Secretary-1
attends ceremony in honour of success achieved in enrolment movement for
school-going age children
Due to concerted efforts of
all, kindergarten intake rate increased to 91% in 1999, 91.5% in 2000, 92.05%
in 2001 and 93.07% in 2002
Both
formal education and non-formal education activities are linked and being
implemented for all school age children to attend schools and for over school
age persons to attend adult literacy classes
Before the ceremony, students of the band troupe representing Sangyoung Township No 9 Basic Education Primary School, Latha Township No 2 BEHS and Tamway
Township No 4 BEHS and students of the violin troupe representing Kamayut Township No 1 BEHS, Insein
Township Nos 1 and 2 BEHSs
and Sangyoung Township No 2 BEHS presented an
entertainment programme with the song titled "Myanma Kyaung" (Myanma school).
Then, the first session of the opening ceremony took place in front of the
hall. Masters of ceremonies third standard student of Sangyoung
Township No 2 BEHS Ma Seint Shwe
Sin read out the agenda in
Afterwards, 14 students representing 14 states and divisions formally opened
the ceremony.
Next, the second session followed in the hall. Masters of ceremonies fourth
graders of Sangyoung Township No 2 BEHS Ma Thin Thiri Win read out the agenda in
The students of the band troupe from Mingala Taungnyunt No 3 BEHS played the National Anthem. Meanwhile
those present stood up to give respect to the song.
Accompanied by the
On behalf of the students who got the opportunity to attend classes under
the project, 14 students took positions on the stage. Then,
Today's ceremony is held in honour of the
successful implementation of the nation-wide All School Age Children in School
Activities which is worthy of being honoured and the
success is filled with national essence.
The government has set the national education aim for uplifting the
education standards of the entire nation and educational reforms are being made
through education plans and projects.
In this endeavor, programmes of basic education
for all, all round development of students, raising the standard of education
to keep abreast with that of international education and development of
qualified human resources are being implemented in order that the education
standard of the entire nation will be uplifted.
Regarding the implementation of Basic Education for All, in the Education
for All Project, both formal education and non-formal education activities are
linked and being implemented for all school age children to attend schools and
for over school age persons to attend adult literacy classes. The successful
materialization of Non-formal education plan for adult literacy has increased
the adult literacy rate to 91.4 per cent in 2000-2001.
Concerning the enrolment of all school age children in school, the second
national five-year short term plan was initiated in 1996-97 and the plan was
successfully implemented with the aim of schooling of all school age children
and completion of primary school by 80 per cent of primary students.
In the 30-Year Long Term Education Plan, level-wise completion of basic
education by all citizens is being undertaken through nine projects and during
the first five year-plan, the implementation of the completion of primary
education by all citizens has become vital.
For convenient schooling, more basic education schools have been opened and
at present there are 39,974 basic education schools. This means that there are
at least 3 basic education schools in 5 wards/villages.
For the enrolment of all school age children in school, since 1999-2000
academic year, the last week of May has been prescribed as Enrolment Week and
the Whole Township Enrolment Day has been designated and observed in each township
as mass movement activity based on social mobilization.
Committees for All School Age Children in School are formed at central
level, state/division level, district level, township level, ward/village tract
level, and school/village level. Regional authorities, departmental personnel,
educational personnel, well-wishers, parents, communities, members of Union
Solidarity and Development Association, the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare
Association, the Women Affairs Committee, Auxiliary Fire Brigade, Red Cross
Society cooperate and are involved in this activity throughout the country.
This task force conducted data collection of school age children, over
school age children and primary school dropout children in the area concerned,
mobilization of parents for sending all children to school, fulfillment of
required number of classrooms, furniture an teaching aids in schools, resource
mobilization of communities to support needy children in terms of school
uniforms, textbooks, stationeries and stipend.
At the national level, mass media such as TV, radio and newspapers are used
to mobilize the public for enrolment of all school age children in school.
Besides, at the township level, erecting posters to promote public awareness of
enrolment of children in schools and mobilizing communities through loud
speakers are widely undertaken.
Because of the concerted efforts of the entire nation, kindergarten intake
rate increased to 91 per cent in 1999, 91.5 per cent in 2000, 92.05 per cent in
2001 and 93.07 per cent in 2002.
In 2002, special emphasis is given to the 55 townships designated as All
School Age Children in School Project townships and as a result, enrolment rate
of these townships increased to 98.36 per cent.
Different levels of Committees for All School Age Children in School will
conduct the data collection of school going age children, primary school
dropout children and those who need support for schooling by means of
house-to-house data collection activities and mobilize resource from well-wishers.
