Primary Burmese Education

Photo credited to Myanmar States-map

Introduction to the Burmese Education 

             When we have a discussion about the Burmese Education in detail, first of all this would be necessary for any reader to introduce about Burmese Primary Education. Then, we later will explore more about the higher education and the distance university education on this "The Burmese Education" blog. In this specific sharing about the Burmese Education, there will be an additional discussion about the border education of Burma and Thailand but particularly this will focus on the Burmese students who are seeking out the border education and this blog will add some students' experiences of their education outside of Burma. Back to the main topic, I think, it is helpful for the readers to know from the basic of the Burmese Primary Education rather than directly talk about the higher education such as high school and university education in Burma. Thereupon, this blog will begin talking about my personal primary education experiences and knowledge, thoughts and sharing about Primary Education in Burma. These experiences and thoughts represent either the Burmese students throughout the country, students from my home city or only myself.

            Generally, Just like any other part of the world, the Burmese children also need to go to their primary schools when they are officially five years old. Even though It is usual for that the ordinary Burmese children are ready to go to their primary school when they are only five years old but not all the children. At that same time the middle class Burmese children may already come out from their nursery school and being ready to join their primary school having  basic sense about school and schooling. The fewest upper class children would attend to the English median primary schools from their English median nursery. Contiguously the upper class school children attend at the English median school till their high school studies. The fewest upper class children are countable and they especially from the two main cities ( Yangon and Mandalay) of  Burma. Obviously they are the rich. While the uncountable school children are from the other divisions and seven states. For me, when i was five years old i also went to the Burmese ordinary primary school and i never had experiences of nursery school when i was a little girl. I think is it somehow matters if we really compare for the study level and schooling behaviors.

               Probably as like any other  parts of the world's education divisions, classification of the schools is there in Burma too. Likewise, the Burmese children are generally sent to their respective primary schools which are somewhat distinguished based on class, the family background and the place where is near to the students' home. Mostly the school children study at schools which are within their birth place. I think, the majority people are stick to the place where they are born. Once, one of my high school teacher said that she was very qualified to get further study but she denied because her parents didn't want her to leave the home. For example: in my case, I was born in a small township called Aung Lan, Magway Division, Burma. I only went my primary and high school in Aung Lan. It is similar situation to many of my childhood friends who came to attend the primary school in Aung Lan only. May be because of the family business and preference.

Photo credited to BK4

some of my friends go for the primary school which is assumed to be a better one. However, many of my friends joined to the school where i attended. From my personal point of view, the schools are not really differed from each other but only the people  from my own society make them different. For this reason many people believe that particular schools are better than the rest of the schools. Unfortunately, because of the set up beliefs the resources are lack for those schools which are behind for many reasons. For example, only the children who are from the poor family background go for the same school. Therefore, they would not be getting additional supports from their parents. It essentially is the difference. The school children should get equally supports from their society as well as the entire governmental policy and so forth. They should be entirely provided to their room of improvements. That is what i would like to share about the division between schools and its name of popularity. There is not a single evidence whether one school is better than the other or not. We may need to find out the reality. However, the experience which i had got is the truth  The people in the society always are happy to classify even about the primary school.

Photo Credit here

                 Nevertheless, every school in my country has to use the same curriculum in any public school within the state nation. I am not so sure whether this is a good thing for the Burmese school children or not. Again the teaching style almost exactly is the same throughout the nation. The point is that the education system was inter-related with the political system.  Since, my country, Burma under the military government, it has been for a few decades ( indeed more than five decades) that the education system was all controlled by particular system, ministers as well as the center government. Many scholars about Burma study and references about Burmese Education always argue that there is a direct relation between the power of the military government and the lower education is related proportionality related. The most famous statement by many of the Burmese studies about Education in Burma is that "If the Burmese people are educated, they would question " Therefore, purposely the military government damaged the Burmese education.The Burmese education is somehow in-valued by the society and the real life though it was a successful teaching within the region in the Burmese history.

              Most importantly, the primary school years for the Burmese children are five years in total. The first year of  primary school is called "Thu Ngae Tan". It literally means zero standard which usually focused on starting to establish school as a joyful  place in the first year of schooling for any children. In this zero standard, the children are not seriously taught just experiencing of schooling but little of praying, playing with friends, regular daily stuffs like setting up regular time for eating, sleeping, just a bit of learning and so forth. Here, i also study from zero standard to four standards at our primary school according to the Burmese education system and the school where i went was one of the poorest school within the township. Basically, the subject which  i had to learn  from my primary school  are Myanmar, English, Mathematics, Basic sciences and Arts. The subjects are very much appropriated with the level of study. The Burmese children learn little by little in those areas.

        Additionally, there is a serious problem regarding with primary education in Burma that school children are competing to each other to get the attention of the teachers so that they can easily pass even the primary levels. This actually happens from much of recent years which  the teachers probably designed that they could have extra class at home, therefore they can earn more money beside the government salary. The root of the problem is that the teachers' salary are not well paid, because of the needy, they have to make more money for their own survivals.

           Sadly, the most damaging about the Burmese Education is that something is wrong. As many people in my age can not help understanding with our own education  system and searching the facts to improve,     i can not figure out what is it clearly as well. i just apparently understand that something is going wrong from the Burmese primary education as like any Burmese student from Burma. After all that effects are found all level of the Burmese students' education even though Education is still valued in our Burmese community. Since there is something wrong with primary education system, does not seem it grows for these ages rather it becomes worse that we know by just looking at the unemployment who are graduated but not getting the appropriated position in working places. I think, the primary education system in Burma should be growing  because of its long-time literary rate in Burma, the Burmese struggles and passion of Education. If the parents can provided financially, the school kids surely pass their primary standards. Sometimes though the parents can not support much, if the teachers concern about those students within particular school so that they can easily or inappropriately  pass their grade within the predicted years( Indeed, those of five year in total for the primary education of level zero to four). Sometimes we call it luck, because some of the students are strongly supported by their teachers even though their parents can not afford for all their educational expenses and other logistic help for further study. Also some of the students to whom i interviewed in the last year summer project are proved that the students are strongly supported by the Buddhist religious team and community helps and other various individual for their further education. The contribution for education in Burmese community is somewhat a high level within region.

            Finally, we have a Burmese saying that "In any case if the foundation is not strong enough that would be easy to collapse at any time". I strongly believe that "Foundation is vital".  The primary education in Burma is seriously need to observe to get its betterment. The school children should be getting a strong foundation by targeting  rebuilding of new life styles, a new society, a new nation to a new world. The focus of Introduction to the Burmese education is  that the Education for school children in Burma and the primary education in Burma should be one of the top priorities in our process of democratization   

Cooperating with some sources here

Also some additional understanding to add about the system in primary is here.