The government is striving to change the country’s education system from rote memorization to a rationalisation-based system, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday. In her opening address at the Seminar on educational Development Implementation in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday, the State Counsellor said it is critical to reform the way in which the country’s children are taught. “The main objective of learning is to develop the practices of taking responsibility and accountability, the ability to judge based on reasonability, the spirit of cooperation and nurturing elite people with sustainable learning”, she said. In changing from the deep-rooted system of learning by rote into an education system based on judgment and reasonability, the State Counsellor highlighted the current education system’s weak points, such as only teaching prescribed lessons, paying excessive attention to a high pass rate and indoctrination of good results from accurate answers as described in prescribed books.
To reduce the dropout rate, the incumbent government has carried out distribution of prescribed text books, exercise books, school uniforms free of charge, appointment of more school teachers to fulfill requirements, construction of school buildings and an analysis program for children outside classrooms. The State Counsellor said she appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of education for reforms in the education sector such as creating opportunities for an access to learning, promoting educational qualifications, curriculum and syllabus, assessment by examination, teaching methods and education management. “Children know general knowledge about their homes, their environment, their societies, the history of their country and the world populace, apart from school lessons. Just after arrangements had been made for them to acquire the opportunity for learning together, based on their experiences and knowledge, their judgment and reasoning ability will develop. In addition, openness, tolerance, responsibility and accountability, ability to accept differences and other personalities of excellence will develop”, the State Counsellor said.
The change in the educational system will require cooperation from all sides, the State Counsellor said. “Teachers need to be well qualified, but students and parents also have responsibilities. It cannot be said that a school student is dutiful just by going to school regularly. He is required to think about the lessons on the whole taught during a one-day period, to take part in sports and arts based on their hobbies, to acquire the good habit of reading books from the outside world, and to rightfully reason the knowledge and intellect acquired from the books one has read. As for parents as well, they are required to encourage the abilities of invention of their children” she said. “Edutainment” such as the practice of reading, talks, discussions, and celebrations of sport activities can make children happy. This can reduce rates of dropping out while learning. Excursion trips on the subject matters and culture, putting records on discoveries and developing libraries can train to develop their literature and intellects.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the expectations for the country from a revamped education system are significant. “With a long-term investment in the education sector, we can hope for liberation from the poverty we are now experiencing. And we can hope for the enjoyment of rule of law, peace, justice and freedom for the whole national populace. Moreover, we can expect to learn the value of cultural heritages, of the national ethnic people, through education. We must hope for every individual and every parent to possess pleasant living standards through education”, she said. “These are the opportunities we can hope from education. Accordingly, we wish the present seminar can train good citizens and good human beings by frankly discussing how we can fully supply students with opportunities for learning and high-quality education, and for success of the process from beginning to end”.