Concerning the donation for school enrolment activities, during Enrolment
Week (May 25 to 31), well-wishers and social organizations donated 181.77
million kyats for textbooks, stationeries and school
facilities, and the Ministry of Education provided 1,418,000 textbooks for
337,000 primary students amounting 47.04 million kyats.
Myanmar Education Committee also presented exercise books and pencils
amounting to 52.434 million kyats for 124,000
children attending 212 basic education schools and 193 monastic schools in
After completion of the enrolment of all school age children in school as a
result of the successful achievement in enrolment, regular attendance of all
school children, fulfilling the requirements of needy children and schooling up
to the completion of primary education need to be further carried out by
responsible personnel from education departments, headmasters, and teachers in
collaboration with wellwishers and parents. Education
departments also need to provide level-wise supervision of the regular
attendance and instruction of teachers and remedial teaching for slow learners
and absentees.
Regional authorities, departmental personnel, social organizations, parents
and communities, and teachers are urged to work in cooperation because
enrolment of all school age children in school activity is not a one off minor
task. This task needs to be regarded as a national endeavor to be done with
perseverance, diligence and solemn wish on a long-term basis and only then will
it achieve success.
Moreover, the Government has also raised primary schools to post primary
schools with the aim of enhancing convenient pursuit of education up to Grade
Six after the completion of primary school education. Therefore, during the
favorable climate of improving access to education for children, the entire
nation is urged to make immense effort in order to develop internationally
qualified outstanding youths on whom we can rely in the future.
The enrolment activities undertaken from 1999 to 2002 are to be recognized
as a national task. In addition, on behalf of the State, all those including
parents and communities who have made active contribution in terms of manpower,
finance and mobilization, wellwishers of education,
members of School Board of Trustees, regional authorities, personnel from
social organizations, departmental personnel, responsible personnel from the
education sector, headmasters, teachers, different levels of All School Age
Children in School Leading Committee members are conferred honorable
recognition and everyone is urged to continue to collaborate for the success of
the materialization of the aim of uplifting the education standards of the
entire nation.
Next, Chairman of the Central Leading Committee for Ensuring All Children of
School-going Age to Go to Schools Minister for Education U Than
Aung delivered an address. He said: The 30-year
long-term national education promotion programme that
represents the building of peaceful, modern and developed nation was laid down
and is being implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Union of Myanmar.
The programme to ensure all children of school-going
age to go to school plays an important role in the basic education sector.
Tasks which include in the programme are to make
arrangements for the school enrolment programme after
designating townships under this programme and
regular townships, to eliminate absence and drop-outs from basic education
schools, to fulfill the requirements for the children in difficulty and to give
the educative talks to parents, and to ensure all children to attend school at
the school reopening time. Central Leading Committee, leading committee at state,
division, district and township level and committees at ward and village-tract
level were formed and assigned duties.
With the approval of the Government of the Union of Myanmar in May 2002, a
total of 39,974 committees at village level, 16,290 committees at ward and
village-tract level and 324 leading committees at township level and
state/division leading committees were formed nation wide.
Arrangements to help those who have difficulty in going to school were
undertaken with the cooperation of education staff, school boards of trustees, wellwishers, members of the Union Solidarity and
Development Association, the Maternal and Child Welfare Association, the Women
Affairs Committee, Auxiliary Fire Brigade, Red Cross Society and students.
The school-age children enrolment movement began in 1998, starting with the
efforts to reduce the number of students leaving school after completion of
their education in the first phase. In the second phase, programmes
to increase the primary school enrolment rate were launched. The programme to ensure all children of school-going age to
attend classes was launched in 2001. The people number in a million took part
in the movement which was launched nation wide. Due to the generosity and
participation of the people, a total of 1,233,002 children have been enrolled
at the schools, leading to a significant rise in the school enrolment rate.
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior Than Shwe in his address delivered
at the conclusion of USDA courses on 18 July said that the movement was the
first successful step of the 30-year education plan.
Next, Fourth standard student Maung Soe Min Naing of Hlinethaya BEPS-25 who got enrolled under the Programme for enabling all school-going age children to get
enrolment, expressed words of heartfelt thanks for being able to attend school.
His expressions were presented in English language by Fourth standard student Maung Okka Phyo
of Kamayut BEPS-2. Then, students from Dagon BEHS-1
and Dagon BEHS-2, Sangyoung BEHS-2, Kamayut BEHS-2 and Dagon BEMS-1 sang the song" Each
and every flower in blossom" with accompaniment of the music played with
harp. Then, the ceremony ended.
Afterwards, Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt warmly greeted diplomats present on the occasion.
Then, he viewed round the postcard drawing of students. A girl student
presented him a postcard.