[lg policy] Myanmar/Burma: Lessons learned on minority languages

Fri Feb 12 15:42:55 UTC 2016

 Lessons learned on minority languages
By Thu Thu Aung   |   Friday, 12 February 2016

*After decades of cultural suppression under military rule, ethnic minority
groups met with international experts this week to voice their calls for
multilingual education
<http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/opinion/18871-the-future-of-mother-tongue-education.html>.*

[image: Ethnic Shan children learn Shan literature outside school hours.
Photo: Shan Literature and Culture Association, Namkham]Ethnic Shan
children learn Shan literature outside school hours. Photo: Shan Literature
and Culture Association, Namkham

“Burmanisation” of ethnic minority groups under the military regime
has threatened
the existence
<http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/special-features/207-education-2015/14527-for-chin-dialects-a-long-road-back-to-the-classroom.html>
of ethnic traditions and languages, with forced assimilation a long-held
grievance among Myanmar’s ethnic minority population that has led to
conflict.

The current Myanmar-language education system is seen as a major obstacle
for equality by ethnic minority groups as it disadvantages children who
have trouble keeping up with their Myanmar-speaking classmates. Lessons in
their own native languages are only allowed after regular classes finish.

More than 300 academics and education, culture and language professionals
met this week at the University of Mandalay to discuss the experiences,
successes and challenges of multilingual education, language policy and
social cohesion.

“Without the right language policy and the right education policy, it is
very difficult to see how peace will be sustained and consolidated. If this
conference can address ethnic language policy in Myanmar, that will be a
big step towards peace building,” said Ashley South, an independent analyst
and consultant.

Ethnic representatives expressed their frustration at the lack of funding
and a clear policy
<http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/opinion/12450-building-unity-one-language-at-a-time.html>
for the development of ethnic-language education.

“We have maintained our literature and culture on our own, but with a lot
of difficulties and problems. We need financial support and a strong policy
from the Union government,” said Khun Min Aung, a Pa-O member of the Ethnic
Language Committee of the Kayin Literature and Culture Organisation.

One issue is the economy and lack of development. In Myanmar’s borderlands,
many young ethnic students learn foreign languages
<http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/lifestyle/17707-ethnic-language-struggles-near-china-border.html>
rather than their native language because of the better job opportunities
in China and Thailand.

“We struggle to maintain our own language and culture. We want to teach
Shan language during school hours in primary schools. Now we can teach it
only after regular school hours, but students are learning Chinese rather
than Burmese or Shan, as we live near the border,” said Sai Myat Aung, a
member of the Shan Literature and Culture Organisation in Muse.

A member of the Mon Literature and Culture Organisation said the Mon and
Kayin were experiencing the same problem.

“Business is the main thing in people’s minds. They love their own
language, but the lack of opportunities to study it and the scarcity of job
opportunities mean that they are more interested in learning a foreign
language,” he said.

Mon State is regarded as something of a success story
<http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/5155-ethnic-languages-to-return-to-govertment-schools.html>
for ethnic language education, with the Mon language taught
<http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/13452-mon-language-classes-to-launch-at-state-schools.html>
in primary schools under a new curriculum. In more than 380 schools where
the majority of students are Mon, the Mon language has been taught since
the 2013-14 school year, according to U Min Aung Zay, a member of the Mon
Curriculum Committee.

An earlier survey carried out by the curriculum committee showed that more
than 50,000 students at 382 government schools in the state wished to learn
Mon. The Mon Education Committee implemented the new curriculum.

In Kayin State a similar plan is being developed and the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is providing help to develop the program and print
materials. Kayah-language teaching is also starting in Kayah State, where
lesson materials are being developed. UNICEF has discussed ethnic language
education in both states.

“Some states have already introduced national languages in the class room,
but it’s not an easy process,” said Cliff Meyers, head of education at
UNICEF Myanmar.

Marie Lall, a professor of education and South Asian studies at UCL
Institute of Education in London, said that though native language
education is important, policy change needed to go further.

“The first step [to take] is allowing the ethnic mother tongue to be taught
in schools but that is not enough, because actually we need to allow
children to use their mother tongue as a medium. Myanmar still has quite a
long way to go to rectify discrimination [against minority languages],” she
said.

Drawing comparisons to Australia where close to 300 languages are being
taught, Joseph Lo Bianco, professor of Language and Literacy Education at
the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, sees great possibilities for
ethnic-language teaching. “Multilingualism can be considered the new
literacy of the 21st century, a skill for all people,” he said. In 2011, Mr
Lo Bianco was appointed research director of a UNICEF language and
peace-building initiative across Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.

“We try to do a language planning process for the whole country, which can
produce a good solution for Myanmar’s future. Every language is important.
We should cherish every language. That can bring peace and unity,” he said.

U Khine Mye, director general of the Department of Myanmar Education
Research under the Ministry of Education, said that the discussions at the
conference would support nationwide education reform.

“A high standard of literacy is essential for competing in the labour
market, for pursuing higher education, for participating in public life as
a citizen. The discussions will support nationwide education reform for
children to learn more effectively,” he said.

An agreed language policy draft containing principles, policy aims and
implementation plans will be submitted for approval to the government
following the Mandalay conference.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Education and is part of
the Language, Education and Social Cohesion (LESC) initiative, supported by
UNICEF in partnership with the University of Melbourne.
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/in-depth/18955-lessons-learned-on-minority-languages.html

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