You are on page 1of 7

2 3

Focus on: Open Day,


British International
School Yangon
Class divide
BY ZON PANN PWINT
zonpann08@gmail.com
T
HE education system
in Myanmar has long
placed emphasis on strict
memorisation and rigorous
studying of facts. Three students
now studying in Bangkok, however,
recently told The Myanmar Times
that this model doesnt always
serve students well when pursuing
advanced degrees elsewhere.
Since 2013, Ma Mya Mya Thet
has been taking a one-year-and-
ve-month Master of Arts course
in management and policy at the
National Institute of Development
Administration in Bangkok,
Thailand, courtesy of a postgrad
scholarship provided by the
Thailand International Development
Cooperation Agency (TICA).
Her experience highlights the
anxiety faced by many Myanmar
students when it comes to teacher
interactions in the classroom, at
home or abroad.
My worst fear in the class is to ask
questions and to be asked, Ma Mya
Mya Thet said in March following a
TICA press conference at the Riva
Surya Hotel about scholarships for
Myanmar students.
It takes time for me to accustom
myself to questioning the teachers
in the class because we are not in
the habit of asking questions, said
Ma Mya Mya Thet, who earned
her bachelor degree in mechanical
engineering fromPyay Government
Technology College, then worked as
a vice director at the Department of
Labour under the Ministry of Labour,
Employment and Social Security.
We used to learn by heart
and take exams fromwhat we
memorised.
Now, she said, shes working hard
to adjust to a more open, dialogue-
based classroom.
I try to get into the habit
of asking questions if I dont
understand something. The
pedagogy here encourages me to
research and think for myself. It is a
big diference, she said.
Ma Mya Mya Thet said Myanmar
students on the whole are more
motivated and disciplined than their
foreign counterparts, and study very
hard, with a serious attitude. Theyre
also better at writing in English than
their Thai students, perhaps as a
result of their diligent study habits.
But she said Myanmar students
tend to be weaker in English
speaking, because we dont
normally use the English language
in the workplace. That problemis
compounded by the fact that theyre
not used to raising their voices with
condence in the classroom.
That puts Myanmar students at
a disadvantage when theyre judged
according to diferent criteria than at
home.
Another Myanmar foreign study
student, Ko Myo Thiha Kyaw,
earned his bachelor degree from
the University of Agriculture and he
is now studying at Mae Fah Luang
University in Chaing Rai, Thailand,
with a scholarship for the Technology
Management of Agricultural
Production program.
In Myanmar, school examinations
just test the students memory on how
much they can learn by heart and then
judge themby paper results alone.
Here [in Thailand], the examinations
test students knowledge and judge
by how well they can participate in
discussions with teachers, how well
they can do assignments, he said.
Here the teachers dont spoon-feed us
[with printed sheets of facts] but help
us to try ourselves.
He added that the universitys
well-stocked library is also a helpful
learning resource, as are its more
technologically advanced facilities. All
students interviewed for this article
commented on the extensive facilities
available to themnow which they
were not used to having at home.
In 2013, education spending in
Myanmar was equal to 5.43 percent of
the national budget. In Thailand, that
number is 20.6pc.
While Myanmars education
budget increased to 6pc this year a
welcome move, though still lowest
among ASEAN countries some of
the biggest frustrations come down to
factors money alone cant buy.
In 2012, University Teachers
Associations were formed across
Myanmar to give collective voice to
classroomconcerns, and a September
2013 survey conducted in Yangon
highlighted signicant discontent
with the way teaching was being
carried out.
About 1317 out of 3336 students
and parents who took part in the
survey agreed teachers should have
more freedomin drawing up the
curriculum, in pedagogy and in the
governance of schools and university,
said U Than Htike Aung, assistant
history lecturer at East Yangon
University.
As it stands, he said, the current
systemmitigates against achieving
the open learning environment
students reported experiencing in
Thailand and he added that its not
teachers who are to blame.
Teachers dont have freedomof
choice, U Than Htike said. They
have to teach as instructed even
though they know about pedagogy,
and the examination systemdoesnt
help impart a great deal of knowledge
to the students. So the teachers
are unhappy in the classroomand
the classroomdoesnt create the
conditions whereby the student is
motivated to learn.
He said overcrowding not enough
teachers to facilitate one-on-one
interaction is one factor preventing a
more student-centred approach.
The proportion of teachers to
students in the colleges and schools
has changed dramatically over
the years. Only a small number of
teachers in the college teach hordes of
students,.
The system, he said, falls back,
by necessity, on parrot-learning
learning by heart which is more
expedient but ultimately less
rewarding for teachers and students.
Teachers who mark exampapers
are instructed to give marks for
straight answers, he said. If the
student provides a diferent answer
that is still correct, he loses marks.
The Department of Higher Education
monitors the marking of exampapers.
Therefore, teachers lose freedomand
the bad systempersists, he said.
There are tentative moves under
way to shift the nations education
model to one that is more interactive
and exible. Teacher training for the
child-centred approach, or CCA, is
being phased in rst at the primary
levels, beginning with 93 townships
in 2012 and 85 townships in 2013, and
82 townships in both 2014 and 2015.
Early testing, however, shows
teachers are very weak in asking
questions to students, CCA working
group member Naw Joanna Doe told
The Myanmar Times in January.
Teacher Daw Ei Ei Khine from
Basic Education High School 4
Ahlone said teachers are nding the
new model a struggle. We dont
have enough time to teach students
with this method because they arent
used to being asked these kinds of
questions.
U Than Htike Aung estimated
reformof the education systemwill
take 10 to 15 years in other words,
an entire generation of students.
One factor that may be limiting
a more open classroommodel is
something Myanmar society takes
great pride in: respect for superiors.
According to Buddhism,
Myanmars dominant religion,
teachers are part of the ve innite
venerables: Buddha, the dhamma
(teachings), the sangha (monks),
parents and teachers.
[Students] normally dont question
teachers ideas. They feel disrespectful,
U Than Htike Aung said.
When they dont question and
challenge our knowledge, they cant
make progress and the teachers also
cant learn a new thing.
The challenge for education and
for society as a whole is how to
retain respectful atmosphere while
allowing creative thinking and
problem-solving to ourish.
Students dont want to come to
the classroomwhen universities dont
present a cheerful busy atmosphere.
Most students fail to enjoy campus
life, he said.
This contrasts starkly with the
experiences of Ma Khin Nwe Oo,
now pursuing postgraduate study
in computer science at Assumption
University in Bangkok.
The university is quite green it
is a pleasant studying environment,
stimulating the desire to study in
the campus. We have free and easy
access to the internet, and the library
stocks a variety of books we need,
which makes a big diference to our
research, Ma Khin Nwe Oo said.
Facilities aside, she agreed that
the most signicant diference in the
approach of the two countries was the
model of how learning should happen.
The university [in Bangkok]
doesnt encourage students to learn
by heart. They test the students on
knowledge theyve been learning and
reading, she said.
The student can benet as much
as the efort he or she makes.
While all students studying abroad
who were consulted for this article
expressed excitement about their
new surroundings, none placed any
blame on their past teachers, only the
models under which they must work.
Ko Myo Thiha Kyaw, who said his
lack of experience with high-tech lab
equipment made it difcult to get a
handle on using themabroad, was
quick to praise his former teachers.
Teachers fromthe University of
Agriculture are strong, systematic and
ofer practical experience, he said.
Ma Mya Mya Thet also did not
blame her teachers, but said the
wider culture would need to change
for the country to keep up with others
in development.
When I was working in Myanmar,
people in the workplace spent hours
on chatting when they didnt have
much work. I dont think the gap
between Myanmar students and
international students will widen
if they can spend enough time on
reading, Ma Mya Mya Thet added.
That fear of falling behind, she
said, prompted her to take a risk by
studying abroad.
I wanted to study overseas because
we would lag far behind other people
when we apply for a higher position.
Most students frommiddle-class
families couldnt aford to study
abroad. I amfortunate for getting
a scholarship to gain experience of
studying abroad, she said.
The scholarship she earned
fromTICA comes at the Myanmar
governments request and is among
those available to ofcers serving in
various departments. TICA covers the
cost of the program an estimated
K10 million plus accommodation,
and ofers 7000 baht as a monthly
stipend to cover living expenses.
She said leaving Myanmar to study
abroad was the right decision, but
also said she wont be part of the
so-called brain drain, in which the
countrys best and brightest leave for
better education and careers and
do not return.
I love to work at governmental
departments, Ma Mya Mya Thet
said. I will work again there when I
complete the course.
Studying in Bangkok, an unnamed postgraduate student, Ma Mya Mya Thet, Ma Khin Nwe Oo, Ma Khin Nyein Nyein Hlaing
pose for a photograph at Riva Surya Hotel in March. Photo: Zon Pann Pwint
Students studying abroad say its
sometimes a toss-up to decide which
is more delicate to handle: high-tech
scientifc equipment or question-and-
answer sessions in the classroom
6%
Education spending as percent of
budget, versus 20.6pc in Thailand

