Education for All (Myanmar)

A few weeks ago, Janette, a long-term friend of Health & Hope, travelled from the UK to spend a month with the education team in Lailenpi. Janette is a retired a Head Teacher and has a wealth of teaching experience which she has been using over the last 12 months to support the launch of the Education for All project.   The project is supporting just over 100 students from 30 remote villages who have failed one or more of their grade 10 exams earlier in 2019.

Janette's first visit to Lailenpi took place in January, where she was planning to spend 3 months to support the establishment of the Education for All project. Unfortuantely, due to escalating violence in the region, her trip was cut short.  Janette continued to support the education team remotely over the following months, sending through resources, helping with lesson planning and the assessment of the students. She was then able to return for a month at the end of 2019. 

Alongside running workshops with the staff team on specific subject areas, such as Biology and English, Janette also conducted training sessions in different teaching practices, learning styles and classroom management. She also took some time to interview some of the students to get their feedback from the project so far. 

Feedback from the students on the first 6 months of the project was very positive, with many of them commenting on how they appreciated the classroom environment and that the teachers were patient with them. One student said: "I like the teachers, they are fun but kind. We are not beaten. I have never encountered a school like this!" 

When asked why they decided to take part in the Education for All project one student said their parents were sick and could not support them, so they needed to complete their education in order to work and look after their family. Another student said that if they passed their Class 10 exam they will be able to be a good role model and give hope to others.  For most, the project provides a unique opportunity to learn English and have a second chance at passing their grade 10 exams. 

However, for all the students, the clock is ticking.  The Myanmar government are introducing a new curriculum into grade 9 this year which only gives these students two years to pass their exams.  Forced to take five subjects in English, 80% of students in Chin State failed their exams in 2019, and while there are positive changes ahead in the new syllabus, thousands will be left behind, locked out of an educational system that has failed them. 

We're hoping to make a significant improvement in the pass-rate of students in the Education for All project this year, but we'll need your continued support to invest in the school and help as many students as possible.

We look forward to reporting back to you again in March 2020 when the students will be getting ready to take their Class 10 exams. Thank you for your ongoing help and financial commitment.