Region    

Arrangements to be made for job opportunities and employment for graduates
Myanmar Education Committee meets

Yangon, 7 April— Myanmar Education Committee held its  meeting No 1/2003 at the hall of Universities Central Council in Higher Education Department (Lower Myanmar) this morning, with an address by Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council General Khin Nyunt.

In his address, the Secretary-1 said education sector in Myanmar, the 30-year long-term national education promotion project based on the guidance of Head of State Senior General Than Shwe has been laid down and is being implemented. He said the 30-year long-term national education promotion project includes short-term five-year education projects. The first short-term five-year education project (from 2001-2002 financial year to 2005-2006 financial year) is being implemented, he said.

The first short-term five-year education project includes ten tasks in basic education sector of the 30-year long-term national education promotion project. They are
—  establishment of education system that contributes toward  development,
—   completion of basic education level for every citizen,
—  uplift of quality of basic education,
—  getting opportunities to learn pre-vocational and vocational  education at basic education level,
—   development of modern communication technology, technical know-how and learning opportunities aimed at e-Education,
—  nurturing the all-round developed citizens,
—  uplift of efficiency in educational management,
—  acceleration of basic education development activities in cooperation with the people,
—  development of non-formal education activities and
—  development of educational research.
He said 31 projects were laid down for implementation of the above-mentioned ten tasks.
He said achievements have been made in education sector with the implementation of the projects. He spoke of the need to review and supervise the measures undertaken for full realization of the tasks in the project.
He said education development programmes were formulated in special region development project and the five rural development project in order to achieve equal development in the education sector in all parts of the Union including border areas and nurture region-wise human resources in education sector under the guidance of Head of State Senior General Than Shwe. He said emphasis was placed on higher education sector in special region development project. Arrangements are being made for opening of a university or a degree college and government computer college and government technical college in every special development region, he added.
Similarly, emphasis was placed on basic education sector in rural development project. Not only primary, middle and high schools but also affiliated schools were opened in basic education sector. Now post-primary schools were systematically opened in some regions. Therefore opportunities to continue pursuit of education have increased, he said.
Continuing, he said in implementation of educational policies, education projects and tasks up to the grassroots levels State, Division and Township Education Officers are to make field trips to grassroots levels and to make arrangements for convenience of the teachers.
As universities and colleges are opened in higher education sector, the duties of faculty members have become wider and more profound.
He called on officials to make arrangements for carrying out the tasks effectively.
Now, the government is implementing the tasks for development of region-wise human resources and achievements have also been made, he said.
Recently, Panglong University, Panglong Government technical college and Panglong government computer college were opened. There have been greater opportunities to pursue higher education for students from 11 townships in Loilem District, he added.
In the health sector, he said, more Institutes of Medicine and universities of health as well as a traditional medicine university were opened.
He said Head of State Senior General Than Shwe had given guidance on teaching of not only conventional traditional medicine but also modern medical science based on basic Western medicines and making efforts to be a modern university of international standard. The Secretary-1 spoke of the need for officials to carry out the tasks systematically.
He said two Universities of Culture were opened for upper and lower Myanmar. The subjects taught and curricula prescribed at the universities must be constantly reviewed and upgraded to international level, he said.
He spoke of the need to create job opportunities and employment for graduates of vocational universities such as the University of Culture.
For example, Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University and Myanmar Maritime University were established and employment arrangements have been made for graduates of those universities, he said.
He said students would have to choose their subjects which could guarantee  their future.
He said specialized universities and colleges would be opened in the respective regions and proper arrangements are to be made for the purpose.
He also spoke of the need to carry on the work to upgrade degree colleges to universities in accord with the requirements of the respective regions.
The Secretary-1 called for acceleration of the tasks for successful implementation of the 30-year national education promotion project in accord with the guidance of the Head of State.
Next, Joint-Secretary-1 of MEC Director-General of Higher Education Department (Lower Myanmar) U Saw Lwin reported on the minutes of 3/2002 meeting of MEC for approval and implementation of the resolutions  of the meeting.
Minister for Education U Than Aung reported on matters relating to upgrading of degree colleges to universities, opening of new degree colleges, conferring Honorary Doctorate degrees, teaching of English with the use of modern technology, appointment of junior and senior assistant teachers for promotion of  qualifications at basic education level, printing and distribution of text books for 2003-2004 academic year, work done for 2002-2003 academic year in basic education sector, work done for 2002-2003 academic year in higher education sector and arrangements for holding of education seminars on national education promotion special project (basic education sector and higher education sector).