Teachers who mark exam papers are


instructed to give marks for straight answers.
If the student provides a different answer that
is still correct, he loses marks

- U Than Htike Aung, assistant history lecturer, East Yangon University


O
N May 24, children and their parents visited the
newest international school to open in Yangon,
meeting teachers and staf and learning about
the British International School Yangon (BISY)
and what it will ofer upon opening this August.
BISY is part of a worldwide group of schools run by
the British Schools Foundation, with branches in Moscow,
Kuala Lumpur, Sao Paulo, Manila, Nanjing, Marbella,
Pamplona, Tashkent and Kiev.
The Yangon campus will initially cater to students from
pre-nursery to primary (ages 2 to 11). The school says
classes will be taught by British nationals educated at UK
universities and will follow the UK curriculum the rst
international school in Myanmar to do so.
Rather than focusing on preparing for tests, its
prospectus says, [school staf] believe a broad and vibrant
curriculumcreates the enthusiasmfor learning that will
lead to success. Good examination results simply follow.
BSF states 95 percent of its students come in at or above
the UK average.
The school also promises Myanmar language and
culture will be a major element of its local curriculum,
to prepare children for Myanmar university should they
choose this route in their further education. Wade Guyitt
2
Voices from abroad
Students studying overseas refect on what its taught them about school at home
3
Focus on: British International School Yangon
A frst look inside the newest international school to open in town
4
Special trips for top achievers
Plus, thoughts on learning English, and why international students cant switch out
6
History in the making
Yangon Universitys reopening is a welcome new chapter for a storied institution
7
How school used to be
Memories of a Mandalay convent school; plus, paying respect to teachers
8-9
In a different tongue
How ethnic groups are struggling to be taught in their own languages
10
The art and science of bringing kids up right
A closer look at the BrainWorks model
11
Monastic memories
A Myanmar Times reporter tells about life inside the monastic school system
The issue at hand
Contributors Zon Pann Pwint, Wade Guyitt,
Myo Lwin, Shwe Yee Saw Myint, Aung Thuya,
Kyay Mohn Win, Khin Su Wai, Ei Ei Thu,
Sandar Lwin, Wa Lone, Ei Ei Toe Lwin,
Ye Mon, Aung Shin
Editor Myo Lwin, Wade Guyitt
Sub editor Mya Kay Khine Soe
Photography Zon Pann Pwint, Thiri Lu, Khin
Su Wai, Yu Yu, Kaung Htet, Thiha Kyaw
Cover photos Staff, Kaung Htet
Cover design Ko Htway
Page layout Ko Khin Zaw
For feedback and enquiries, please contact wadeguyitt@gmail.com, myolwin286@gmail.com
Photos: Thiri Lu
4
A revived youth program helps identify the leaders of tomorrow
From smart to outstanding
BY KYAY MOHNWIN
kyaymonewin@gmail.com
I
WILL try my best to become an
outstanding studentI will try
to be a doctorI also aimto
become a good soldier...
You may be hearing those old song
lyrics more often these days.
From seventh to 10
th
standard, the
government used to require students
to sit exams that tested their general
knowledge and physical tness.
At least one outstanding student
from each district, region or state
would be sent on a special excursion
in Ngapali or Pyin Oo Lwin. The
program started in 1964, shortly
after General Ne Wins takeover, and
stopped in 1987.
Many young people once dreamed
of being selected as an outstanding
student. State-level honours brought
pride for your school and your
hometown. But post-1987, students
only learned about these role-model
students in books, songs and stories
told by elders.
But now the programis back. In the
2012-2013 academic year, the Ministry
of Education started a new programof
excursions for outstanding students in
eighth to 10
th
standards.
Mg Thant Nay Su was among the
rst chosen. But not even the highest
matriculation exammarks in the
country got hima guaranteed spot.
I didnt know Id have to sit an
examfor outstanding students, said
Mg Thant Nay Su. I found out one
month before. I had to sit exams at the
township and district levels.
Two boys and two girls were
selected fromeach district, though
some chose one boy and one girl only.
We were sent around Ngwe
Saung and Pathein for an excursion,
he remembered. A hotelier and a
computer expert gave talks about
their businesses and other things. At
night, games and entertainments were
planned for us. Our trip was nine days:
ve days in Ngwe Saung and four days
in Nay Pyi Taw, he said.
Everything went smoothly except
for being tired because we had
activities every day. We made new
friends.
Mg Thant Nay Su said hed love to
go again, but now that hes a rst-year
student at the University of Medicine
in Mandalay, hes no longer eligible.
He rst heard about the
outstanding student programfromhis
aunt, who was selected in her third
year of university in 1976.
White hat, light blue shirt, green
scarf, dark blue trousers and white
canvas shoes: That was the uniform
of an outstanding student then, and
it hasnt changed much over the past
40 years. Former outstanding students
are sure to feel nostalgia when they
see the current crop in the news.
Daw Nu Nu Si, a professor
in Kyaukse Universitys physics
department, is a former outstanding
student. Although she doesnt
remember specics, she recalls it as
a fun time with new friends from
around the country.
When I was selected, it was the 13
th

