Burmese military rule can be classified into two phases: from 1962 to 1974 was the first phase of absolute military rule; and from 1974 to 1988 was the second phase of ‘constitutional dictatorship’ (Silverstein, 1977). In April 1962, the Revolutionary Council formed by the junta led by General Ne Win proclaimed its political programme entitled ‘The Burmese Way to Socialism’, wherein the policy on education was given as follows: Education: The Revolutionary Council believes the existing educational system unequated with livelihood will have to be transformed. An educational system equated with livelihood and based on socialist moral values will be brought about; Science will be given precedence in education (my italics).
Socialism was not new, …show more content…
A-list students were entitled to apply for universities and B-list students were entitled only for vocational institutes. Thus, children’s examination results at an early age determined the shape of their adult life. Another discrimination was introduced under Burma’s 1982 Citizenship Law, whereby full citizenship is confined to those who can prove ancestor’s resident in Burma before the first British annexation in 1824-25, which for many of the country’s estimated 1.5-2 million Indian and Chinese inhabitants is nearly impossible (Smith, 1995). On the basis of this law, holders of Foreign Registration Cards and their children are barred from many occupations, and under the Ministry of Education’s 1980-81 regulations on university entrance, an applicant must be a ‘Burmese national’. Moreover, those Indians and Chinese who pass this obstacle are still barred from professional subjects such as technology and medicine (see also Smith, …show more content…
The regime has set a goal of achieving universal access to basic education and completion of primary school by 80 per cent of primary school age children by the year 2000; with assistance from UN agencies (see Khin Maung Kyi et al, 2000, p.157). However, the government investment in education is very low. According to the official financial figures published in 1999, the Ministry of Education can use only 7.5 per cent of the budget for all ministries while the Ministry of Defence use 40 per cent (see CRPP, 2000). The money allocated to education is only 0.5 per cent of the Gross National Product compared to an average of 2.7 per cent in other Southeast Asian Countries (source: AFP Bangkok August 22,
Socialism was not new, …show more content…
A-list students were entitled to apply for universities and B-list students were entitled only for vocational institutes. Thus, children’s examination results at an early age determined the shape of their adult life. Another discrimination was introduced under Burma’s 1982 Citizenship Law, whereby full citizenship is confined to those who can prove ancestor’s resident in Burma before the first British annexation in 1824-25, which for many of the country’s estimated 1.5-2 million Indian and Chinese inhabitants is nearly impossible (Smith, 1995). On the basis of this law, holders of Foreign Registration Cards and their children are barred from many occupations, and under the Ministry of Education’s 1980-81 regulations on university entrance, an applicant must be a ‘Burmese national’. Moreover, those Indians and Chinese who pass this obstacle are still barred from professional subjects such as technology and medicine (see also Smith, …show more content…
The regime has set a goal of achieving universal access to basic education and completion of primary school by 80 per cent of primary school age children by the year 2000; with assistance from UN agencies (see Khin Maung Kyi et al, 2000, p.157). However, the government investment in education is very low. According to the official financial figures published in 1999, the Ministry of Education can use only 7.5 per cent of the budget for all ministries while the Ministry of Defence use 40 per cent (see CRPP, 2000). The money allocated to education is only 0.5 per cent of the Gross National Product compared to an average of 2.7 per cent in other Southeast Asian Countries (source: AFP Bangkok August 22,