Education in Myanmar

[5] Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, there were also mission schools established by Catholic and Protestant orders, particularly in highland areas.

In dynastic Burma, one of the main Buddhist obligations of the king was to provide welfare to the people.

[5] Boys were educated part-time or full time as novices within the monastic system, focused mostly on religious scripture- which led girls to be educated at home, gaining basic literacy skills and other home or marketplace skills.

[10] When the British conquered Burma, they encountered this extensive system but dismissed it as inadequate and unsuitable for the modern era.

[13] As a result many of the Karen, Kachin, Shan, and other minority language schools began to fail.

In 2005, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially announced that Burmese education was reaching international standards and the government had fully accredited 156 universities and colleges in Myanmar.

Learn-by-rote education, poorly-trained teachers, bribery, as well as use of out-dated resources have been the trademarks of primary and secondary schools of Myanmar.

Many universities have been built and scattered throughout cities to prevent students participation in potential unrest.

[16] From kindergarten to the 4th standard, the compulsory uniform for boys is a white shirt and green pants, which can be short or long.

Preschools are opened for children over 2 years of age and they are in extensive care or public systems.

Kindergarten starts from the age of 5 (not younger than 4 Years and 8 months at the time of school's commencement date).

It lasts five years, and to continue onto secondary school, students must pass a comprehensive examination on basic subjects.

Children of rich and well-known families are often given easier access to the more prestigious secondary schools.

These routes also determine what matriculation subject exams they are administered and what tertiary schools they can apply to.

In 2010, 695 Burmese international students studied in the United States, particularly in private liberal arts colleges.

Teachers themselves learn under the authoritative systems so they are usually resistive to current changes in teaching methods.

[22] Higher education in Myanmar has experienced a large expansion since 1988, although ranks as one of the lowest globally for universities.

Due to the student protests in the 8888 uprising, the Myanmar government closed down all universities for two years.

[23] In the early 2000s, civil society and private classes attempted to fill in the inadequacies of the public school system.