year of the program. So everything was
all set for us. Booklets were handed
out before we reached the camp. They
told us what wed be doing on each
day, what kind of food would be served
and so on, she said.
Students had to do physical
exercise in the morning. Then they
were sent to local businesses and
factories. At night, they participated in
entertainment programs and campre
festivities. Going on an excursion gave
us the chance to widen our networks.
We still remember each other when we
bump into one another.
In Mg Thant Nay Sus year, he said,
students faced some inconveniences in
accommodation and boarding because
it was the inaugural year. For students
fromthe 2013-2014 academic year,
things are more convenient.
There are more places to go on
excursion now, so the new students are
luckier than we were, he said.
The excursion leads students to
rely on themselves and get along with
others, he said.
U Win Myint was selected for the
programin 1966. Hes still proud
of having represented his district
of Minbu, Magwe Region, and his
clearest memory of the time is of a
dinner that was hosted by the Minister
for Education at Myanmar Radio and
Television in Yangon.
After the selections, the students
names were announced on the radio
and in the paper. It was a chance for
the student, their school and their
parents to be proud. It gave students
the encouragement to work harder
than ever in the future.
Most of the outstanding students
50 years ago chose to become
government ofcers when they
got their degree. So [encouraging]
outstanding students means producing
young people who will benet the
region as well as the country, said
U Win Myint, who worked as a
government stafer for 15 years.
My aunt showed me her record
book, certicate and brooch when I
had to sit for the exam, Mg Thant Nay
Su said. She still keeps themcarefully.
It was a kind of encouragement for my
exam.
Those who came both too late and
too early to benet fromthe program
may not have such happy memories to
recall. But now a new generation will
have that chance again, letting them
build condence, knowledge and social
networks all things that are essential
for those who, in 50 years, will be the
new leaders of the country.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
and Thae Thae Htwe
BY SHWE YEE SAW MYINT
AND AUNG THUYA
A CHILDS life in Myanmar
tends to be sorted according to
an early choice between one of
the four diferent educational
streams: monastic, state, private or
international. Each model serves a
diferent role in the system; however,
gaps and loopholes in the ways they
relate to one another force some
to make difcult choices possibly
involving poverty, bribery or both.
Charging higher payments at a
US dollar rate, international schools
ofer pre-collegiate and higher-
education programs designed to help
their students leave Myanmar to
study abroad.
The appeal of international
schools is that they dont follow the
local curriculum, and are geared
toward stronger English skills and
future placement at an overseas
university. In certain circumstances,
however, thats also their drawback,
as Daw Nan Shall Mon of Yangons
Kyeemyindaing township has found.
Both of my children attend an
international school. One of my
children is a grade 1 student and
the other is in grade 5 but I would
like to move themto a state school
to give thema chance to take state
matriculation exams, Daw Nan Shall
Mon said.
That process, shes found, is easier
said than done.
Because international schools
dont teach the state curriculum, U
Ko Lay Win, director of education
planning at the Ministry of
Education, said a successful switch
is unlikely. The topics of study difer,
making qualications difcult in
spite of the fact that international
students tend to be further advanced
than state students at the same age.
He added that lack of
relevant legislation pushes most
international schools to register
as private companies and makes it
more difcult to facilitate shifting
between streams.
While he added that hluttaw
representatives will be discussing the
newNational Education draft law
during the hluttawsession, and while
it will include improved legislation
for handling international schools, he
doesnt knowwhen it will be passed.
U Min Zaw, director of Basic
Education High School 3, Yangon
Region, said the education
department is working on placement
tests letting international students
shift to state programs, but doesnt
know when theyll be ready.
In the meantime, Daw Nan
Shall Mon said, some families use
payments or personal connections to
register at state schools, while their
children continue at international
schools. The ghost registration
allows theman escape route if they
need it, but the practice is illegal.
When you cant aford to keep
up with international tuition,
though, there appear to be few other
options.
Stuck
midstream
How families and
government struggle with
educational options
Struggling to speak
Back in fourth standard in Thanlyin in the late 1960s, I didnt
realise the importance of English. But my headmaster did. Every
morning he ordered students to assemble in front of the school.
Then this short, and short-tempered, man stood on a table
and shouted English proverbs into a loudspeaker, while we, 300
children, repeated themback.
We didnt knowthe meaning of what we were saying.
But he was so keen to improve our English back when the
government did not give it priority that he hired a British
woman, Mrs Johnstone, to help. She could not speak much
Myanmar but her husband worked at the Thanlyin oil renery
and she wanted to help Myanmar children.
We began with pronunciation even before grammar. I go
to school. She goes to school. Just say it like this and notice
later the need to add s in some words.
Only years later did I realise the benets. When I got a
proofreader job at a state newspaper published in English,
suddenly these skills were a requirement. I took the dictionary
with me wherever I went, even to the bathroom. I watched
English movies, listened to English songs.
One of my late senior editors, UChit Thein Oo (CTO), told
me to always try to improve my English so that I would remain
valuable even if we were under military government. That way,
he said, they would never get the upper hand.
My reading improved but speaking and listening
opportunities were limited. Until the late 1980s the socialist
government banned all government employees fromtalking to
foreigners. We had to learn by ourselves; being sent abroad was
a very rare opportunity given to only a few. After 1990 we saw
more foreigners in Myanmar, but still fewtalked to themdue to
the language barrier.
More foreigners come to Myanmar nowthan ever before.
And in multicultural organisations, English is even more crucial.
Learning English, or any language, is a struggle. But our desire
is what determines the extent to which we improve. We must
remember the old motto of St Pauls (nowBasic Education
High School 6) which I learned so many years ago: Hard work
conquers everything. Myo Lwin
Learning English
English is the most basic, practical mediumto communicate with personnel working in
organisations like the UN. Without proper language prociency it would be very difcult
for me to perform. To speak you need to read, learn newthings and then try to speak.
Without reading it will be difcult for beginners or learners to knowuseful words. One
may nd listening somewhat useful for learning newwords, but it is not that efective
compared to reading. But without commitment you cant expect to improve, so commit
yourself and learn.
U Nyi Nyi Aung
Communications analyst
United Nations
Development Programme
Unless your company can communicate efectively in English, it will be left out of
the market, which is becoming increasingly multicultural and demands interaction
across borders. However, what is often misunderstood is not only ones ability to
communicate and understand but the methods by which one does this. Much of the
training well be doing in Myanmar is conducted in the UK too. Language is not the
barrier there, but the skills and techniques which enable individuals and companies
to excel are often lacking.
British Communications has always focused on the importance of clear, concise
usage of the English language within a business context. We sit down with a company
to discuss weaknesses, needs and desired outcomes. If language is a barrier we assess
it rst, then adapt accordingly. We use international and locally qualied trainers and
translators. What is crucial is not only overcoming the language barrier but making our
training culturally and locally sensitive as well as efective.
David Minchinton
Director
British Communications
My English skills are very useful, as I work fromMyanmar into English and vice versa. But I
still need to learn a lot because it is dangerous if a translator makes a mistake. Atranslator
