Are we building a stable foundation for the future?
By Saw Georgire (Kaw Ku)
Education is very important for all people.
In Karen State education is highly val
ued by all members of the community. As one person said “if we cannot read and write our own language, it means the same as if we kill our nation”. Consequently Karen villagers see education as an important part of the community and a way to keep the Karen culture alive.
Most villages have schools that are not supported by the SPDC. Villagers have to fund these schools on their own, including giving land for school, boarding houses and teachers living quarters. Two different curriculums are taught in these village schools - the Karen Education Department (KED) curriculum and Burmese curriculum. The schools use both curriculums for security reasons; in case someone comes and checks on the school they would see the teachers using the Burmese curriculum. Also when students are able to study after grade 10 it is easier for them to join with classes if they know both curriculums. For example, if they go to the refugee camps in Thailand to study and they are not familiar with the KED curriculum and Karen language they will find it very difficult to follow the classes, like wise, if they go to study in the towns in Burma.
If possible, most children want to study until at least grade 10 (the end of high school)
In some communities there is a SPDC school, however, the SPDC does not support it. Even though it is called a “government school” the villagers have to struggle to support it. The villagers have to pay the teachers’ salaries, provide them with food and they have to maintain the school buildings. The SPDC sends teachers from Burma to the schools in the Karen State. They only use the Burmese curriculum, Burmese behaviour management tactics (including hitting the children) and teach in Burmese language. When these teachers first saw members of the Karen insurgent groups they were frighten because before they left their villages they were told by the SPDC to be careful of the Karen rebels – they are very dangerous and they will kill you. After the villagers explain about the situation of the Karen people, the teachers are no longer scared of the soldiers. The SPDC only told them this propaganda to try and keep them separate from the Karen villagers. The SPDC schools are seen as a tool of the military to further Burmanise the ethic groups.
Most children want to go school, but there is a small number who are too lazy to go, even if their parents force them. If possible, most children want to study until at least grade 10 (the end of high school), but most cannot because of the situation in Burma and the many problems they face.
Parents want their children to go to school, but they face many problems. Families rely on farming to support themselves. Sometimes the children are needed to help their families and then they cannot go to school. Sometimes children are only needed to help for a little while other times they stop studying permanently. On a trip to Karen State I saw a child working in a field. I asked him “why don’t you go to school?” He said “I don’t go to school for a few days because my parents need me to work for them, because it (the work) is urgent”. When children stop going to school for a short period of time they have to get permission from the teacher.
Another reason children do not go to school is the fees. To attend school families need to pay - the higher the grade in school, the higher the fees. The majority of parents cannot pay the fees, while a small minority can. When parents can afford to send their children to school their children can study until grade 10 and have the opportunity to do further study in the towns. Because there are many armed groups active in parts of Karen State (in some areas three different armed groups, the State Peace Development Council, Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and Karen National Union, are active) villagers have to pay taxes or fines to all of these groups. As families are forced to pay fines and taxes throughout the year, it means they simply do not have the money to pay for school fees.
Additionally, most families are very large with many children. For these families it is difficult to send all the children to school because they have to pay a lot of school fees. Sometimes after a child has completed grade 4, they stop going to school and another child starts. Other times if children do not pass a grade they do not go back the next year.
There are a small number of schools for needy children which provide education for free for families that are struggling. In some cases families that can afford to pay a little do so. At one school that accepts needy children in Dooplaya District I met the teacher who had started the school three years ago. She said “I cannot struggle anymore. Unless I can get some support I cannot continue.” She said she had met with many organizations and explained her work. The organisations said they would help, but then they left and vanished. She told me that if they do not get some support soon for the work they do, they will have to close. The school has more than 200 students and because the children come from poor families from many different villages, they will face many difficulties getting an education elsewhere.
Not all villages have schools. Children sometimes have to go and stay in a boarding house near the school. When they are at the boarding house they have to bring their own food. Usually children stay in the boarding houses during the week and visit their families on the weekend. During the rainy season it is difficult for them to travel between their villages and the school because of floods. Sometimes classes have to be cancelled because the students are unable to come.
Some teachers have not finished grade 10 but they are trying their best to teach. I met one teacher who had only finished grade seven. The villagers asked him to be the teacher. He said he will teach in the village for three years and then he plans to continue studying, but he needs to find a way to support himself while he is studying. When these teachers start they are worried because they have not a high education level. Some teachers attend intensive teacher trainings courses in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Other teachers in Karen State are able to participate in shorter teacher trainings held by Karen Teacher Working Group and KED during the dry season when the school is closed for holidays. New teachers can also ask for help and advice from more experienced teachers in their area. Many principles want teachers who are interested in sharing their knowledge with the children and working hard for the school, rather than those with high education levels.
Some university trained teachers are only interested in salaries and not actually in teaching the children. For example, after school teachers hold special classes to go over the material covered during the day’s lessons. The students have to pay extra for these classes. To get more money some teachers will give bad lessons, so that more students have to come to the extra classes and pay. Additionally as there is a teacher shortage in Karen State some teachers choose to go to school that offers the highest salary. As everyone is struggling for their survival, it is natural to do this. That said the salary is low and teachers face difficulties supporting their families on this income.
Education is a foundation for a child’s future. For those who have finished school they have more employment opportunities and options for further study. Furthermore, through quality education children learn skills necessary for rebuilding their communities and country. By learning about Karen culture and language children can preserve their ethnic heritage. Without education villagers will face additional problems, to the harsh situation they find themselves in living under the Burmese military junta. It is clear that there is no solution to Burma’s problem without education. The schools in Karen State are providing the best education they can. People involved in education throughout Burma need to start working together in order to improve the education system.
To go to the other articles published in the October 2006 BI Newsletter click on the links below:
If possible, most children want to study until at least grade 10 (the end of high school)
