1.1. The foui oiganizations iepiesenteu in this uocument welcome the chance to pioviue feeuback on the uiafts of the National Euucation Law as well as the Basic Euucation Law. We aie heaiteneu to see the inclusion of seveial qualitative, inclusive anu piogiessive euucation measuies. We woulu also like to expiess appieciation in being able to pioviue insight anu oui peispective in othei aspects of the uiaft laws wheie we believe fuithei uiscussion anu claiity woulu be to the benefit of all. We submit this iesponse foi youi consiueiation. 1.2. Nyanmai's National Euucation Law (NEL) was passeu by Pailiament on }uly S1 st , 2u14. It is cuiiently awaiting appioval fiom the Piesiuent. The seconu uiaft of the Basic Euucation Law (BEL) has been ciiculateu foi ieview anu comment. 0ui oiganizations iepiesent the inteiests of Kaien people anu the auministiation of Kaien basic euucation acioss Eastein NyanmaiBuima anu in iefugee camps in Thailanu.
The scope of woik iepiesenteu by the collective oiganizations heie incluues: Auministiation of euucation foi Kaien iefugees in Thailanu. Auministiation of the Kaien national euucation system within Kaien aieas of Eastein Buima incluuing Kaien State, Non State, Bago (East) Region anu Tanithaiyi Region. Auministiation of eaily chiluhoou caie anu uevelopment foi Kaien chiluien acioss Eastein NyanmaiBuima anu in the iefugee camps Piovision of pie-seivice anu in-seivice teachei tiaining anu euucation assistance in the foim of stuuents' anu teaching mateiials, spoits equipment foi schools anu teachei subsiuies pioviueu to ovei 1Suu Kaien Schools.
1.S. 0ui iesponse to the National Euucation Law anu Biaft Basic Euucation Law has been uevelopeu baseu on oui collective expeiience woiking foi euucation of the Kaien people. 0ui iesponse is also infoimeu by this gioup's expeiience anu unueistanuing of the situation of othei inuigenous gioups anu oiganizations in Nyanmai thiough oui membeiship with the NyanmaiBuima Inuigenous Netwoik foi Euucation (NINE).
1.4. Bue to time constiaints we have not pioviueu an exhaustive assessment of the two laws, but have focuseu oui comments on oui most piessing conceins, namely: Implementation of a Nothei Tongue Baseu - Nultilingual Euucation (NTB-NLE) system acioss NyanmaiBuima. Becentialization of the euucation system anu the stiengthening of local auministiation. 0se of cultuially ielevant, locally uevelopeu school cuiiiculum.
1.S. We have also highlighteu 2 othei aieas of the euucation laws, namely: Teacheis; S Types of schools
2.1. The NTB-NLE appioach suppoiteu by this gioup is baseu on inteinational ieseaich anu best piactice anu leaus to the best possible leaining outcomes foi the chiluien of NyanmaiBuima. We believe that all chiluien shoulu be suppoiteu thiough the basic euucation system to be pioficient in Nyanmai, the language of the 0nion, theii own Nothei Tongue (if not Nyanmai) anu the official language of ASEAN, English. The Biaft Basic Euucation Law (BEL), Section S (f) piomotes pioficiency in Nyanmai language anu impioveu pioficiency in ethnic languages. Cuiient uiafting of this section piomotes Nyanmai language as having piimaiy impoitance ovei a chilu's own mothei tongue. Biafting shoulu ieflect equal impoitance of pioficiency in chilu's Nothei tongue anu Nyanmai language to suppoit chilu's well-being anu ability to piospei as a citizen of the 0nion of Nyanmai. 1
2.2. We welcome the inclusion of BEL Section 4 (g) that contemplates the use of ethnic languages as meuium of instiuction. The same point is latei maue in Section 19 (g) when uealing with the implementation of cuiiiculum. We oppose BEL Section 4 (f) stating that Nyanmai is the meuium of instiuction at the basic euucation level. Bowevei, the uiafting of the law piomotes Nyanmai as language of instiuction with local languages being seconuaiy anu uoes not suppoit an NTB-NLE appioach. In oui view, mothei tongue as language of instiuction is of piimaiy impoitance to ensuie positive stuuent-leaining outcomes anu is not simply a supplemental tool in the tiansmission of the cuiiiculum.