needs to be very careful. I attend speaking and writing classes outside of ofce hours, a
private tuition class with a retired editor. I amthe only student focusing mainly on writing.
I attended two other classes previously, but neither was useful as the course and the
students requirement did not match.
I amalso watching English movies and listening to English songs, both as a duty and for
entertainment. I try to talk to native speakers as much as possible. I pause my writing if I
hear an expatriate is speaking in English nearby. What helps most is a personal desire to
improve ones English. And nowadays many foreigners are even learning Myanmar.
Thiri Min Htun
Translator
The Myanmar Times
the worlds most widely
taught second language
Myo Lwin
Outstanding students are honoured in Ngwe Saung, April 2013. Photo: Supplied
6 7
I
N late May the rains began to
fall, washing away the dust of
summer until what was left
looked like a painting, the
vivid green trees standing next to the
smooth pavement of Adipati Road
in the campus of the University of
Yangon.
For a few more days the campus
would remain quiet, classrooms and
dorms still locked down. With only a
few students about, coming to play or
to make use of the library, you could
almost mistake this year for last or
for most of the two decades before
that, when the university was locked
down by the former military junta,
closed to undergraduates and a barren
shadow of its former lively self. You
could almost mistake this quietness
for that. Almost.
But there is something in the air,
something diferent. The rains carry a
feeling of renewal a sense that while
a small step for students is just around
the corner, a giant leap for the country
is already underway.
For after being reopened to
undergraduates last December, Yangon
Universitys second semester begins
June 2.
It wont be as well attended as in its
heyday. Only 50 students 25 female,
25 male are permitted in each of the
schools 20 courses of study. Still, the
students are back. The professors are
back. The library books are back. The
learning is back.
I was lucky to become a rst-batch
student, said one student, of Kachin
ethnicity, who is now pursuing a
geography major.
They arent the rst undergraduates
ever to study here the history of the
university is too long, too storied, for
that to be true but they are the rst
of a new era.
History is being made on campus
once more.
The roots of the University of Yangon
date back 140 years. In 1874, the
administration of British Burma
founded the rst government high
school in then-Rangoon.
After giving a series of tentative
law lectures, the college department
opened in 1881, becoming afliated
with Calcutta University in India in
1883 as Rangoon College. At rst it
granted First Arts degrees, though a
bachelor of arts course followed in
1884.
In 1885, one student, Maung Too,
passed his BA and became the rst to
hold a BA fromRangoon College.
Rangoon College at that time
was administered by an education
syndicate appointed by the chief
commissioner, which drew from
the British administration body and
representatives fromall educational
organisations.
Another precursor institution of
Yangon University, Judson Baptist
College named after Andoniram
Judson, one of the rst Protestant
missionaries in Myanmar who
translated the rst Burmese-language
bible was built in 1872 by the
American Baptist Missionary Union.
Its collegiate section was also afliated
with Calcutta University up to FA level,
though by 1896 only four students had
passed the exam.
In 1904 Rangoon College began
ofering courses in mathematics,
chemistry and physics.
Enrolment in both colleges
increased, and by 1912 there were 334
students in total, though no science
degree holder had yet been produced.
Demand for an independent
university for the then-British
Burma territory started back in
1892, and the Royal Commission for
Decentralization and the Education
Syndicate had responded by sending
a sketch composition of what would
eventually become the University of
Rangoon to the British government
in 1910.
The proposal was so delayed,
however, that the Syndicate sent
another delegation to the lieutenant-
governor in 1915, and only in 1918
did the lieutenant-governor formthe
Burma University Committee.
The University of Rangoon Act
was enacted in 1920. University
College (Rangoon College) and Judson
College (Baptist College) were merged
under the name of the University
of Rangoon, and other colleges
medicine, engineering, teacher
training, agriculture and intermediate
operated.
It was said that the lawwas written
imitating the systems of Londons
Oxford and Cambridge universities.
The mediumof instruction was English
Rangoon University became number
one in the region.
But the students of the then-
colleges, including Rangoon College
and Judson Baptist College, boycotted
the act, which placed the governor
as chancellor of the newly founded
University of Rangoon. They protested
the British governments control of the
university and the limited local access
to a university education
The British government, however,
kept running the university without
changing the law. And the university
became the heart of the countrys
political uprising and demands for
independence, with students playing
key roles in national strikes in 1920,
1936 and 1938.
After Myanmar gained independence
in 1948, Rangoon University
ourished. Its diferent faculties
gained recognition as a leading Asian
educational institution, with the 1950s
as its golden period.
The period of Rangoon University
at the forefront of regional scholarship
came to a sudden end in 1962. The
caretaker government led by General
Ne Win took control of the country and
the university students were quick to
showtheir displeasure. As happened
during the British era, Rangoon
University became a centre of protest.
On July 7, 1962, peaceful protests were
broken up by Ne Wins troops, and the
Rangoon Student Union Building the
centre of the protests was demolished
the next day.
Ne Win quickly shuttered the
university. When it reopened two
years later the foreign teachers had
been expelled and foreign texts
forbidden in favour of Burmese-
language texts, under the University
Education Act of 1964. Rangoon
University was renamed the Rangoon
Arts and Science University (RASU),
while universities nationwide were
reorganised as separate entities from
Rangoons university.
The era of Rangoon University
as a top regional school with an
international reputation was over, and
it diminished in prestige and size. But
university students continued to make
their voices heard. One famous event
occurred following the death of former
UN Secretary General U Thant in 1974.
Upset he had not been aforded a state
funeral, students seized the cofn and
brought it to the site of the former
student union building in protest.
Once again the soldiers were brought
in and students were killed; U Thant
was ultimately buried near the base of
Shwedagon Pagoda.
By the 1980s, only 6000 students
attended classes on a campus that
once welcomed 10 times that number.
The universitys tumultuous
history continued, being renamed the
University of Yangon in 1988 in the
crackdown following popular protests
against military rule. It was shuttered
again until 1996, when post-graduate
courses restarted, though bachelor
courses would have wait.
The military government followed
a policy of pushing the universities to
remote areas far fromthe centre of
cities, hoping this would dissipate the
anti-authoritarian protests that had
taken place at the University of Yangon
since shortly after its founding.
It would take until the dramatic
reforms following 2010 for Myanmars
universities to end their wilderness
years.
With the opening of Myanmar, it
quickly became clear that a strong
university systemwas necessary. Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi was named as head
of the Yangon University Upgrading
and Restoration Committee in 2013.
On July 27, ofcials told The Myanmar
Times the university would re-open to
undergraduates. In December bachelor
courses resumed.
Although a few hundred under-
graduates have returned to the leafy
campus, the University of Yangon
is still a site of contention between
school and state.
Retired university librarian U
Thaw Kaung said there is still some
ways to go before full autonomy,
self-determination and freedomof
education for the institution are
achieved.
We are behind the times, he said,
adding that the system, and Yangon
University specically, is still emerging
fromthe Dark Ages.
The Education Ministry made the
choice to limit the initial cohort of
undergraduates to a small batch of
students, requiring high marks to
attend. While education is picking
up on the leafy campus, there also
a discussion underway about the
independence of universities.
Dagon University Teachers Union
chair U Arkar Moe Thu said there
