<div dir="ltr">
<h2 class="gmail-pane-title gmail-block-title">An education policy disaster, 30 years on</h2>
<div class="gmail-block-content">
<article id="gmail-node-10508" class="gmail-node gmail-node-news gmail-article gmail-odd gmail-node-lang-en gmail-node-full gmail-clearfix">
<div class="gmail-news-top-image">
<img class="gmail-image-style-news-detail-image" src="https://frontiermyanmar.net/sites/frontiermyanmar.net/files/styles/news_detail_image/public/news/sithu_aung_myint_english_for_education_college_trainers_efect_project_at_thingyangyun_1.jpg?itok=zTgeeVQB" width="1170" height="779"> </div>
<div class="gmail-photo-caption">
State school teachers take part in the British Council’s English
for Education College Trainers programme in 2016. The programme aims to
improve the standard of English instruction in Myanmar. (Supplied) </div>
<div class="gmail-news-top-video">
</div>
<div class="gmail-news-info-bar">
<div class="gmail-news-info">
<div class="gmail-news-date">
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 </div>
</div>
<div class="gmail-soical-bar">
<div class="gmail-addthis_inline_share_toolbox" style="clear:both"><div id="gmail-atstbx" class="gmail-at-resp-share-element gmail-at-style-responsive gmail-addthis-smartlayers gmail-addthis-animated gmail-at4-show"><span id="gmail-at-6e23dd34-dc71-45fb-986b-e082e6dd6bd9" class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">AddThis Sharing Buttons</span><div class="gmail-at-share-btn-elements"><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-facebook" style="background-color:rgb(59,89,152);border-radius:0px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Facebook</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:32px;height:32px;width:32px"></span><span class="gmail-at-label" style="font-size:11.4px;line-height:32px;height:32px;color:rgb(255,255,255)">Facebook</span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-twitter" style="background-color:rgb(29,161,242);border-radius:0px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Twitter</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:32px;height:32px;width:32px"></span><span class="gmail-at-label" style="font-size:11.4px;line-height:32px;height:32px;color:rgb(255,255,255)">Twitter</span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-messenger" style="background-color:rgb(0,132,255);border-radius:0px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Messenger</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:32px;height:32px;width:32px"></span><span class="gmail-at-label" style="font-size:11.4px;line-height:32px;height:32px;color:rgb(255,255,255)">Messenger</span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-whatsapp" style="background-color:rgb(77,194,71);border-radius:0px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to WhatsApp</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:32px;height:32px;width:32px"></span><span class="gmail-at-label" style="font-size:11.4px;line-height:32px;height:32px;color:rgb(255,255,255)">WhatsApp</span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-viber" style="background-color:rgb(123,81,157);border-radius:0px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Viber</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:32px;height:32px;width:32px"></span><span class="gmail-at-label" style="font-size:11.4px;line-height:32px;height:32px;color:rgb(255,255,255)">Viber</span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-linkedin" style="background-color:rgb(0,119,181);border-radius:0px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to LinkedIn</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:32px;height:32px;width:32px"></span><span class="gmail-at-label" style="font-size:11.4px;line-height:32px;height:32px;color:rgb(255,255,255)">LinkedIn</span></a></div></div></div>
<div class="gmail-mail-to"><a href="mailto:?subject=An education policy disaster, 30 years on&body=A decision to change the language of instruction for some high school subjects has been a factor in the precipitous decline of education standards.">Mail</a></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail-node-content">
<div class="gmail-field gmail-field-name-body gmail-field-type-text-with-summary gmail-field-label-hidden gmail-view-mode-full"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item even"><h3><strong>A
decision to change the language of instruction for some high school
subjects has had major ramifications and been a factor in the
precipitous decline of education standards in Myanmar.</strong></h3>
<p>By SITHU AUNG MYINT | FRONTIER</p>
<p>THERE'S WIDESPREAD agreement that Myanmar’s education standards are
very low. Most chart the start of this decline to General Ne Win’s 1962
coup, which ushered in nearly five decades of military rule.</p>
<p>Fewer people understand why Myanmar’s education system, once the best
in Southeast Asia, has fallen so far. There are two main reasons. The
first is the mismanagement of the education sector by military leaders
who themselves knew little about the subject. Second is the tendency by
Myanmar’s military dictators to see students, particularly those
studying at university, as an enemy.</p>
<p>It’s impossible to cover the precipitous decline of education in
Myanmar in a single article. But I will try to explain one great mistake
that has been occurring for more than three decades. There are many
other problems, of course. One just needs to look at all the university
graduates who have no real skills of any worth and are unable to get a
job.</p>
<p>My story begins in 1985, under Ne Win’s socialist regime, when
English was chosen as the language of instruction for mathematics and
science subjects at the 9th and 10th standards. Before this, basic
education high schools only taught these subjects in Burmese; all
textbooks for mathematics, chemistry, biology, economics and so on were
in the Burmese language. But from 1985 there was a huge change. The
textbooks were now in English. The exams were in English, too. The aim
was apparently to raise Myanmar’s education system to international
standards. Of course, the result has been quite different, for reasons
that should be obvious.</p>
<p>The issue came up recently when the National Education Policy
Commission submitted its work report for the past six months to the
Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Myanmar’s national parliament, on June 12. It said
there had been no review or study on the effects of changing the
language of instruction for these subjects to English.</p>
<p>During the discussion, lawmakers noted that there are not enough
teachers well versed in English to implement the policy. Teachers
require at least upper intermediate English skills to teach these
subjects, they said. However, according to a recent survey conducted by
British Council, most senior assistant teachers (SAT) have just beginner
or elementary level English. It means that most of the SATs are not
qualified to teach those subjects in English language.</p>
<p>It’s no surprise then that when teachers without a proficiency in
English try to teach science subjects in English, the students can
hardly understand anything. This has only encouraged the use of private
tutors and reinforced the habit of rote learning.</p>
<p>The National Education Policy Commission estimates that more than 90
percent of high school students are receiving tuition. Classrooms have
become a place where students memorise possible exam questions and the
relevant answers, rather than a place where they actually learn.</p>
<p>To make it easier for students to memorise science subjects, most
tutors try to compose the material into poems or songs. Thus this
mistaken education policy has encouraged parrot learning. When they are
properly tested, the students have neither English fluency nor an
adequate understanding of their science subjects. Despite putting in
significant time and effort, many students are basically uneducated,
observed lawmaker Dr Hla Moe (National League for Democracy, Aung Myay
Thar Zan).</p>
<p>Although the problem has not, as the commission said, been reviewed
or assessed by previous governments, it has been widely debated by
scholars and those with an interest in education. The key point is
outcomes. Does the policy help provide the student with the skills
needed? If not then it should be reviewed and assessed.</p>
<p>The National Education Policy Commission reached a similar
conclusion. It said there were many reasons why Myanmar’s education
system had declined, and changing the language of instruction for
mathematics and science subjects to English was one of them. It said
this policy decision had adversely affected parents, students and
teachers for many years, and should be reviewed so a new policy could be
set.</p>
<p>Hopefully, then, we will soon see basic education schools teaching
mathematics and science subjects in Burmese language or at least a
combination of Burmese and English</p></div></div></div></div></article></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
</div>