Country specific presentation at the Youth and Inclusive Citizen Workshop organized by PRIA and ASPBAE from 8-10th September 2014

1. MYANMAR
Mr. Zaw Min Latt
Trainer
Thinking Classroom
Foundation
Myanmar

2. MYANMAR DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
• The total population is about 51 million ( 51,419,420.) (2014 census )
• Females (51.8%) & Males (48.2%).
 0–14 years: 27.5% (male 7,560,859 & female 7,278,652)
 15–64 years: 67.5% (male 18,099,707 & female 18,342,696)
 65 years and over: 5% (male 1,184,29 & female 1,533,599)
 Median age - 29.9 years
 Population growth rate - 1.07%
 The official language of Myanmar is Burmese (65%).
 Multiple languages are spoken in Myanmar
 Shan (6.4%), Karen (5.2%), Kachin (1.8%),
 Chin (1.6%), Mon (1.5%), and Rakhine (1.5%).

3. THREE KEY ISSUES FOR INCLUSIVE CITIZENSHIP OF YOUTH
Youth / Students in Myanmar, They have …..
No Right for freedom of thinking & freedom of expression
No Right to learn the civic or citizenship education in the
classroom
No Right to organize or participate in organizations like
Student Union

4. THE POLICIES NOT RESPOND TO ABOVE ISSUES
National Education Law has been approved by the Parliament on 31 July 2014.
In the recent national education law,
Chapter 1, Section 2 Sub-section (G) states that to bring up human recourse with right
thought and moral.
- Right thought control the freedom of thinking ( First Key Issuse)
Chapter 1, Section 4, Sub-section (m) which states the decentralization will be applied on
condition that the teachers are moral, responsible and able to make decisions
- That is rather insulting; it appears to erode the personal prestige of teachers.

5. CONTINUE …
according to section (39) in the Chapter (7)
National Education Commission have absolute power to control the curriculum
Citizenship or Civic Education is not described as a course in the curriculum
( Second Issue)
In the National Education Law,
Any organization for Students’ affair are not allowed to organize.
- Do not provide the opportunities to participate in education
commission or committees for decision making
- Do not allow to organize or participate in organizations like Student
Union ( Third Issue )

6. MY ORGANIZATION (TCF)
Thinking Classroom Foundation ( Established in 2001)
Registered in Thailand as an NGO
Move to Yangon as branch organization (2012)
Three main activities for education reform that provide
inclusive citizenship
Training for teachers and youth
Seminars and workshops for Education reform
Education policy Advocacy

7. TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH
RWCT Teacher Training
- Provide Public schools, Private Schools, charity schools, community
schools, Monastic schools and church based schools around the country
with teacher training
- 10 - day training with 60 RWCT methods / 5-day follow up training
- 3 months for TOT
Youth for Critical Thinking
- Provide youth in any organizations, political parties around the
country with critical thinking workshop as youth program
- 3-day training with RWCT method
- Focus on critical thinking for Reading, writing, listening, questioning
and discussing section.

8. Seminar and workshop
In general, we hold seminar or workshop quarterly
invited the local and international education expects for the following
seminars
- Formative Assessment
- Mother Tongue based multilingual education system
- Policy Advocacy workshop
- Decision making in education : Centralization Vs. Decentralization
Education policy Advocacy
• Participate in National Network for Education Reform for policy Advocacy
• Meet with authorities in Ministry o Education and members of education
committee in Parliament

9. OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCLUSIVE CITIZENSHIP
Provide the youth in our country with the following
opportunities
 To choose their favorite subjects in College or university
 To organize Associations for social network
 To participate organization for student affairs
 To give a voice in the educational committee for making
decision-making process
 To learn citizenship / civic education
 To provide students with different kind of leaning methods for life long
learning ( formal and non-formal education)

10. YOUTH’S ROLES FOR INCLUSIVE CITIZENSHIP
Youth can play
As good citizenship role
As leading role
As decision making role

11. Any
Question ?
THANK YOU