is still a diference of opinions over
control of university education at
the highest levels, with some saying
the new draft law leaves too much
control in the hands of the Ministry of
Education.
Nevertheless, the university has
signed a number of international
agreements for academic support,
including MoUs with Germanys
Cologne University, USAs John
Hopkins University, Chaung-En
Universty fromSouth Korea, Nakora
University in Japan, and several Thai
universities.
While the education curriculum
improves, U Thaw Kaung said he
laments the comparatively slow
progress in activities outside
the classroom. While he said he
remembers the university as full of
sports teams, arts, music and healthy
activities, there is little of that now,
except for a few football teams.
Universities shouldnt only be
about literature but involve other
things as well, he said.
As the monsoon rains encourage
the campuss vivid green colours, the
University of Yangon itself seems to
have been given new life. As the dust
of Adipati Road in the centre of the
campus washes away, students say
they are excited to continue their
undergraduate studies. Perhaps the
University of Yangon can emerge
again as a leading, internationally
recognised centre of learning.
BY EI EI THU
91.eieith@gmail.com
TEACHERS in Myanmar are
sometimes described as those who
are living on happiness. Its partly
because they dont earn much salary.
But its also partly because of the joy
they get fromdoing a job they truly
love. One way that joy is passed to
themis through paying respect, a
ceremony in which high school or
university school graduates gather,
sometimes many decades after leaving
school, to give thanks to their retired
teachers.
Its also a way to show the teachers
that their work has had an impact
they get to see how successful their
former students have become.
A retired schoolteacher with more
than 20 years of service recently told
The Myanmar Times of the pleasure
the ceremonies give her.
Its been a long time since I rst
met them, said 62-year-old Daw Khin
Mar Htwe. I amvery happy that they
still remember us old teachers and also
to know that they are well-educated
and doing well.
For nine years of her career, from
1991 to 1991, Daw Khin Mar Htwe
taught at Paung Ta Le, more than 100
miles north of Yangon in Bago Region.
She said she went against her parents
by going into teaching, but was very
happy during that period. And she said
that respect ceremonies there usually
involve giving small gifts to teachers.
Actually, we dont expect the gifts,
she said. We are happy just realising
that they are upholding our good
traditions and remembering us as
respectful people.
In some cases both current and
former students participate, meaning
that the ceremonies help build up
inter-generational networks.
And theyre not just for retired
teachers either. Primary school teacher
Daw Aye Aye Thein teaches at Basic
Education High School 3 Ahlone,
where there are more than 400
students.
It is very pleasing that the old
students come back and pay respect
to their old teachers, she said, adding
that the gift situation is reversed when
at her ceremonies. The students at
our school are not well-of and we give
themback some snacks, she said.
Daw Aye Aye Thein said she
chose her career as it was a hobby
something she loved. She said she
treats her students as if they are her
own sons and daughters.
We like to see the students pass
the exams every year. Thats why I try
very hard for themto be successful.
I amhappy at my work. During the
students respect-paying ceremonies,
we are very excited. It is a mix of
happiness and sorrow, she added.
U Aung Naing, 70, began teaching
in 1965 and retired in 1983 as principal
of a state middle school in Gyo Bib
Kauk township in Bago Region. He
said that while he enjoyed being
honoured in respect ceremonies, he
felt it was teaching generally that must
be respected, not himspecically.
They are not worshipping me
personally. They are worshipping a
teacher. They respect the teacher.
While I was sitting on a raised
platformfor the students to worship
me, I amalso worshipping my old
teachers in my mind.
Still those who live on happiness
and not enough else are making a
great sacrice, he said.
Teachers are like grindstones
and the students are like the knives
which become sharper and sharper.
We grindstones become thinner and
thinner with the passage of time.
I have chosen this career knowing
the consequences, he said. But he
didnt say it with regret.
Translation by Myo Lwin
BY KHINSUWAI
jasminekhin@gmail.com
D
AWKhin Ma Ma Thaung,
67, remembers how she had
to cross herself with holy
water every night before
bed during her stay at Saint Josephs
Convent School in Maymyo, named
after the British Colonel May and now
Pyin Oo Lwin. She studied there until
10
th
standard, having left her home in
Myingyan township in 1956.
We were taught all subjects in
English, including morals, mentality
and character. The Myanmar language
was taught by a Myanmar language
teacher. Discipline was very strict, and
entry conditions were tight. Students
transferring froma local school were
enrolled one standard lower, though
the smart ones could move up within
six months, Daw Khin Ma Ma Thaung
told The Myanmar Times last week.
She said the nuns strictly regulated
the time allotted to reading, learning
and play. Every morning, the students
were served two slices of bread, fried
rice, egg and tea. No outside food
was permitted. Walking noisily was
banned.
A convent education was not
inexpensive back then. Monthly
tuition for day students was K15,
and for K150 for boarders. Piano
lessons and other extra tuition cost
an additional K25. Parents could
pay as much as K250 a month, the
equivalent of the price of a tical of
gold at the time (one tical equals
0.576 ounces). At todays price, gold
costs K670,000 a tical.
It was Prime Minister U Nu who
allowed missionary schools to operate
in the country. Every morning, Daw
Khin Ma Ma Thaungs sister, Mary
Ba Thaung, had to stand up with the
other students and bless the name of
U Nu.
It was in 1953. There were about
20 students in the lower classes
and between 30 and 40 in the
upper classes. Each student had an
individual desk. We were not allowed
to talk. Play was permitted during
playtime, but during study time,
silence was enforced, said Daw Mary
Ba Thaung.
The education systemwas so good,
she said, that girls even came from
Thailand to attend.
Students included the daughters
of President Mann Win Maung
and Brigadier General Kyaw Zaw,
Mandalays wealthiest people, Nagar
Daw Oo and Wadan U Kyaw Than. But
the discipline was the same for all the
students, said Daw Mary Ba Thaung.
A former teacher at Saint Josephs
Mandalay, Daw Rosie, said there were
1000 girls at the school. We had
Hindus, Christians and Buddhists.
Daw Rosie attended at Saint
Josephs herself before qualifying as a
teacher.
The curriculumat the Christian
missionary schools was the same
as in government schools. Students
had to get 50 marks out of 100 in
monthly tests and 40 marks for rst
test, second test and nal exam. Those
who failed to qualify were held back in
eighth standard, she said, adding that
the schools high quality dated back
to the days of the kings and queens,
before British rule.
Records indicate that Christian
missionary schools existed during
the reign of King Mindon and King
Taninganwe.
Saint Peters rst opened in
Mandalay in 1897, and the Father
Lafone school in 1895. Saint Xaviers
primary school was opened by Father
Bulinger in 1887.
While the missionary schools
developed throughout the 20th
century
and continued to grow after the
Second World War, all the Christian
missionary schools were nationalised
in 1964.
Now those missionary schools have
become state high schools.
U Lu Ni, a retired rector of
Mandalay University, said those who
attended the missionary schools had
better English pronunciation than
those who went elsewhere.
But while they left a lasting benet
to their students, the schools and their
staf were dispersed. After 1964, Daw
Khin Ma Ma Thaung said, most nuns
had to leave the country and return to
their homelands. The attitudes toward
discipline changed; she said the nuns
always cared for their students, but
after they left it was no longer like
that.
Still, Daw Rosie said that although
the teachers left, the mission schools
still bequeathed a legacy of assets
when they became state schools. Many
former missionary schools are still
well-thought-of and have good pass
percentages during exams.
But she said it depends on the
headmaster whether there is still the
kind of discipline she remembers from
when she was young.
Translation by Myo Lwin
Things were different then...
Lessons learned
Christian convent schools under British rule were so renowned for their discipline that many wealthy
families, even after independence, continued sending their children,Christian, Hindu or Buddhist

