Efforts to boost education standards must be stepped up

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing highlighted that parents of students attending government basic education schools generally rely primarily on the public schools opened by the State, rather than private schools.

Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said so at the meeting with rectors, principals, professors and teachers from universities and degree colleges in Yangon Region at the Arts Hall of the Yangon University yesterday afternoon.

In his speech, the Senior General noted that the 2024 population and housing census showed that although over 91.1 per cent of the country’s population is literate, most have only completed basic primary education, while relatively few have completed secondary or university-level education. Therefore, efforts to enhance educational attainment need to be further strengthened.

He underlined that it is necessary to promote education in order to elevate the mindset of the nation’s citizens. In doing so, every child of school age must be able to attend school, and every attending child should be genuinely taught so that they achieve true educational proficiency.

The Senior General stressed that teaching methods must also be implemented in a modern and appropriate manner. Efforts should be made to engage school-age children so that they are motivated and willing to attend school. In addition, continuous research must be conducted to ensure ongoing improvement and effectiveness in the field of education.

He continued that efforts must be made over time to upgrade all basic education schools. In some ethnic areas, due to language barriers and other factors, there are children who are unable to attend school, resulting in low school enrollment rates. Therefore, special attention must be given to educational development programs in ethnic areas where there is a high need for improving educational attainment.

He spotted that although every child who attends preschool eventually enters primary school, not all children in primary school have had the benefit of attending preschool. Therefore, it is necessary to create enjoyable learning environments and apply effective teaching methods to make school a positive experience for young children. Teachers providing teaching for KG and KG+1 children should carefully and attentively ensure that young children enjoy their time at school.

The Senior General underscored that parents of students attending government basic education schools generally rely primarily on the public schools opened by the State, rather than being able to enrol their children in private schools. The majority of students, therefore, attend government basic education schools. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that education in government basic education schools is carried out effectively and at a high standard.

Regardless of the appointment system used, he emphasized that efforts must be made to ensure that all teachers possess the same level of quality. Likewise, the entitlements of education staff have been managed and provided according to their respective ranks and positions.

He explained that university education is a system that places greater emphasis on study and discussion rather than just teaching. It is necessary to provide teaching in a way that ensures students truly understand and master the subject matter. Therefore, students should engage in active learning and reciprocal discussions with their lecturers at higher universities.

The Senior General offered his guidance that at universities, it is necessary to teach the foundational subjects of economics. Accordingly, under the current administration, efforts have been made to enable universities and colleges to offer BA (Economics) degrees and teach the basics of economics. Similarly, because a fundamental understanding of the law is essential, basic legal subjects are taught, and steps have been taken to enable the awarding of BA (Law) degrees.

The Senior General cordially greeted the attendees.

Also, present at the meeting were Prime Minister U Nyo Saw, Commission Secretary General Ye Win Oo, the Yangon Region chief minister, the commander of the Yangon Command, departmental heads and rectors of the Ministry of Education and medical universities.

After the ceremony, the Senior General visited the Diamond Jubilee Hall of the Yangon University and gave guidance to officials on upgrading the hall.

MNA/TTA

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