SAC Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses work coordination meeting on literacy for rural people and ethnic people
Nay Pyi Taw September 19
A work coordination meeting on literacy for rural people and ethnic people was held at the State Administration Council Chairman’s Office this afternoon, addressed by Chairman of Education,Health and Human Resources Development Committee Vice Chairman of State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
Present together with the Vice-Senior General were union ministers, the Union Civil Service Board chair, deputy ministers, permanent secretaries, directors general, and officials.
The Vice-Senior General said the launching of a comprehensive literacy campaign in rural and ethnic areas is the goal of the meeting. As there is weakness in literacy rate and basic education completion rate of rural and ethnic areas, the SAC Chairman Prime Minister instructed the committee to conduct a basic literacy campaign for them at the Union Government meeting (4/2023) held on 30 August. According to internal and external historical records, the number of literate persons was high and that of the illiterate was low during the time of Myanmar kings, thanks to the encourage of the ancient monarchs and monastic education schools.
After the country fell under Japan and British colonialists, its literacy rate fell to 35 percent. Literacy movement could be launched only in 1964 after the country regained independence. The country’s literacy rate was 66.9 percent according to the 1973 population census, 76.6 percent according to 1983 population census, 89.5 percent according to the 2014 population census, and 89.1 percent according to the 2019 interim census. The 2014 population census showed that 2.7 million children failed to complete primary education, and the number of 15 and above illiterate persons was 3.55 million. The 2019 interim population census indicated the number of 15 and above illiterate persons at about 4.1 million. The number of illiterate females was higher than that of male counterparts in all regions and states.
The Vice-Senior General said the Prime Minister has already given a comprehensive directive to prioritize the work of promoting the rural and ethnic education level in the knowledge age at the SAC meeting (3/2023) held on 1 September. The Prime Minister also recounted the success of the country’s three R courses that won global acknowledgement as an example. Interest in reading and learning can be aroused through the three R courses. Children can be taught primary education through non-formal education till reaching KG+5, and from there they will have access to KG+9.
Myanmar started its literacy campaign two years earlier than the designation of the international literacy movement in Tehran in Iran in 1966. Although it is said that the literacy movement was launched in 1964, it actually started when father of three R courses, Sayagyi U Than Byin (OSD-Teachers Training) made a request to the Education Ministry to conduct three R projects during the time of the Revolutionary Council in 1962. The trial run of the three R course was conducted by three teachers of the primary teacher course and one teacher of the middle school teacher course at East Thaphan Model Village in Meiktila Township during the summer holidays in 1964. About 200 attended the course and the result of a test conducted after a month showed that about 100 of them became literate.
Volunteer teachers and students from universities, colleges and institutes and teachers from townships participated in the campaign. On the school holidays, university teachers and students as well as teachers from basic education schools joined the literacy campaigns.
Moreover, those from the community who passed the basic education high schools, who had attended the basic education high schools and volunteers from the undergraduate and postgraduate courses also participated in the campaigns, according to the records.
As such, the whole Meiktila district literacy victory could be held in 1971, with attendance of more than 80,000 residents and journalists across the nation.
The UNESCO also recognized the mass literacy campaign, awarding Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Prize to Myanmar on 8 September 1971 when the International Literacy Day was marked.
Moreover, as Sayagyi U Thaung Tun submitted the Burmese Way to Literacy at the literacy conference held in West Berlin of Germany in 1984 and disseminated the information on mass movement of Myanmar’s literacy campaign without budget, elders’ text for international literacy campaign and publications, the UNESCO awarded Noma prize to Myanmar as a wonderful victory of Myanmar. Due to the mass movement for literacy campaign in Myanmar, a total of 297 of 308 townships secured the good results in the campaigns, resulting in educating millions of people to literates in the country.
In line with the theme of the 57th International Literacy Day 2023: Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies, literacy brings benefits to individuals as well as contributions to development of social, economic, political and cultural sectors of the regions and the country. At a time when the State and the people are marching to building the Union based on democratic and federal systems, those who will implement the system and follow it need to become literates and complete school education. So also, ethnic people need to have skills of Myanmar language as an office language. So the literacy campaign was staged.
Only when the people are literate, will they have adequate knowledge to analyze persuasion of others. The literates will have keenness of reading. If so, they will have the knowledge to adjust all things for themselves and their society. It can be seen that the terrorist acts happening some townships and border areas of the country depend on consequences of 4.1 million illiterates of above 15 years old people according to the 2019 interim population. In this regard, venerable Shin Maha Ratthasara composed a single stanza poem, urging students to follow the daily points for learning. Hence, the poem outlined the important role of the literates. So, everybody needs to continue learning the school education so as to analyze the rights and wrongs and control themselves and their societies. The story of rich man showed a sample for lack of knowledge and education. Moreover, the story of U Kyi Pyway pointed out the important role of literates.
It is learned that the Ministry of Education formed the Department of Alternate Education and Lifelong Education and is taking measures on literacy and out-of-school education. It is required to discuss the start of taking these measures after the harvesting season at today’s meeting and measures to be taken at different levels. Not only the Ministry of Education but all the ministries, region and state governments need to work together to ensure promotion of literacy on a basis of the entire country and to take educational measures in order that the people will be aware of the importance of literacy. It is to discuss future tasks on promotion of the people’s literacy that is important for the country.
Afterwards, Union Minister for Education Dr Nyunt Pe briefed on the ministry’s plans on basic literacy, teaching aids for students, instructors and supervisory assistance.
Then, Director-General of Alternate Education and Lifelong Education Department U Kyaw Win reported on the national education law, the organizational chart of the department and measures being taken for basic literacy of rural people and ethnic peoples.
Afterwards, union ministers and members of committees on education, health and human resources participated in discussion on cooperation and suggestions of ministries for plans on literacy of rural and ethnic peoples.
The Vice-Senior General made coordination on the discussion and suggestion and gave concluding remarks.