We were taught all subjects in English,


including morals, mentality and character.

DawKhin Ma Ma Thaung,
former student at St Josephs Convent School, now BEHS 3 Pyin Oo Lwin
The practice of paying respect to those who bring us up

While the students


worship me, I am also
worshipping my old
teachers in my mind.

U Aung Naing, retired principal

I was lucky to become a rst-batch student.

First-year geography major, Yangon University


Then and now: St Josephs Convent School (left) and as BEHS 3 Pyin Oo Lwin (right) today. Photos: Supplied; Khin Su Wai
Then and now: Daw Khin Ma Ma Thaung as a schoolgirl (left) and today.
Photos: Supplied; Khin Su Wai
1874
The rst government high school opens,
a precursor to todays Yangon University
Back in
session
A reopened University of
Yangon sees history reborn
Students walk in front of Convocation Hall on the
Yangon University campus a few days prior to the
beginning of second semester. Photo: Yu Yu
BY WA LONE ANDSANDARLWIN
walone14@gmail.comsdsandarlwin@gmail.com
8 9
because it was an unofcial subject.
U Palu Ywel added that they plan
to teach Mon culture and history
in city primary schools during the
coming 2014-2015 year.
Mon Regions minister allowed
us to teach in some primary schools.
We hope we can get more teaching
hours, said U Palu Ywel.
In Shan State, ethnic leaders
have tried to teach fromtheir own
textbook, which was used in 1962, but
without success.
Principals allowed teaching from
the textbook in PT [physical training]
time. Teachers who can speak Shan
can teach fromthe Shan textbook.
Some students were interested in it,
but most werent because it is not a
prescribed textbook, said U Sai Khin
Maung Sein, general secretary of the
Literature and Cultural Organisation.
Ethnic leaders said minority
languages should be ofered as an
optional subject in state schools, so that
students can devote time and energy
to themwithout taking their attention
away fromother commitments.
Children wont be interested in
taking the classes informally, said SV
Kamcindal, a political consultant for
the Chin National Party.
Hluttaw representatives have also
taken up the issue, with some citing
the Nyein Foundations ndings to
support their call for classes to be
conducted in minority language. They
have so far not met with success.
U Oo Htay, a retired assistant
township education ofcer in
Htantlang township, Chin State, said
that the changes, if enacted would not
really be new: The British colonial
administration permitted teaching
in minority languages and this policy
continued to some extent until the
end of the socialist period.
I learned mathematics, science,
history and geography in Haka and
we learned only Myanmar language
in Myanmar, he said. However,
when my son attended school in
1973, four of his subjects were taught
in Myanmar language and only one
subject was in Chin language. Later
we did not have the right to use
ethnic languages ofcially because
[regional government ofcials]
informally banned their use. Because
of this, most of my generation cannot
speak Chin language uently.
In the absence of any state support,
some have formed cultural groups to
maintain their identity informally.
Chin Christian Communication
Group teaches Chin literature
and conducts summer courses for
children in Chin State, said U Oo
Htay. We have requested principals
to teach [Chin language] at school
during the summer holidays. We must
maintain our culture and language
so that it does not become extinct.
Already younger Chin people can only
speak our language; they cant read
our literature.
In Yangon, members of a committee
responsible for organising Kayin New
Year celebrations visit Kayin villages
and teach children Kayin Doneyein,
a famous traditional dance, as well as
Kayin language and literature.
It would be best to get the rights
to use our Kayin language ofcially,
said U Saw Hla Tun, general secretary
of the Kayin New Year Celebration
Central Committee for Yangon.
Under the Burma Socialist Program
Party, the government allowed the
Kayin language to be taught in school
as a development subject provided
the class was made up of 90 percent
Kayin students. So they allowed us
[some rights but not all].
Some ethnic leaders said the
government is trying to gain a
genuine peace in dealing with ethnic
armed groups. They said it is a good
sign, but also raised the question of
whether it is enough to discuss and
even reach a nationwide ceasere
agreement, or whether true peace
means recognising the culture and
customs of ethnic groups.
Genuine recognition of ethnic
culture is essential for ending long-
running conicts between the
government and ethnic groups, Mr
Kamcindal said. If Myanmar wants
to be recognised as a genuine union, it
must be allowed to be colourful we
cannot create a union of only one color.
If [the government] just wants
a one-colour system, we will never
have unity and there will always be
conict.
EI EI TOE LWINANDYE MON
eieitoelwin@gmail.com
yeemontun2013@gmail.com
K
YAN tawtotkaung
shae twinaalan
taingshi parthi, a
Kachin student reads
hesitantly, standing in front of a group
of researchers.
The boys voice stops after two or
three words; he looks drained by the
efort. After ve minutes he gives up
trying to read the lines in front of him.
The words which translate to
There is a agpole in front of my
school formpart of a test used by
researchers froma non-government
organisation, Nyein (Shalom)
Foundation, to assess the Myanmar
language skills of non-Bamar students
as part of a project implemented from
April to June 2011.
The foundation visited 21 villages in
six states, excluding only Kayah State,
and surveyed 1199 people, including
principals, teachers, parents, primary
and high school students, former
students, and local ofcials.
The researchers found that the
Kachin boys plight was not unusual.
While Bamar students had few
problems with the paragraph, many
of the ethnic minority students
struggled for several minutes or could
not complete it.
This was particularly so at primary
level: Of 699 primary students tested,
68 percent could read the paragraph,
18pc could read some text and 14pc
could not read it at all.
Some students can read it but
they do not know the meaning.
When reading a paragraph they took
from48 seconds up to six minutes,
and [grade one and two] students
struggled especially. Some students
we had to help [many] times to
even read one sentence completely,
said U Thein Tin, one of the Nyein
Foundation researchers.
Based on the survey data, the
Nyein Foundation released an
educational policy paper at a
national-level workshop in July 2011
in which the organisation highlighted
the formidable language barriers
that ethnic primary students face
and called for an overhaul of the
governments 30-year education plan
titled Education for all that was
launched in 2001.
The organisation argues that
making education accessible to all in
Myanmar a country of 135 ofcially
recognised ethnic groups, many
with their own unique language and
culture means allowing schools to
teach in ethnic minority languages,
which is currently prohibited in the
state sector.
The research paper found that
ethnic minority children were often
frustrated and disinterested at school
while learning subjects in Myanmar
language and this sometimes resulted
in themdropping out of school at a
younger age.
There is some hope on the horizon.
Ethnic leaders have called on the
Ministry of Education to further relax
restrictions on the use of minority
languages in state schools, following
the decision to allow language
instruction in state schools but
outside normal school hours.
After arguing over these points, in
June 2012 Minister for Education U
Mya Aye informed ethnic literature
organisations of the policy change
and gave themtwo months to
compile language textbooks. However,
ethnic leaders say the change
does not go far enough and that
the government should consider
allowing some schools to use ethnic
minority languages as the language of
instruction in classrooms, particularly
at primary level.
The minister said ethnic
languages were allowed to be taught
but outside school hours. He also
said the ministry will not support
language teachers or help with the
process of writing the textbooks. We
must do all these things ourselves,
said U Naing Ngwe Thein, chair of
the All Mon Region Democracy Party.
The systemchanged again when
ethnic leaders got a chance to meet
with President U Thein Sein in
July 2012, and pushed for greater
emphasis on minority languages in
state schools. Since then, the use of
minority languages has been tested in
some schools in rural areas, as well as
teaching languages within the school
timetable. However, the changes have
so far been disappointing.
Last year we tested our ethnic
languages in rural areas in Mon
State, said U Palu Ywel, secretary
of the Mon Literature and Cultural
Organisation. We introduced rst
the culture and history of the Mon
ethnicity within a very short time.
But it was not efective; students
could not pay attention to learning it
How ethnic minorities are fghting and slowly winning a decades-long battle
to bring mother-tongue teaching back into their classrooms
Ethnic minority children were often
frustrated and disinterested at school while
learning subjects in Myanmar language and
this sometimes resulted in them dropping
out of school at a younger age.

