School headmasters in Mynamar forced to work in the fields Reporter: ZawHtet Slug: Burma Rural Teachers Date: 21/03/14

INTRO Teachers in rural areas o !"anmar earn lower wages# tra$el long %istance an% wor& in the iel%s 'e ore an% a ter class( )n% *0 percent o !"anmar+s population li$es in rural areas so as the countr" starts to %e$elop there is a push to impro$e the e%ucation sector across the countr"( Zaw Htet reports rom a school in Tan"in ,one $illage( TEXT SFX 1 Saw Htoo Shee working in the fields Be ore hea%master Saw Htoo Shee wal&s into the classroom he nee%s to wor& here in the pa%%" iel%s( )n% when he gets home a ter a %a"+s teaching# he %oesn+t mar& tests or %e$ise lesson plans - he+s 'ac& out in the iel%s( He has spent 1. "ears 'uil%ing his teaching career 'ut has ha% to wor& two /o's( Saw Htoo Shee cli 1 !Male" #$rmese%& 0!" amil" has man" people in it( 1 am o$er 40( 1 ha$e our el%er sisters( !" ather is .2 an% mother is .4( To support their health# 1 ha$e to wor& in pa%%" iel%s(3 !"anmar+s school s"stem is in urgent nee% o re orm( The go$ernment spen%s /ust 4(. percent o the national 'u%get on e%ucation( Schools in rural areas are signi icantl" worse o than those in the cities( ( There is a lac& o supplies# o ten the school 'uil%ings are little more than huts# an% it+s tough to in% a%e5uate teachers who will wor& or the meager pa"( 6nce in the /o' it+s %i icult to get promote%# elementar" teacher 1rrawa%%" Delta# HtewHtew sa"s( Htew Htew cli 1 !Female" #$rmese%& 0During the training# our teachers sai% we can appl" or higher position a ter three "ears o wor& an% we ma" get higher position( 1 aime% to 'ecome a hea%mistress o a high school( 1t has 'een 2 "ears so ar# an% 1 ha$e not "et 'een promote%(3 The opposition part"# the 7ational 8eague or Democrac"# has an e%ucational re orm networ& in place( Thein8win who sits on the committee sa"s the teachers+ salar" in rural areas nee%s to 'e increase%(

Thein 'win cli 1 !Male" #$rmese%& 01 can un%erstan% the %i iculties that teachers wor&ing in rural areas ace( )s the e%ucation 'u%get is low# the" %on+t get enough salar"( The communit" can+t support the teachers either as the" are poor armers(3 1n rural !"anmar# the lac& o transportation an% a%e5uate roa%s ma&es access to man" $illages %i icult( !"intShwe# Rural Teacher sa"s# the teachers an% stu%ents o ten ha$e a long an% ar%uous /ourne" to get to school e$er"%a"( Myint Shwe cli 1 !Male" #$rmese%& 01t is %i erent rom the schools in ur'an areas( 9e ha$e to use lan% transport as well as 'oat transport( 1t is more %i icult here(3 )n% the lac& o transport means the teachers can+t tra$el to the cities or training( Saw HtooShee" cli ( !Male" #$rmese%& 0) ter 1. "ears in the /o'# we can appl" or a Bachelor o :%ucation ;postgra%uate %egree( 9e want to 'ecome high school teachers( But it is e$en %i icult to tra$el or one or two wee&s to the cit"( There are economic constraints as well(3 SFX ( Shaw HtooSHee teaching Thein'win" cli ( !Male" #$rmese%& 0) teacher nee%s continuous learning an% nee%s to atten% training( The teachers in rural areas %on+t ha$e these opportunities( 9hen re orming the e%ucation sector# there shoul% 'e arrangements or these teachers to ha$e opportunities to learn more# to get master %egrees(3 The !inister or 1n ormation# <e Htut# sa"s the go$ernment is spen%ing more mone" on e%ucation than the" ha$e in pre$ious "ears( )n% the" plan to increase the spen%ing o$er the coming "ears as well( The mone" will go towar%s ree e%ucation# o$erseas training or teachers an% 'uil%ing schools( But e$en with an increase% 'u%get# i the mone" isn+t use% e ecti$el"# the school s"stem# especiall" in rural areas won+t impro$e( =or )sia >alling# this report was pro%uce% '" ZawHtet rom D?B(