a successful career in the education sector? Be open to learning on the job. There is no recipe out there for creating a perfect teacher: It’s an ongoing project.
TRADITIONAL Kachin music fills the community hall as a troupe of singers bellows out a song for family and friends at the Teacher Training College in the town of Mai Ja Yang. It is a night of celebration for 65 graduates who have upgraded their teach-ing skills in Myanmar’s northern Kachin State, not far from the Chinese border.
Elsewhere in this remote, mountainous region, which has more than 83,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), there is little to celebrate. A 17-year-old ceasefire between the Burmese government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), who have been fighting for greater au-tonomy for the past six decades, collapsed in June 2011.
“In December we had to postpone studies at the school I was working at for a few months because of the fighting around Laiza,” 22-year-old Aung Gam Haundang, who will resume teaching next month at the mid-dle school in the de-facto capital of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO - political arm of the KIA), told IRIN.
“The biggest problem is we need more teachers. However, many who are qualified are afraid to work in the area because of the ongoing conflict and the recent attacks,” Haundang said.
Some 47,000 people are in IDP camps in KIA-controlled areas, with thousands more staying with host families, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitar-ian Affairs (OCHA) reported on 18 April.
Thousands of school-age chil-dren have been affected by the
conflict, with varying access to education facilities.
In KIA-controlled areas, volun-teer teachers have been used to maintain education services for the displaced. However, financial support for this effort is lacking. A comprehensive assessment of the education sector is urgently needed to better determine the number of children in need of education support, gaps in school supplies, and the absorption ca-pacity of existing schools, OCHA said.
School closuresBefore the ceasefire collapsed, there were 262 state schools in KIA-controlled areas. Today there are 229, many of them overcrowd-ed and under-resourced, local authorities say; many have been forced to close due to nearby fighting.
In Mai Ja Yang’s only high school, classes operate in two shifts, starting at 6.30am, and mid-afternoon.
Prior to the conflict, just 600 children were enrolled at the school. However, an additional 700 teenagers from the camps have since joined - 200 of them from Northern Shan State, cur-rently staying at a boarding house on the edge of town.
More teachers are needed“We heard fighting and gunfire near our village last year so we fled the area, running in all direc-tions,” 14-year-old Saing Toya from Northern Shan State told IRIN. “My parents wanted me to continue my studies in a safe area and promised that I could return home once the village is more
secure.”The newly graduated teach-
ers are being assigned to several recently constructed primary and secondary schools near Mai Ja Yang and Laiza.
Headmaster La Raw at the Teacher Training College says 15-20 of the graduates will be posted to IDP camps where assistance is needed most.
Recently, the college sent two teachers to Yangon to attend a peace-building training course, joining representatives from other ethnic groups in Myanmar.
As the singers finish their song, La Raw points out that music is a big part of Kachin culture, but also represents the harmony that is now needed to maintain peace.
“We hope to have peace-building training implemented in future school curriculums,” La Raw said, adding, “ and we hope that some of the Burmese gener-als will attend.”
Meanwhile, Yaw Sau of the Central Education Department in Laiza expressed concern over recent policy changes in Myanmar’s education system which no longer recognizes of-ficial matriculation exams taken at schools in KIA-controlled areas - a move which could have serious repercussions for chil-dren once a peace deal is finally reached.
“One hundred and thirty-six students just completed their exams earlier this month, but the Myanmar government no longer recognizes the tests as official national level exams,” Yaw Sau said, noting that prior to June 2011, such exams were recognised. - IRIN
Education takes a hit in Kachin State
A school for internally displaced people in Kachin State. Pic: Kaung Htet
Myanmar International School opened in 2009 and currently has 329 students, from nursery to Year 11.
Three minutes with Richard Johnstone, Principal of Myanmar International School
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THE only way to turn around the education system in Myanmar, experts say, is to put decision-making power back in the hands of the teachers, students, and educational policy makers invested in its success. About 60 years ago, after independence from the British, Myanmar's education system was ranked among the highest in the region. However during Ne Win’s government, private schools were closed and missionary schools nationalised, and the whole education sector fell under government control. Years of underfunding, restrictions and weak administration have resulted in a poorly functioning system.
Former governments were also highly wary of students, because most political movements in Myanmar’s history began with student protests – from the time of General Aung San to the protests of 1988, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi rose to prominence. To maintain control of the country, the military felt it was necessary to control the education system.
The worst time for Myanmar’s higher educational system, experts say, was after 1988. All universities in the country were closed for several years at that time.
Under President U Thein Sein, the government has recognised the need to address the situation, and change is evident with the country poised to double its education budget for the present school year. Still, challenges remain.