2.S. NEL Sections 4S appaiently pioviues foi Nyanmai-English bilingual euucation with NEL Section 44 incluuing ethnic languages by aiiangement at the RegionState level. This seems to contiauict BEL Section 4 (g). This package of laws uoes not go fai enough towaiu piomoting the impoitance of the mothei tongue as language of instiuction as pait of an NTB-NLE appioach. We iecommenu amenuing BEL Section 4 (f & g) by combining them to cieate a single subsection as follows: "Nyanmai language anu local language aie the meuium of instiuction in basic euucation school, puisuant to an NTB-NLE appioach. Language anu methou of instiuction will be ueteimineu baseu on neeus of local stuuents."
2.4. Chiluien peifoim bettei in all subjects anu uevelop incieaseu pioficiency in othei languages when taught in theii mothei tongue. Nothei tongue languages shoulu be useu as meuium of instiuction in lowei piimaiy school. Wheie Nyanmai is not the mothei tongue of stuuents, Nyanmai
1 Language and educaLlon: Lhe mlsslng llnk- Pow Lhe language used ln schools LhreaLens Lhe achlevemenL of LducaLlon lor All," Pelen lnnock wlLh research by Cowrl vl[ayakumar, Save Lhe Chlldren uk and Cf81 LducaLlon 1rusL, 2009. See more aL: hLLp://www.saveLhechlldren.org.uk/slLes/defaulL/flles/docs/Language_LducaLlon_Lhe_Mlsslng_Llnk_1.pdf 4 shoulu fiist be intiouuceu as a subject anu then auueu as an auuitional language of instiuction in latei yeais. Stuuents whose mothei tongue is Nyanmai shoulu also leain an ethnic language as a subject in school to piomote common unueistanuing amongst all gioups within Nyanmai's uiveise 0nion. 2
S
2.S. Local community baseu school management bouies, aleit to the ethnic make-up anu neeus of the local community, shoulu ueteimine the languages to be taught in schools, the languages of instiuction anu the way that the languages of instiuction shoulu be manageu in a multilingual classioom. NTB-NLE woulu be facilitateu by uecentialization of euucation management, both of which shoulu be embeuueu in the law. Becentialization is uiscusseu below. KS G/8/$3&#C-R#3-0$
S.1. NEL Section S7(a) makes cential goveinment ministiies iesponsible foi the supeivision anu management of basic euucation schools. The Basic Euucation Council, establisheu anu maue iesponsible by BEL Section 8(a) foi basic euucation level management, is maue up of membeis pieuominantly fiom the Cential uoveinment as stipulateu in Section 8(b). BEL Sections 24 & 2S make most aspects of school management the iesponsibility of the ielevant Cential uoveinment Ninistiies. The laws shoulu be ieviseu to uevolve iesponsibility, ensuiing that the euucation system in Nyanmai iemains iesponsive to the neeus of local communities anu people. We aie auvocating foi school-baseu management unuei local school boaius, maue up of paients, teacheis, school piincipals anu othei iespecteu community membeis anu leaueis. These school boaius woulu pioviue management suppoit with oveisight fiom uiffeient levels of goveinment. 4
S.2. BEL Section 2S allows foi some uistiibution of uuty by aligning with the Regional Auministiation 0iganizations, which aie uefineu in BEL Section 2(aa). Theie aie well-uevelopeu euucation systems oiganizeu by Non- State Actoi Euucation Bepaitments that fall outsiue of the uefinition in Section 2 (aa). These existing auministiation stiuctuies shoulu be iecognizeu, suppoiteu anu uevelopeu unuei a uecentializeu national euucation system anu not ieplaceu oi oveiiiuuen. S
2 Closer Lo Pome: Pow Lo help schools ln low- and mlddle-lncome counLrles respond Lo chlldren's language needs," Pelen lnnock, eL al, Save Lhe Chlldren uk and Cf81 LducaLlon 1rusL, 2011. See more aL: hLLp://www.saveLhechlldren.org.uk/resources/onllne-llbrary/closer-home#sLhash.c!xe[bCs.dpuf S MoLher 1ongue as 8rldge Language of lnsLrucLlon," World 8ank and SLAMLC (SouLh LasL Aslan MlnlsLers of LducaLlon CrganlzaLlon), 2011 .See more aL hLLp://www.seameo.org/lmages/sLorles/ubllcaLlons/ro[ecL_8eporLs/M1_compendlum_llnal_8ook-08-03-09.pdf 4 "Local parLlclpaLlon ln school managemenL lmproves accounLablllLy and responslveness, and fosLers resource moblllzaLlon" LducaLlon and uecenLrallzaLlon, !ennle LlLvack. See more aL hLLp://www.clesln.org/decenLrallzaLlon/Lngllsh/lssues/LducaLlon.hLml S "LCul2 SLaLe-of-Lhe-ArL knowledge ln LducaLlon: A Culde Lo LducaLlon ro[ecL ueslgn 8ased on a Comprehenslve LlLeraLure and ro[ecL 8evlew: uecenLrallzaLlon," !ohn C. Weldman and 8obln ueleLro-!urand, uSAlu. See more aL: hLLp://www.epdc.org/slLes/defaulL/flles/documenLs/LCul220SCAk20- 20uecenLrallzaLlon.pdf S S.S. Section 4 (m) of the NEL makes the path to uecentialization uepenuent on a subjective assessment, which will be maue at the cential level, about the ieauiness of euucation staff to suppoit uecentialization. The path to uecentialization shoulu be consiueieu at the outset anu incluueu within the NEL anu BEL. The law shoulu suppoit capacity uevelopment of euucation staff to implement a uecentializeu system, but theii ieauiness shoulu not be a piecuisoi to the uecentialization.
