Building Schools in Myanmar â Concept Note
Transcription
Building Schools in Myanmar â Concept Note
FACT SHEET basiceducation Building Schools in Myanmar Empowering underprivileged children, youth & communities in the Mekong Sub-Region to shape their own future It all begins with building schools We strongly believe that a safe and secure learning environment is essential for educational success. Therefore, we support children and youth in accessing education by building educational infrastructure. We focus on education because it is proven to be one of the most important factors for sustained social and economic development. Education promotes a culture of peace, tolerance and understanding and builds the foundation for diversity, human rights and freedom. Through our Basic Education projects we aim to promote education and increase children and youth’s participation in school. We believe that education can enhance their opportunities and empower them to make better decisions in life. A typical rural, monastic classroom in Myanmar with hatched roofs and dirt floors. Stationery is lacking everywhere. Challenges in Myanmar With one of the most diverse population in Asia, Myanmar has been home to ethnic conflicts and political discords through every governmental era since independence from Great Britain in 1948. Under the Thein Sein government, which assumed office in 2011, a new political system is emerging and hopes are continuing that the country is set on the path towards modernity and political reform. However, many serious tensions remain over political freedoms and ethnic nationality rights. In particular, despite ceasefire offers by the government to ethnic opposition forces, many minority groups have expressed concerns that their people will be marginalised during another time of political and economic change. Such perceptions are especially acute among communities where the impact of conflict remains. Against this background, education for many children in Myanmar, particularly in the poorer areas or from ethnic minorities, remains problematic. The government does provide a state-run education system; however it is not free and the system is not run properly since many teachers are not motivated and do not show up for classes. Also, it is becoming more expensive as the government decreases its support and tries to shape national education policies. Contact us: Child’s Dream Foundation 238/3 Wualai Road, T. Haiya, A. Muang Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand There is a tremendous lack of classroom space and the absence of partitions between the classrooms make effective learning difficult. Often, education is held in the open air. www.childsdream.org [email protected] Tel. +66 (0)53 201 811 Fax +66 (0)53 201 812 An alternative to the state-run system is offered by Buddhist monasteries, the traditional system of education in Myanmar prior to British colonialism. The monasteries are allowed to operate secular schools, use the government approved curriculum and are free of charge for the students. All levels of schooling at monastic schools are fully accredited by the government and count towards the high school matriculation. They are, however, generally not yet authorised to teach through to the end of high school. Building Schools in Myanmar Our support for school construction in Myanmar comes in two forms. The first is by cooperating with a local partner on the ground in Myanmar. We provide financial support to a main monastery in Mandalay for the construction of new A very typical community school in a rural area of Myanmar, containing three classrooms. schools in its network. They have qualified engineers who There is hardly any separation between the help us to oversee the construction process to ensure that classrooms, which makes teaching difficult due our safety and quality standards are met. We meet with the to the high noise level. local community and monastery before deciding to support a project and our project managers will make regular visits during the construction process to check on progress. By leveraging the benefits of their strong network, we can ensure that schools we construct also have access to assistance and capacity development as needed. The second approach is our indirect support of local community schools. Some communities have taken the initiative to start and maintain small schools in their villages but many are struggling and need additional support in order to continue to provide an education to their children. Here we partner with Community Based Organisations (CBOs) who will identify and implement these projects together with us. With both methods, the result is a carefully selected community, regularly visited and monitored by our staff. We provide the funding for construction, while implementing construction directly where possible. In all cases the communities sustain the schools with their own sources of funding which are clarified and agreed upon before construction starts, so we know our buildings will continue to be used for decades to come. Approach Budget & Reporting Guided by our bottom-up approach, community leaders and the school committee are engaged in close collaboration and consultation from the early stages to develop and construct the facilities. We believe in fostering good relationships with the communities, as it enables us to understand their real needs and ensures the projects sustainability. Through regular follow-up visits we remain sensitive to their needs even after the project is completed, enabling us to continue supporting them in promoting education and increasing children and youth’s participation in school. Contact us: Child’s Dream Foundation 238/3 Wualai Road, T. Haiya, A. Muang Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand Depending on the size of the student population, the construction of a school building (ranging from one to 12 rooms across various local construction styles) costs between US$20,000 and US$200,000 and accommodates from 75 to over 1,000 students. It is also possible to contribute part of the total cost of a new building (e.g. 20 or 50%). As with all our projects, a detailed final report will be provided together with a detailed financial reconciliation, no later than two months after completion of the project. With less than 7% administration costs, every dollar makes a difference. www.childsdream.org [email protected] Tel. +66 (0)53 201 811 Fax +66 (0)53 201 812
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