Step one: Decentralise the systemThe first step is to decentralise decision-making with regard to educational issues. The private sector should have the chance to cooperate with the government in the education sector to strengthen policy, and international organisations should be consulted to discuss best practices. An education-for-all policy should be put into effect at the grassroots level and policies need to be more practical.
Dr Thein Lwin, an educator from the Education Network said: “The state education system is in a state of malaise which results from former governments’
misconstruction and misuse of education.”
The system should be managed by professional educators, teachers and scholars, he said, and teachers should have a chance to administer their own schools. Dr Thein Lwin also stressed that universities should be free from being overly centralised.
He acknowledged that the new government is trying to address the problem by cooperating with international organisations and local experts, as advised.
Myanmar is being courted by universities abroad, who are seeking to help the country develop its higher education sector. On April 30, in Nay Pyi Taw, the deputy minister for education, Dr Ba Shwe, met with a Japanese educational delegation that included members of the Japan-Myanmar Friendship Federation, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly to further cooperation between Japanese and Myanmar universities.
The deputy minister also talked with the Austrian ambassador to Myanmar, Dr Johannes Peterlik and a delegation from the Proximus Corporate Advisory of Austria to discuss distance education, tourism management and scholar exchange programs between the two countries.
With all the interest, experts say, expectations are high for effective reform of the educational system in the country. However, much work remains to bridge the gap between where Myanmar once was and where it wants to be in the future, to be competitive once again.
The way forward for teaching and learningU Zaw Htwe Oo, who is a teacher in Kyeemyindaing township, said he has seen the educational system go through many ups and downs and noted that educators have less freedom now than in the past to teach what they feel is best for their students. Teaching methods are focused more on test results than learning, more rote memorisation than student-centred teaching.
Dr Thein Lwin and U Zaw Htwe Oo said the current system of teaching does not support either students or teachers.
“The only thing they have to do is sit their exams without digesting the subjects – let alone insightful learning with reference to additional subjects,” U Zaw Htwe said.
“They can get high marks for the subjects taught at school but lack life skills.”
This focus on simply passing
exams is the result of years of bad habits from teachers and parents, as well as students. Students themselves are often reluctant to ask questions in class, which hampers their involvement and interest in the learning process.
Dr Then Lwin said the curriculum should be reformed to inspire teachers and students with subjects which are relevant and wherever possible, practical.
The subjects should provide students with critical thinking, problem solving and team work skills. Teaching methods should also inspire students’ interests and enthusiastic teaching practices can encourage self-reliance and creative thinking.
“Teachers must have the chance to sharpen their skills. For the better qualified teachers, they should have moderate salary, accommodation and education support for their children. If they have no worries about meeting daily expenses, they can give more attention to teaching,” Dr Thein Lwin said.
Education for all: disparity increasesDr Thein Lwin said that one decade ago – after more than 20 years of prohibition - the government began allowing private schools to introduce international education
standards. Although it offered alternatives for some, Dr Thein Lwin said it has also created further disparity – allowing wealthy children access to alternative learning styles, but leaving children who attend government schools without the same opportunities. The government, he said, needs to address the problems within the state education system itself and help all students reach the same standards.
Private schools provide specific learning but not all families can afford the high cost. Some schools in Yangon charge US$5000 to $10,000 a year, and fees are often higher for secondary education. Private schools are also run by their own budgets, do not rely on government money and often employ foreign teachers, whose housing is usually subsidised by the school.
Before the introduction of free education this year, public schools – while much more affordable than private schools – cost about K10,000 ($12) a year, but there are additional costs. Students are asked to pay for their own books, uniforms, and supplies. Students also have to give extra money every day for a variety of things – including teachers’ pensions.
Great expectations for reforming the education system CHERRY THEIN
A student in Rakhine State studies by candlelight. Pic: Kaung Htet
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IT’S hard work and the pay is low. But there’s a certain satisfaction to be had in being a teacher, professionals have been telling The Myanmar Times. They shared their experiences on condition of anonymity.
“I really enjoy my life as a teacher. Interest, goodwill and sacrifice, these are the three things that motivated my career decision. That’s why I chose this job for life,” said a 45-year-old government primary school teacher from Mandalay Region with 18 years’ experience.
After graduating in 1995, she trained at a basic education primary school in Mandalay. She attended distance training at Mandalay Teacher Training Centre
in 2000 for five years while working. “I’ve got a lot of experience in
teaching methods and I know how to manage students, because I worked as a primary teacher before attending Mandalay Teacher Training Centre,” she said. She continues her training with support from UNICEF.
Another teacher, 28, working in private education in Yangon Region, said: “I like teaching and reading. I’ve worked as a private teacher since I graduated. Children
prosper only if they have enough education, and I’m happy to help them get it. That’s been my motivation for the past five years.”
She attended courses and workshops taught by foreigners before she became a private school teacher.
