In the 2023-2024 academic year, more than 31,000 Mon textbooks were published and distributed to government elementary schools. Schools in 9 townships that teach Mon ethnic literature received Mon textbooks for grades 1 through 5, reported Nai Mon Raja, Secretary of the Mon Literature and Culture Committee.
Nai Mon Raja said “Last year, it was very difficult. When the school was open, there were no textbooks, so the Mon Literature and Culture Association compiled a list of students and submitted it through the ethnic office to get textbooks before the school opened. That is where we got these. Even if the textbooks for this year are not very complete, there are enough of them.”
There are more than 33,000 students studying Mon literature in government schools across the state; the current number of books distributed is insufficient, according to teachers.
A teacher teaching Mon ethnic literature from Thanbyuzayat Township said, “We still don’t have textbooks in our township. The township education office may not be able to distribute it. We just have to teach with last year’s book.”
According to the teachers who teach ethnic literature, the lack of textbooks last school year left teachers to use copies to teach.
2019 was the last time government schools received published textbooks.
In Mon State’s public schools, the inclusion of Mon, Karen, and Pao ethnic literature in the curriculum is ensured. Educators for these subjects include both government-employed teachers and external instructors.
In Mon State, there are 8 townships teaching Mon and Karen ethnic literature, and 4 townships teaching Pao literature.
There are about 270 schools teaching Mon literature, 273 schools teaching Karen literature, and 30 schools teaching Pao, according to the list in the State Education Commissioner’s Office.
