Final-Edition

3. School Systems Unique to Mon Regions
In addition to the national-level education structures described above, there are various
school systems unique to Mon regions. Overall, while villages surveyed for this report
contained 3 Basic Education Schools, they also contained 10 Mon National Schools and 10
‘Mixed Schools’ (a breakdown by village is found in Appendix 1). This section provides an
overview of the latter two school structures, which are both to varying extents administered
by the Mon National Education Committee (MNEC), a branch of the dominant Mon non-state
armed group, the New Mon State Party (NMSP).
3.1 ‘Mixed Schools’
In a unique arrangement, ‘Mixed Schools’ are essentially government Basic Education schools
that, through an informal partnership with MNEC, teach additional courses on Mon language,
culture and history. On this arrangement Mon course teachers are recruited and paid through
MNEC. Yet, despite MNEC influence over Mon language and culture components of the
curriculum, these schools are predominantly managed and resourced through the Burmese
government Basic Education system. At present there are 107 ‘Mixed Schools’ throughout
Mon and Karen States, and in Tenasserim Division. 44
3.2 MNEC Mon
National Schools
i. Overview and history
Working outside the government
Basic Education school system,
the Mon National School (MNS)
system includes 142 schools,
44
Lall and South, “Education, Conflict and Identity: Non-state ethnic education regimes in Burma/Myanmar.
Summary of Report.,” (2012), 1.
WCRP Ι June 2015
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