“Some students work very hard. But most are only learning because of pressure from their
parents. However hard teachers push, the future of graduates usually depends on themselves, and on their parents. Parents should cooperate with teachers as educators to educate the students,” the government primary school teacher said.
“I wonder about the future of the education system. From primary level to graduate level there is a lot of parrot-fashion rote learning. How well does this equip a child?” said the private school teacher.
“Mathematics cannot be learned by rote, nor can English, which requires constant practice.”
“Moreover, there aren’t enough jobs for graduates. This is a great loss to our country. Graduates have a future only if they try very hard, or take extra courses. Or if they have a lot of money,” she added.
Inspirational the work may be, but it can also be tiring, and low-paid.
“Teachers have not only to educate the students, but to instruct them in moral and general
knowledge. It’s very detailed and sometimes tiring work, and a huge responsibility,” she added.
A six-day week is common. The primary teacher works 40 hours a week, divided into eight 35-minute periods a day. She earns K102,000(US$113) though teachers’ salaries have recently been increased.
“It’s enough for a single person,
but very difficult to support a family,” she said.
Most Myanmar teachers are women.
“There are few male teachers in Myanmar. Most schools need male teachers to act as role models for male students, but the income doesn’t support a family comfortably. So men don’t tend to enter the profession,” she said.
What about the profession’s reputation?
“I’m sad when people criticise teachers’ mistakes and call them bad teachers. Nobody’s perfect, but some critics attack the entire profession. The main thing is cooperation between teachers and parents.”
Teachers talk: why I teach
AFTER stopping at a rest station in the Daw Na mountains en route to the Thai-Myanmar border town of Myawaddy, a small group of children sidled up to the car.
“Do you want to buy some water?”
“I have icy cold drinks,” another said.
Each was carrying a large bucket full of ice and drinks and they all wore thanaka to protect themselves from the burning May sun.
I bought a Coke and asked if I could hold one of the buckets to judge its weight. It was heavier than it looked and would have been a burden to an adult, let alone a child.
“I come here every day at about 10am to sell cold drinks. I don’t need to have lunch if I have a heavy meal before I get here,” said a 13 year-old girl who didn’t want to disclose her name.
She said the journey from her home in Thin-Gang-Nyi-Naung to her workplace in Kyauktalone is long, and that she and the other
children travel by motorbike. About three years ago, the girl
dropped out of school after her family moved from their home in a small village in Ayeyarwaddy region.
“I went to school up until fourth standard – I stopped going when we moved. My mother also works here and if things are calm, she works on the other side.”
The ‘other side’ is Thailand. As it’s easy to cross the border illegally via Thaungyin River, large numbers of Myanmar people risk everything to find better job opportunities.
When I asked her if she wants to go back to school, she didn’t answer. She just kept staring at the notebook in my hands. I wondered
whether she could read or write.Ko Htoo is 15-years-old and also
sells water at the rest stop, far away from his home in Thaton, Mon State.
“We came here three years ago. We don’t live with my father
because he works in Thailand. I attended school regularly until the move – at the time I quit I was in eighth grade,” he said.
Ko Htoo shook his head when I asked if he’d like to finish school.
“How can I make money if I go back to school? I need money to help support my family,” he said.
Ko Htoo can up to K20,000 a day
if a lot of people stop at the rest station.
Khin Moe Htay is 15 and has a different, more lucrative job – she collects donations for Kyauktalone pagoda.
“There are five of us girls. We collect about K200,000 a day,” she said.
Of that, she is paid K60,000.
The pagoda board of trustees pays children to collect donations from tourists for the upkeep of the pagoda.
“I can’t earn that in Yangon, at least not honestly. But here, if my mother and I work hard, we can live better than when we were there,” said Khin Moe Htay.
“Though I miss school life sometimes, I don’t want to go back,” she added.
Khin Moe Htay said that people from all across Myanmar come to the border area in the hope of earning a better living, as everyday life is getting more and more pricey.
“Children who move with their parents to work here often move to Thailand to earn more money when they get older,” said a resident who travelled with our group.
According to Thailand’s Labour Ministry, there are more than a million Myanmar people working legally in Thailand, while millions more lack the necessary paperwork. Virtually none of the children working on Myanmar’s side of the border in Myawaddy attend school. Although the short term financial benefits of pulling children out of school appeal to many struggling families, the number of people who will grow up to become adults with limited job prospects is worrying.
Education is compulsory in Myanmar, but only until the age of nine. With changing economic opportunities, many parents are choosing to send their children to work instead – but as these kids reveal, missing out on an education is a heavy price to pay.
