Revolutionizing basic education: challenges of federal education in Myanmar

Abstract

Myanmar’s education system lags far behind in the world. Myanmar today has unqualified teachers, very few resources, and aging materials especially a centralized education system with inadequate infrastructure and unqualified teachers (Lwin, T., 2007). This affects accessibility for marginalized children such as children with disability and children living in conflict areas. The contents of school textbooks are also not culturally acceptable for ethnic minorities. The education system could not fulfill the wants and needs of society, especially the skills that are needed for work. The education reform was initiated under the NLD government from 2015 to 2020 and following the coup that happened on 1st February 2021, along with the political revolution and transition demanding federal democracy, the education sector reform that is relevant to federal democracy principles is accompanying. This research aimed to explore challenges in this process of implementation to formulate and state education policies that could reflect the needs and challenges faced by the implementers during federal education reform during and post-revolution in Myanmar. The methodology was qualitative by using focus group discussions with the (15) implementers (teachers) across states and regions of Myanmar and key informant interviews with (1) policymaker who are working in the education sector, (2) ethnic groups’ education policy makers and (1) basic education expert. The implementers and policymakers highlighted the challenges mainly on the budget and infrastructure support, curriculum, language (ethnic mother languages among diverse communities), human resources, and quality assurance while reforming the education sector in the federal democratic government.