Already younger Chin people can only speak


our language; they cant read our literature.

U Oo Htay, retired education ofcer in Htantlang township, Chin State


The other peace talks
Students in a Kachin camp for those displaced by fighting are given lessons in English. Photos: Kaung Htet
10 11
BY WADE GUYITT
wadeguyitt@gmail.com
T
HE best part of Mohan
Aiyers day is the time spent
teaching in the classroom.
When he sees a childs face
take on that remarkable expression
of someone whos just learned
something, the world seems new again
both for the child and, judging by
the enthusiastic way he describes it,
for himas well.
Perhaps thats why Mr Aiyer doesnt
have a desk, or an ofce, even though
hes the founder and head of an
11-branch school with a staf of 550,
and holds more degrees, diplomas
and certicates than can be listed
here. The more spread out the schools
are, the more time he devotes to
travelling between them. Even so, he
says, he doesnt get enough time with
each. (His staf generally agree hed
need at least a 30-hour day to have
enough time to cover everything he
wants to do in a day.) Then again, Mr
Aiyer never seems to not be teaching.
His enthusiasmis compulsive. Its
infectious.
And its people-centred, because
thats how Mr Aiyer is. He repeatedly
points out others he thinks can convey
the essence of the school better than
he can, whether its a grade 3 kid,
a grandmother admiring childrens
artwork in the schoolyard or a
member of his staf.
But as much as he may dislike the
idea, its hard to talk about BrainWorks
without talking about Mohan Aiyer.
A visit to one of his schools feels like
a visit to his philosophy rendered in
three dimensions: Every suitable space
reveals opportunities for
expression and discovery.
At the same time,
he calls BrainWorks a
Myanmar school run by
Myanmar people, and
hes designed it that way
because its vital that it can
carry on without him.
A school is
something
that lasts
forever, he says. Eighty years, 100
years. How long can I be a leader for
the system? For 10 years, 15 years?
Who is going to run the school after
me?
Not that hes old, but how many
generations are there yet to come?
Countless.
If teachers are those who prepare
students to get by in the world on
their own, then Mr Aiyer is doing that
in more ways than one. Education isnt
just about teaching students, he says.
Its also about teaching teachers how
to teach. Ultimately, its about getting
people to the point where theyre
really teaching themselves.
BrainWorks began in 2004, but it lived
in Mr Aiyers head long before that.
We were in a leadership programin
2000 in America and he had a vision,
says Bob Allwright, who was brought
on to do teacher training in 2006,
fell in love with the project and now
spends more time here than in his
native Australia. He said, I want to
empower people with self-leadership
and so Imgoing to teach it in a
school.
When they rst got in touch again,
Mr Allwright remembers asking his
friend whether he had started that
school after all, and if so, where in
India. I went to Myanmar, came
the reply.
Surprising as it seemed to Mr
Allwright, it made perfect sense
to Mr Aiyer. His mothers side of
the family came fromMyanmar,
and though he had travelled to
many countries, something
about this place called
himto stay.
Fromthe start
his goal was
two-fold.
First, he wanted a school that would
bring the best teaching methods in
the world to kids between the ages
of 3 which Myanmar says is the
right age to start preschool and 18.
At BrainWorks, those methods are
60 percent University of Cambridge-
designed international curriculumand
40pc Singapore-derived.
The school, however, always
seems to be operating at 110pc. And
that extra 10pc isnt found in the
curriculumbut in values. Theres a
focus on common sense and forming
strong characters by paying attention
to the little things. Signs posted
around the school, for example,
remind students that there is no such
thing as an inconsequential lie.
The other founding principle was
that the school couldnt just be for
the rich. Prices had to reect the cost
of living.
Today the school charges only
enough to cover training, facilities
and expansion, despite the high cost
of real estate that is crippling many
international institutions and driving
up tuition fees elsewhere. The fees are
set so that even a parent who makes a
living driving a taxi as one does can
scrimp and save to make it work, if, as
Mr Allwright says, he knows education
is the diference for his child.
The school started in Sanchaung with
one student, the child of an Indian
expat friend. Today it enrolls 3000-
plus students, 90pc who are Myanmar,
10pc expat, with schools across
Yangon. All the while, BrainWorks has
devoted a great deal of attention to the
parent-child relationship.
The school meets each parent eight
times a year, in small groups, to talk
about ideas for education outside
the classroom. Young students
take home a book every
night. One of the
fantastic things for success is
reading, Mr Aiyer says. Our focus is,
every day you nish a book.
Homework assignments for young
students are unexpectedly sensible.
Instead of studying and memorising,
they involve asking questions things
like, Dad, tell me three things you
like about Mom. Tell me why. Tell me
your heroes. Tell me why.
The strategy develops curiosity and
open-ended thinking. That it helps
tighten family bonds, encouraging
children and adults to work together
and see each other as unique human
beings, is a bonus.
Kids mirror what their parents
do, Mr Aiyer says. Everything youre
learning in your life, youre learning
before you even know what it is
Its like the foundation of a building.
If your foundation is very strong, you
can raise up.
He points to research that says that
the brains ability to formconnections
between experience thrives before age
three, tapers at eight, and is essentially
done by 10.
Thats why he called the school
BrainWorks, he says. On a literal,
physical level, education is about
getting the brain to work.
Contrary to expectation, the school is
not among those who are aggressive
opponents of rote memorisation in
schools. But [learning by rote] is not
the only way. You should use diferent
areas of learning. Education is asking
questions.
Recently, Mr Allwright says, he
overheard Mr Aiyer speak to two
children, one attending BrainWorks
and one fromanother school. When he
asked each what their favourite colour
was, one said, I like
blue. The other
said, I love
every colour of
the rainbow.
Rainbows are
so beautiful.
I mean,
thats a
completely diferent answer to yes/
no, Mr Allwright says. Thats what
we develop through the school here,
where the students become very
holistic to their approach to everything
theyre doing, that they can think
creatively rather than just answering a
