By Independent Mon News Agency – Five ethnic political parties, represented in the new Burmese parliament, plan to propose allowing ethnic languages to be taught in the government schools, reports the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP).
The five ethnic political parties include the Rakhine Nationals Development Party, the AMDP, the Chin National Party, the Phalon Sawaw Party and the Shan Nationalities and Democratic Party (SNDP).
Nai Ngwe Thein, AMDP chairman, explained, “We have agreed to do a workshop in every ethnic state to the education situation in their area.”
“After finishing the workshop, we will meet again in Rangoon to present the ethnic education situation in each state before writing a proposal to submit at Naypyidaw,” he said.
Banya Aung Moe, a member of the National Parliament and a member of AMDP, already presented the request for ethnic education to be taught at the government schools once before.
However, his proposal was rejected because he was unable to answer questions on the current ethnic education situation.
“The ethnic children need to learn their mother language first. There are many children who can not speak Burmese. They have many difficulties when they have to learn the Burmese language,” said Nai Ngwe Thein.
“It seems like the children suffered while having to learn the Burmese language even though they cannot speak Burmese,” he said.
He explained that he encountered many children in Kachin State while he was the director of the basic education department in Kachin State.
“It is useless to force children to learn Burmese who can not speak Burmese,” he said.
The proposal for ethnic education at government schools will be rediscussed at the Shan Nationalities and Democratic Party headquarters in Rangoon after the parties complete workshops in their respective states.
Meanwhile, the AMDP is preparing to launch workshops in every township on May 14th.
