Abstract
This paper examines social justice in relation to the Myanmar education system, from the perspective of participation in decision-making; the social background of students; culture; language and local knowledge. It highlights the current state of education in Myanmar, including the national education law, the national education strategic plan and educational practice in different types of school systems. I argue that the education system in Myanmar is centralized and there is little space for stakeholders’ participation in decision-making. Furthermore, the government is now promoting privatization in education, which increases inequality among social classes. Since the language and culture of the ruling majority Bamar (Myanmar) dominate the school curriculum, indigenous rights to education are neglected. Excluding local wisdom and indigenous knowledge can be considered as part of the colonization of knowledge, through the government education system. In conclusion, the paper suggests key changes that are needed to support a socially just and humanistic approach to education
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Notes
Thinking Classroom Foundation (TCF) is registered in Chiang Mai, Thailand to provide teacher education.
National Network for Education Reform (NNER) is a civil education network for education policy advocacy operating in Myanmar.
Abbreviations
- CESR:
-
Comprehensive Education Sector Review
- IDP:
-
Internally Displaced Persons
- MTB-MLE:
-
Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education
- NESP:
-
National Education Strategic Plan
- NLD:
-
National League for Democracy
- NNER:
-
National Network for Education Reform
- TBC:
-
The Border Consortium
- TCF:
-
Thinking Classroom Foundation
- UN:
-
United Nations
- UNDRIP:
-
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- UNESCO:
-
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
- UNHCR:
-
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
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Lwin, T. Global justice, national education and local realities in Myanmar: a civil society perspective. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 20, 273–284 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09595-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09595-z