By RAI MAROH – Students’ families in Mon State have reported having to pay a school registration and text book fee even though the new government claimed the education year of 2011-2012 to be free for primary school education.
Primary school students paid between 3,000 to 8,500 kyat per student, the price differing between the different townships in Mon State.
In Mudon Township, preschool students had to pay 3,500 kyat and primary school students paid 8,500 kyat. However, in Thanbyuzayat Township, preschool students were forced to pay 4,500 kyat, and the primary school students paid 6,500 kyat.
Ye Township also experienced differing prices with preschool students paying 3,000 kyat and primary school students paying 6,200 kyat.
“For those with money, it is not difficult for them to pay. But for those who work daily, they have hard time even sending their children to join the school,” Mi Aye, a mother of a preschool student in Mudon Township.
“Some people only let their children go to school for one to two grades, and then make their children leave the schools because they do not have enough money,” she said.
Burma’s state-run media, Myanmar Alin, reported on May 26th that in order to improve the compulsory education system, the education year in 2011-2012 is going to be free for the primary schools.
The reported said that there are 5 million primary school students in the country, and the government has provided 2.4 billion kyat to distribute free textbooks for the students.
“Only to distribute the free text books, this is not a free education system,” said Dr Thein Lwin, an exiled Burmese education expert, and the founder of the Learning Center, based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“All of it needs to be free if it is a compulsory education system. The government needs to provide transportation for the students as well as health care, and the cost of school registration.
They [the government] also have to provide for the students, and the buildings for the school teachers,” he said.
A compulsory education system was implemented in Burma since gaining independence in 1948, but it has not been successful yet in Burma because the government has used less of its budget for education,” Dr. Thein Lwin added.
The newly instated Burmese government proclaimed that with its new rule, primary compulsory education would be free for Burmese citizens. It is evident from the experience of family’s in many Mon State Townships, that this has not been the case.
