‘Myanmar still weak in education reform’

'Myanmar still weak in education reform'

Published on Monday, 12 November 2012 18:53

The government is not doing enough for education reform, says a leader of the student movement in Myanmar in 1988.  

Min Ko Naing made the remark in a video speech, which was sent to a meeting between the 1988 student generation group and overseas Myanmar students in Thailand on November 3.

Min Ko Naing is a leading democracy activist and dissident. He has been jailed by the previous military government.  

"After a thorough study, we have found out that people are working hard for political reform but a few are doing little for the nation's future development through education. We have only educational institutions running on a manageable scale. Those institutions have to spend time remedying their wrong policies and inadequacy of budgets. We need a lot of teachers to train future generations whose education needs to meet the international standard," he said.   

He also pointed out that many children are still in traditional monastic education schools.

"In the arid regions from central Myanmar, some government primary schools are in a state of dilapidation. Most children are studying in Buddhist monasteries, which are struggling with a large number of students, little space and shortage of teaching staff," he added.

He added that houses and schools were destroyed or burned down in war-torn regions causing additional difficulties to students.

He called on overseas Myanmar students to consider how they can best serve the needs of local students, adding that their motherland expects something from them.

"When we (Peace and Open Society) went on a cross-country tour, we found many uneducated and ignorant people who are subject to oppression but dare not speak out or cannot respond with correct facts and data," Min Ko Naing added.  

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2012/11/13/myanmar-still-weak-in-education-reform/