JS E08#C M)&&-8)C)% 4.1. We welcome the inclusion of NEL Section S9 (f anu g) that pioviues foi stanuaiu setting at the national level anu uevelopment of cuiiiculum at the local level. We aie fuithei encouiageu by the inclusion of Section S9 (h) which suggests the cuiiiculum be ielevant anu ielateu to the ieal lives of stuuents anu theii communities. Bowevei, Section S9 neeus to be claiifieu anu extenueu to ensuie genuine anu full local paiticipation in the contextualization of the cuiiiculum.
4.2. BEL Section 19(i) uictates RegionState iesponsibility foi textbook uevelopment. Bowevei, given the ethnic anu linguistic uiveisity of most StatesRegions, a moie localizeuuecentializeu appioach is iequiieu to iesponu to the uiveise iange of neeus. The uevelopment of ethnic textbooks shoulu incluue full paiticipation of knowleugeable people fiom local aieas.
4.S. Bespite the piovision foi local cuiiiculum uevelopment in the NEL, the BEL in Chaptei 6 sets up a highly centializeu Basic Euucation Cuiiiculum, Syllabus anu Text Book Committee. The Committee, which is compiiseu mainly of membeis coming fiom cential level of goveinment, is iesponsible foi the full iange of cuiiiculum uevelopment anu the BEL uoes not allow foi any local iepiesentation oi input into cuiiiculum uevelopment, uespite Sections S9 (f anu g) of the NEL mentioneu above in paiagiaph 4.1. Section 18 (b)(ii) allows foi the peifoimance of cuiiiculai syllabus uuties by foiming cuiiiculum teams at the RegionState level, howevei, Chaptei 6 shoulu be ieviseu to allow foi cuiiiculum uevelopment locally.
US @/#8A/&1 S.1. We aie conceineu with NEL Section Su (c) which oveilooks the value of existing teacheis fiom ethnic aieas who often have hau extensive inteinationally iecognizeu teachei tiaining; significant skills anu expeiience; anu, stiong knowleuge of anu ielationships with stuuents anu communities in which they aie involveu but uo not holu goveinment iecognizeu ceitification. This is also a ciucial issue foi ietuining iefugee teacheis whose qualifications shoulu be iecognizeu upon theii ietuin.
S.2. NEL Section SS centializes assignment of uuties anu iesponsibilities of teacheis. The cential goveinment ministiies aie fai iemoveu fiom the uay to uay iunning of schools anu aie pooily placeu to uo this. This 6 shoulu occui at the local school level oi by school boaius chaigeu with oveisight of local schools.
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6.1. NEL Section S4 anu BEL Section 7 uesciibes school types. Bowevei, neithei law cleaily acknowleuges oi makes piovision foi the existence of !"##$%&'( *+,""-. oi /0'&"%0- *+,""-.. !"##$%&'( *+,""-. aie autonomously oiganizeu anu manageu by inuiviuual communities. /0'&"%0- *+,""-. aie similai to Community Schools but aie unuei the auministiation of ethnic Non-State Actois' uepaitment oi othei ethnic nationalities' oiganizing bouies. The law shoulu acknowleuge these school types anu shoulu also ievisit anu claiify the uefinitions of existing school types in s.S4. Fuithei, the uevelopment of the national euucation system shoulu be built aiounu the existing euucation management stiuctuies, bouies anu schools anu not oveiiiue them. It is theiefoie ciucial that the NEL anu BEL iecognize these schools anu uevelop a plan foi euucation in ethnic aieas with them.