Left behind: stories of working children on the Thai-Myanmar border
“How can I make money if I go back to school?” Ko Htoo, 15
NOE NOE AUNG
THIHATOE
A years vendor waits for customers in Myawaddy near Thai-Myan-mar border. Pic: Noe Noe Aung
“Most students are only learning because of pressure from their parents.” Teacher
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Q: You finished school at an early age – please tell us about that.A: I enrolled in primary school at an age younger than the other children. When I passed ninth standard, I was only 13 years old. I graduated from Thandwe State High School in Rakhine State at 15 years of age, in 1966. I had to wait for two years before I could begin university. I studied at the Institute of Medicine in Yangon and got my degree in 1975. The system at that time was rigid — you couldn’t change your course. One of my friends tried to quit medical school to do an English major. They wouldn’t let him.
Q: Did you learn in Myanmar or English – or both?A: In primary school, all sub-jects were taught in Myanmar. English was compulsory from fifth standard to matriculation, or tenth standard. At medical college, the subjects were taught in English. Q: How would you judge the
education system at that time?A: I honestly don’t think the system was good enough back then. Some teachers were very smart, but not many. Perhaps three or four knew their subjects well. They were confident, and trusted themselves.
Q: As a journalist and author, what made you first decide to study medicine?A: People who got the highest scores at matriculation were en-titled to attend medical college. My parents also encouraged me to do so. I wasn’t sure what I should be doing at that time. The system seemed to shape one’s life to that end. If you got good grades, you become a professional, a doctor or an engineer, with a guaranteed job. If you chose other subjects like maths, physics, chemistry and so forth, you were less likely to get a job. These subjects were not thought suitable for profes-sionals. If you chose different subjects altogether, the chances of getting a job were even slim-mer. But later on, even medical school graduates and engineers weren’t sure of getting a job.
Q: What did you do after finish-ing your education?A: I practised medicine until 1988. After about 10 years I stopped and began writing. I’ve been writing books since I was in school.
Q: Is English important?A: It depends. If there are 100,000 books in Myanmar and 200,000 in English, English speakers have the chance to learn more. If you want to know something in depth, you need English. If all you know is Myan-mar, you won’t learn as much.
Q: What about learning history at school?A: I didn’t realise how important history was when I was young. But we should learn a lot about history. From past experiences in the world and in Myanmar, we can learn useful lessons for the present. Author Dr Than Tun said history is taught to prevent us being dumb. Those who know history can judge the present better. It’s empowering.
Q: What is your opinion on the reinstatement of ‘political science’ as a subject at universi-ties?A: It’s an important subject. Politics means leading a nation and running political machines. We need to know about politics, especially if we are developing a democratic country. Democracy is the rule of the people, and the people need to know how the country is ruled. If there are flaws, we must be able to point them out. We must be able to speak out. Like learning history, it’s a way of avoiding thinking too simply.
Q: How do you view the present educational system?A: The educational level of uni-versities just after independence was high. But 10 years ago, the system was bad. Schools and universities were closed whenever there were political protests. The government then reopened universities in remote areas. Schools and universities lacked teaching aids and materi-als and the government couldn’t afford to provide them. This remains a problem.
Q: How could the system be improved?A: There should be a system that looks after the students
properly. When I was a stu-dent, we were able to have career counselling with faculty members. We were able to attend the course for a while, and if we didn’t like it we could change our course. Today’s students should have this opportunity also. If there are 100 people enrolled in medi-cal school, there should be 100 graduates. Now, out of 300 enrolled, 50 will drop out. Stu-dents should choose subjects that interest them, because then they will succeed. This is good for them, their families, and the country.
- Translated by Myo Lwin
Back in my day: education in the 1960s
Well-known journalist and author U Pe Myint talks exclusively to
The Myanmar Times about his education and why he feels it’s important to be
able to study in two languages.
U Pe Myint spoke to The Myanmar Times in Yangon last week. Pic: Aye Nyein Win
Students at Kyaing Tong in Shan State. Pic: Aung Htay Hlaing
AYE NYEIN WIN
AFTER being closed to undergrads for 16 years, Yangon University and Mandalay University will offer undergraduate degrees, according to a report in The Voice on May 6.
It quoted the Universities Central Council members as saying that the universities will accept 600 students and give courses on 20 subjects, including political science, from the next academic year.
The decision to reopen the universities came following the council meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on May 4.
The classrooms will accommodate about 25 students who will be provided with accom-modation. The cost will also be reasonable, the paper quoted the council as saying.
Chairman of the Universities Central Coun-cil, Deputy Minister for Education Dr Mya Aye said students will get the chance to improve English as native English speaking teachers will be employed.
The two universities were established during the colonial time but following the student protests of 1988, stopped offering degrees other than masters. The universities will accept only students with the highest matriculation examination results, the coun-cil said.
MYO LWIN
Yangon and Mandalay universities to offer undergraduate degrees