Minister for Culture Maj-Gen Kyi Aung reported on opening of the course on post-graduate diploma in Museology (P.G.D.M), opening of honours class at University of Culture (Yangon) and arrangements for teaching of history of Myanma national culture at University of Culture (Yangon).
Then, Myanmar Education Committee Chairman State Peace and Development Council Secretary-1 General Khin Nyunt made a speech. He said according to the reports and discussions presented today, it can be seen that success has been achieved in basic education sector as well as higher education sector. Basic education schools, universities and institutes are being opened one after another and the number of students pursuing education has increased. The number of students sitting for the matriculation examination has been increasing year by year and all school-going age children are attending classes. These show the success achieved by the State’s endeavours for continuous pursuit of education.
Similarly, since universities and colleges have been opened more and more in the State, there is less education break and the number of students pursuing advanced education has increased. Nowadays, there are over 770,000 students pursuing education in higher education sector and over 7.5 million students in basic education sector.
As the number of students has increased, it is needed in advance to make preparations to increase the number of basic education schools, universities and colleges, teachers, and to provide them with teaching/learning aids and school buildings. The education sector has achieved success in implementing the guidance of the Head of State on education by making systematic plans and procedures. The Secretary-1 also urged to carry out the tasks continuously for successful implementation of Myanma education objectives and plans. Then, the ceremony came to a close.
The 30-year long-term education plan and the five-year plans have been drawn and systematically implemented in Myanmar education sector and success has been achieved both in basic education sector and higher education sector.
In basic education sector, altogether 218,572 teachers give lectures to 7,552,686 students at 40,007 schools — 32,746 primary schools, 2,410 post-primary schools, 3,103 middle schools and 1,748 high schools.
The schooling programme for school-going age children has been implemented since 1999-2000 academic year. In 2002-2003 academic year, 93.07 percent of children above 5 attended the kindergarten classes and 7.55 million students are in pursuit of education at basic education schools. So, there was an increase of 5.08 per cent in basic education sector compared to the previous year.
A total of 2,410 primary schools have been upgraded into post-primary schools and altogether 134,711 fifth and sixth graders attended classes at those schools and the number of students has increased in middle school level. Thanks to such efforts, there is an increase of 78.7 per cent of students who attended the fifth standard after completing the fourth standard, 92.58 per cent of students who attended the ninth standard after completing the eighth standard and the number of students who sat for the matriculation examination was 528,241. As more post-primary school have been opened, there will be altogether 3,824 post-primary schools in 2003-2004 academic year.
Tasks for educating the aged and speeding up the reading rate have been carried out and out of 2,005,647 illiterate people in 2001, 90,027 became literates in 2002. Compared to the whole population of the country, 91.8 per cent of the population became literates.
Six Objectives of Education for All were laid down at the World Education Forum held in 2000 to be implemented by respective countries up to 2015 and the Union of Myanmar has drawn and implemented Education for All (National Action Plan).
In the higher education sector, the Ministry of Education, under the programme for development of human resources, has opened more universities and degree colleges to fulfil the regional needs and in February 2003, there were 777,174 students and 10,584 teachers at the universities, degree colleges and colleges. There were only 134,325 students and 5,638 teachers in 1988. So there was an increase of 642,849 students and 4,946 teachers in 2003. In 2002-2003, seven universities — Kyaukse University, Yangon West University, Bhamo Degree College, Panglong University, Maubin University, Myanmar Maritime University, Myanmar Aerospace University— have been opened in a year.
In the higher education sector, the fish research laboratory of the Zoological Department of Yangon University, was upgraded and arrangements have been made for opening of New Century Biotech Centre as the research and education department. Researches relating to ornament fish, butterfly, germination of valuable rare plants through tissue culture method and advanced propagation will be conducted at that department.
According to the National Education Promotion Programme that will enable the State to be a modern and developed one, the first, second and the third phases of the education promoting programme were held annually in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 2001, the seminar on the 30-year long-term plan was held and educational procedures for the plan were discussed and implemented. In 2002, the national education promoting programme seminars were held to discuss the tasks undertaken and future tasks to be implemented in the first year (2001-2002) of the first five-year plan.
Seminars and meetings have been held since 1998 and the national education promotion special programme (basic education sector) will be held in May 2003.
To create academic atmosphere and knowledge environment of at higher education institutions which are included in the procedures for the 30-year long-term national education promotion programme, the Ministry of Education, under the procedure to form higher education institutions that can make contacts with international education community, using the Dined English Course-ware and modern techniques, training courses, multiplier training courses, summer courses and regular courses have been conducted in a year starting 2002 at universities, degree colleges, colleges and basic education high schools. After a period of one year, altogether 49,736 teachers have been trained.