CHAPTER TWO Defining Community Learning Centres in Myanmar

CHAPTER TWO
Defining Community Learning Centres in Myanmar
2.1 Definition of a Community Learning Centre
The definition of a Community Learning Centre (CLC) is adopted from the APPEAL Training
Materials for Continuing Education Personnel, as follows (APPEAL, 1995):
A CLC is a local educational institution outside the formal education system, for villages or urban areas, usually set up and
managed by local people to provide various learning opportunities for community development and improvement of
people s quality of life.
2.2 Objectives of CLCs in Myanmar
The project outcomes must be viewed in accordance with the two general objectives of the HDI
education project, which are to:
●
●
Improve access to primary education for all
Promote quality in the learning process of both formal and non-formal basic
education
The more specific objectives which relate to CLCs in HDI-3 (MYA/99/004, 2001b) are to:
● Provide non-formal, continuing education and skills training programmes
responding to needs identified by the community
●
●
Provide access to information in fields of interest to the community
Strengthen capacities of communities to carry out by themselves education
programmes leading to the improvement of the quality of their life and
contributing to poverty alleviation
2.3 The Myanmar Model of CLC
The concept of Community Learning Centre, which was unknown in Myanmar at the beginning
of the project, has been concretising over the years and has now reached a national specificity.
Unlike for the formal education, the Government of Myanmar neither allocates resources nor
teachers for non-formal education. CLCs are, therefore, created at the initiative of the
communities with the assistance from the education project. They mainly function thanks to
the good will of a few very dedicated volunteers from the community. CLCs receive the support
of the project staff, the 11 Community Learning Coordinators (CLCo) and the three zonal sector
specialists, and are sustained by the benefits of income generating activities funded by the
project.
4 ● M Y A N M A R The Community Learning Centre Experience

These centres offer several forms of non-formal education. They began with basic literacy
courses. Over the past eighteen months, 98 courses have taken place, with the assistance of
volunteer Village Literacy Trainers (VLT). 1,659 participants followed the courses, three
quarters of them being women. Almost 80% of the participants have reached a satisfactory
level of literacy and numeracy. The CLCs also offer post-literacy activities: 45 classes have
been functioning over the past 18 months and 734 villagers participated in these courses, 82%
being women. There are also 11 CLCs, one in each township, that are experimenting a new
Non-Formal Primary Education (NFPE) model with 12 classes and 254 participants, consisting
mainly of out-of-school youth and neo-literates.
Eight Community Learning Centres are providing early childhood care (ECCD). All CLCs offer
continuing education opportunities such as skills training, talks on health or agriculture,
musical and cultural events that are appreciated by the population. Moreover, all of them
manage a very active mobile library providing opportunities to read books and periodicals to
the 3 or 4 villages forming a cluster around the core centre.
2.4 Organization and Management of the CLC
Process in Myanmar
As mentioned under Section 1.1, the implementation of the HDI programme, and more
specifically the CLC component, follows a rather unique approach, different from most other
countries. Figure 2.1 is a structural chart showing the institutions and personnel involved in
the organization and management of the CLC process in Myanmar. UNDP, UNESCO and the
Government of Myanmar have agreed on this structure to most effectively reach out to the
communities and at the same time take into account the mandate of UNDP.
As can be seen from Figure 2.1, one of the key persons in the structure is the Community
Learning Coordinator (CLCo). She/he is the link between the education project, the public
sector and the communities through the Community Learning Organizer (CLO) and the CLC
Management Committee (CLC MC). The CLCo has a multitude of tasks, the major being the
following:
●
●
●
●
Assist in capacity building of the CLCs through planning, supporting and
organizing training activities in consultation with the CLC MC, CLO, and
ATEO/TPA
Assist in planning, organizing and monitoring non-formal education,
non-formal primary education (NFPE) activities and skills training for
learners
Assist in planning, organizing and monitoring the income generating
activities (IGA) carried out by the communities
Record, supervise and monitor CLC activities and report back to the zonal
specialist and the APM
Since the CLCo profile is very particular and no CLCo are readily available on the job market,
the staff recruited for this position present a wide variety of specialties: seven educators/
teachers, but also one agronomist, one veterinary, one socio-economist, one geologist and one
psychologist. The project had to make an important effort of capacity building to share a
coherent vision among its own personnel.
DEFINING COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTRES IN MYANMAR ● 5

Figure 2.1
Structural Chart of the Organization and Management of the CLC Process in Myanmar
Government of Myanmar
HDI
Education Project
DG, Department of
Educational Planing
and Training (DEPT)
National Project
Director (NPD)
Agency Project
Manager (APM)
National Level
Zone Specialist
Zonal Level
Township Education
Officer (TEO)
Assistant Township
Education Officer
(ATEO)
Community
Learning
Coordinator
(CLCo)
Township Project
Assistants (TPA)
Township Level
CLC Management
Committee
(CLC MC)
Community
Learning
Organizer (CLO)
Village Literacy Trainers
(VLT)
Non-formal Primary Education
(NEPE) Teachers
COMMUNITY
Community Level
6 ● M Y A N M A R The Community Learning Centre Experience

2.5 Location of CLCs
Seven CLCs were established and constructed during HDI-1 in seven townships in three areas:
Dry Zone, Delta Zone and Shan State. During HDI-E, 31 more centres were established in 11
townships, (October, 2001). Under HDI-3, 33 more CLCs are being set up; hence, the total
number of CLCs is now 71, and the coverage includes at the end of the programme 183 villages
and 80,000 potential participants.
Figure 2.2
Map of Myanmar with the Location of 11 Townships Covered by HDI
Chaung-U
Magway
Kyaukpadaung
Bogalay, Laputta
and Mawlamyaingyu
Kalaw
Nyaung-Shwe
Pindaya
Ywangan
Pinlaung
Project Location
Townships particpating in the project include:
1. Bogalay, Laputta and Mawlamyaingyu
in Delta Zone
2. Chaung-U, Magway and Kyaukpadaung
in Dry Zone
3. Kalaw, Nyaung-Shwe, Pindaya, Ywangan
and Pinlaung in Shan Zone
Table 2.1
Townships where CLCs are Located
Townships HDI-1 HDI-E HDI-3 Total
CLC CLC CLC CLC
Delta Zone
Bogalay 1 3 3 7
Laputta 1 1 3 5
Mawlamyaingyun 3 3 6
Sub-total 2 7 9 18
Dry Zone
Chaung U 1 3 3 7
Kyaukpadaung 1 3 3 7
Magway 1 3 3 7
Sub-total 3 9 9 21
Shan State
Kalaw 3 3 6
Nyaung Shwe 1 3 3 7
Pindaya 3 3 6
Pinlaung 3 3 6
Ywangan 1 3 3 7
Sub-total 2 15 15 32
Total 7 31 33 71
DEFINING COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTRES IN MYANMAR ● 7