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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


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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.
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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.


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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
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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.