question.
Thats why BrainWorks holds back
on assessments until the children
turn 10 and those neural connects are
nished wiring themselves in. Until
then, Mr Aiyer says, The teacher will
write two or three paragraphs about
the child, thats all about what things
the child is capable of.
At the same time, Mr Aiyer doesnt
knock the local education system. Not
many people know, he says, but the
state curriculumis actually quite good.
Its just that its not being delivered in
the right way.
The people who give it have to
make it extraordinary. For which you
need training. That is the missing link
the way its delivered to children.
For eight years, all staf in
BrainWorks were Myanmar
nationals only, with support and
training from foreigners. Today,
there are also 60 international
teachers in the system, and
professional development is ongoing
for everyone. Empowerment is what
the school hopes to ofer all its staf
and students, Mr Allwright says.
When Im retired and back
in Australia, I ll turn on the TV
someday and see somebody running
the education system, or the airline
industry or something, and I ll
say, I remember that kid from the
school.
BY AUNGSHIN
koshumgtha@gmail.com
A
BOUT seven years ago,
I was a monastic school
teacher in Bahan township,
Yangon. The school had
many novices of diferent ethnic
groups. While attending courses, I
taught history, English and Myanmar
at primary and middle levels. After
two years the Sayadaw (presiding
monk) asked me to teach at the
main Phaung Daw Oo monastic high
school on 19
th
Street in Mandalay
the largest in Myanmar.
Looking back on the experience, I
think I learned as much as I taught.
Phaung Daw Oo is one of two
monastic high schools with more
than 7000 students. Classes range
from pre-primary to matriculation.
We taught the state school
curriculum to children from the
outskirts who could not aford to
attend the normal state schools.
There were a number of children
of poor families from Mandalay as
well as ethnic people from diferent
parts of the country, mostly Shan, Pa-
laung, Pa-o, Wa, Lahu and Lisu, with
some Chin and Kayin students.
There were difculties for those
coming fromfar-ung areas. Most
of the ethnic girls had been given a
separate hostel and most of the boys
were novitiated. The novices were
most reliable for the cleanliness of
the environment, construction and
agriculture.
The student-teacher ratio was not
good, however, as there were not
enough teachers. Most teachers were,
and are, women. Training includes
basic computer operation, tailoring,
carpentry and gardening. The huge
compound contains training halls,
administration ofces, a library, the
accounts department and hostels for
novices, a hospital, an orphanage
school, girls hostel, sports ground,
computer room and carpentry room.
Special classes have only 20
students and all subjects are taught
in English except for classes studying
the Myanmar language. Ordinary
classes have more than 90 students
and are taught in Myanmar. The
monastic school mostly uses the same
curriculumas the state schools, but
the special classes, even then, used
new teaching methods according to
the child-centred method.
While the residing monk tried
continuously to improve the
teaching system, all the teachers
are playing the roles of teacher and
student. At that time, we had to
apply these methods clandestinely:
The ofcials from education and
township administration did not
like deviations from the regulation
methods. Government ofcials do
not want to think the monastic
education system is better.
Beatings and shouting at students
are not allowed in Phaung Daw Oo.
If someone beats or shouts at the
children, the residing monk issues a
stern warning, and can also dismiss
the teacher. This is one of the
modern methods applied at Phaung
Daw Oo monastic school.
There is training for the trainers
too. I got experience as a teacher as
well as a student under the monastic
school systems. It was not as easy
as a rote-learning-based system; it
focused on encouraging children to
think. Every lecture needed a lot of
preparation.
As the monastic schools are under
the Ministry of Religious Afairs,
there are some areas in which the
ministry was not able to support them
efectively. Relying heavily on donors,
monastic schools have been struggling
to survive. Despite nancial assistance,
teaching methods, vocational
training apparatus frominternational
organisations, the schools continue to
need assistance.
Living with children fromdiferent
backgrounds meant I was exposed to
a wide variety of experiences. Many
children were old for the classes
they were attending because they
entered the school late. It was funny
to see bigger boys in lower classes.
Though they are not very uent in the
Myanmar language, ethnic boys liked
to talk about tea, guns and opium
plantations.
One thing I will never forget is
life at the orphanage school. There
were 75 students, ranging from the
spoon-feeding age to matriculation
level. It took all sorts. Some liked to
steal, some to ght. Some wanted to
watch TV all day, while others would
go to the games shop. We had to
correct various kinds of unhealthy
behaviour. Every day there was a
diferent problem.
At night I always gave a speech
after paying my respects to Lord
Buddha. Then I would tell them
bedtime stories. It was hard to choose
the stories, because the students ages
varied so much. Sometimes I didnt
get to sleep until midnight because
the boys would ght, eat stealthy
snacks in bed, or go out without
permission. I didnt seemto have
much freedomfor myself.
Then in the morning I would
collect the children, get theminto
class, then go on to give my lectures.
All my time was spent within the
compound walls, catering to their
needs, with no time to think about my
own. My salary was K4500 per month
at that time, the starting salary for
teachers. It wasnt much. But I think I
gained a lot more than that.
Translation by Myo Lwin
What
teaching
taught me
Growing
minds
A Myanmar Times reporter refects on
his experiences at monastic schools
BrainWorks, a Yangon-based group
of schools, believes the frst 10 years
of a childs life sets patterns that last a
lifetime. Its founder hopes the same is
true for the organisation itself
The author teaches the young novices outside of their classroom in Yangon in 2006. Photo: Thiha Kyaw
Children show off their art at BrainWorks Thingangyun school. Below, Mohan Aiyer (left) and Bob Allwright. Photos: Yu Yu

Government
ofcials do not want
to think the monastic
education system is
better.

Theres a focus on common sense and forming


strong characters by paying attention to the
little things. Signs posted around the school, for
example, remind students that there is no such
thing as an inconsequential lie.

You might also like