Min Aung Ze remarked that the Mon curricula textbook is focused on teaching the primary school level, and is to be used at government primary schools in Mon State and other areas with a majority Mon population.
“Now, we have it 20% finished already. This work is actually the government’s [task to create the curriculum]. We are assisting it with this task. The Mon State government has already allowed Mon language to be taught at government schools,” said Min Aung Ze.
The director continued that the current curricula is not up-to-date, and does not adequately provide for literary and cultural development. The new curricula will be contemporary, but Min Aung Ze notes that the old curricula will used as a base on which to build an improved curricula.
Although the curricula is not finished, the committee aims to have the textbook implemented in classrooms by the 2015 academic year.
“We have decided to be able to finish drawing the curricula in order to be able to use in the upcoming academic term. But, even though we cannot finish the whole curricula for primary school use, we will finish as much of it as we can,” said Mi Lawe Han, Mon national high school principle and member of Mon curriculum textbook committee.
Mi Lawe Han explained that only curricula for Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 will be completed and ready for implementation this upcoming 2015-2016 academic year, while it will take about two years to finish all the curricula included in the primary school Mon textbook.
“After finishing this curricula, we have to submit it at Hluttaw to get recognized. In fact, the Hluttaw and government have already given it a green-light. We would like to have the same Mon curriculum textbook used throughout the whole of Mon State,” said Mon State Hluttaw representative Nai Chan Myint.
Nai Chan Myint indicated that it is each ethnic group’s responsibility to develop their literature and culture, which will only be possible if the ethnic group’s literature and culture are modernized. He continued that despite the government having banned Mon language instruction in the past, Mon people have attained some degree of rights after 2010, and the government has now approved ethnic language instruction in government schools.
The curriculum committee began drafting the primary school-level Mon curricula textbook on February 26, [2015], and is planned to be used at government schools.The committee has drawn upon Mon literature experts to contribute to the textbook, including professors and lecturers from Mawlamyine University, education college teachers and representatives from the Mon Literature and Culture Association, and Mon National Education Committee teachers.
