Final-Edition

As protestors await trial, amendments to the National Education Bill continue to be debated
in Parliament. 33
2.4 Mother tongue education
While provisions for mother tongue education were not included in the 2014 National
Education Bill, post-2011 reform has seen some regional-level gains on this front in Mon State.
In April 2014 Mon State’s parliament voted to allow government schools to offer Primary-level
classes in ethnic languages, literature and culture, becoming the first region of the country to
do so. With the start of the 2014-15 school year in June 2014, teaching began of Mon, Karen
and Pa-O languages in government-run schools across Mon State. 34
However, some Mon State villages have reportedly faced difficulties implementing this new
system. In particular, schools faced a shortage of Mon language teachers, likely due to low
salaries on offer. While a regular Basic Education school teacher receives a monthly wage of
around 100,000 Kyat, a government-hired Mon language teacher is paid just 30,000 Kyat per
month. 35
Despite operational difficulties, the policy of mother tongue education in Mon State
government schools continues to develop momentum. Nai Gon Lwai, member of a
government-run curriculum committee, explained that Mon scholars have been developing a
new curriculum and class materials for Mon language tuition in government schools, to be
completed for the 2015-16 school year. 36
March 11, 2015, accessed April 2, 2015, http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/dozens-charged-as-govt-vowslegal-action-against-demonstrators.html.
33
Nobel Zaw, “Upper House Approves Education Law Amendments,” The Irrawaddy, March 26, 2015,
accessed April 2, 2015, http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/upper-house-approves-education-lawamendments.html.
34
Lawi Weng, “Mon State to Allow Ethnic Language Classes in Govt Schools,” The Irrawaddy, April 10, 2014,
accessed April 2, 2015, http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/mon-state-allow-ethnic-language-classes-govtschools.html.
35
Lawi Weng, “Mon State Faces Shortage of Teachers for Mother-Tongue Education,” The Irrawaddy, June
11, 2014, accessed April 2, 2015, http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/mon-state-faces-shortage-teachersmother-tongue-education.html.
36
WCRP Interview No. 133, Moulmein, 11/03/15.
21 Inaccessible and Under-Resourced