Min Thu Ta – Despite government promises of Mon literature being introduced into some schools in Mon State for the 2013-14 academic years, nothing yet has been implemented.
“We haven’t seen any specifications of which government schools our Mon language will be taught. How we can appoint our Mon teachers, and who will be responsible for their salaries?” said Dr. Min Kyi Win, the chairman of Mon Literature and Culture Committee (MLCC).
The MLCC suggested to include primary Mon school textbooks into the curriculum; amendments to the old Mon official primary school textbooks, originally published by Burma Socialist Program Party, were also supposed to be implemented to follow with modern educational standards.
It’s been reported that Ministry of Education is reprinting new Mon school textbooks with the amendments. Drafts for the new curriculum that the Minister of Ministry of Education (MOE) permitted to be taught after regular school hours at some government schools, has already been submitted to the appropriated Union government representives. But there has been no word about salaries for the teachers.
“Just like the parliament has not enacted the law for teaching ethnic languages (yet), no one (from the government) has said anything about the amount of budget to be allocated (for teachers’ salaries), too. For example, it is not sure whether the Union government or State government will provide the budget.” said Dr. Min Kyi Win.
Ethnic languages would be allowed to be taught outside regular school hours, said the Union Minister U Aung Min during a meeting that was attended by President Thein Sein and other senior politicians in Naypyidaw on July 18 of last year. The government will provide $1M (US) to teach Mon literature, according to the Union Minister.
However there has been no official preparations for Mon Literature to be brought into government schools, according to Dr. Banyar Aung Moe, a representative of Amyotha Hluttaw (Upper House).
“We have not heard how many students will be taught, and collecting records of [Mon] school teachers’ number and doing [any] announcements [concerned with that]. The school will be starting next week. But, there is no such preparation for that yet”, said Dr. Banyar Aung Moe who spoke to Independent Mon News Agency (IMNA) at a Ye Town high school registration ceremony in Mon State on May 29.
The Minister for Education Dr. Mya Aye stated during a meeting in Naypyidaw on June 15, 2012 that ethnic languages will be taught at government schools. However it remains to be seen if this will actually happen when the new school year resumes on the 3rd week of June.
