He said: “At present Mon teachers only earn 20,000 Kyats a month. Teachers will not be able to teach the Mon language because with such low wages it is not easy to last long. Only those who are very patriotic will be prepared to continue struggling on such low wages.”
More than 800 Mon teachers work for the Mon National Education Committee according to a departmental report.
The Mon State Education Conference aimed to improve educational development and was held on 30th April and 1st May at Hongsar Htaw monastery in Thanbyuzayat Town, Mon State.
Representatives discussed the difficulties and challenges faced by Mon education and plans to raise funds for Mon education.
Patrick Kearn from World Education (Thailand) said: “Ethnic language teaching can only survive if it overcomes the challenge of funding and getting the government and ethnic groups to agree.”
In an interview with the Mon News Agency Dr. Banyar Aung Moe said that the Mon Education Conference will help improve the educational sector and support the drafting of education law at government level. He called on the government to fully support ethnic education.
He said: “Every Mon youth should learn the Mon language. Compared to others you are at an advantage if you can speak an extra language.”
The conference was supervised by the Mon National Education Committee (MNEC) supported by World Education. Members of the MNEC were appointed at the conference. They consisted of seven New Mon State Party (NMSP) members, five Mon Buddhist monks, and 11 academics. 15 members were also elected to raise funds for the education committee.
About 120 people attended the conference. They included representatives from the NMSP and society organizations, local people and 15 monks.
