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Nonformal Education - Myanmar
Source: Ministry of Education
The Older Concept that “Education = Schooling = Teaching” is no longer valid. One’s education does not finish at the end of formal schooling. Educational institutions such as schools, universities and training centres are important, but only as one of the agencies for lifelong education. They no longer enjoy the monopoly of educating the people and can do no longer existence in isolation from other educational agencies in their society. Schools can become the spring-board for implementing lifelong education. In the context of lifelong education, the entire environment is the source of learning. Education goes on from womb to tomb. It is a lifelong process.
Each individual must be equipped to seize learning opportunities throughout life, both to broaden her or his knowledge, skill and attitudes, and to adapt to a changing, complex, and independent world. If it is to succeed in its tasks, education must be organised around four fundamental types of learning which, throughout a person’s life, will a way be the pillars of knowledge: learning to know, that is acquiring the instruments of understanding: learning to do, so as to be able to act creatively on one’s environment; learning to live together, so as to participate and co- operate other people in all human activities; and learning to be, an essential progression which proceeds from the previous three. Of course, these four paths of knowledge all from a whole, because there are many points of contact, intersection and exchange among them.
From the perspective of lifelong education, followings are contexts through which learning may take place:
In every society, there are many informal teaching- learning situations. Communicating skills, both verbal and non-verbal, as well as etiquette, customs, family and social relations, familiarity with environment and, even religious beliefs and rites are all acquired by a child through these informal channels. So do adults continue to benefit from the informal education provided by newspapers, periodicals and books, radio and television, and social contacts relating to political and cultural activities.
Formal and Non-Formal Education
The organised teaching-learning situations fall into two categories: formal and non-formal.
Teaching-learning situations are formal when provided in specialised institutions such as schools, vocational institutions, polytechnics, schools or institutions, colleges or universities, which exist solely for the purpose of teaching a clientele according to a set pattern. The pattern consists of such elements as grades or classes, prescribed syllabuses and time- tables, examinations, academic awards and so forth. When one generally refers to a system of education in a particular country, what is meant is this formal organisation of teaching-learning situations.
Non-formal teaching-learning situations are those that are provided outside the formal system of education. They may use the facilities and the personnel of the formal system. But the teaching and learning are subsidiary objectives which are achieved in the course of accomplishing of her objectives. The teaching- learning which is taken place in programmes of rural, agricultural or industrial development, falls into this category o non-formal education.
Definition of Non-Formal Education Non-formal Education is any organised educational activity outside the established formal system -whether operation separately or as an important feature of some broader activity- that is intended to serve identifiable learning clienteles and learning objectives.
The Importance and Characteristics of NFE
NFE is a world-wide phenomenon, systematic out- of-school activities designed to meet specific learning needs which are to be found in developed and developing countries alike. The persuasiveness of non-formal education programmes (NFEPs) is attributable in large part to their nature. They often:
Relationships among Formal, Nonformal, and Informal Education
Most of the existing NFE programmes are found to be related to FE in either of the following ways:
Contents of Nonformal Education
After Jomtien Declaration of EFA in 1990, the EFA Central Co-ordinating Committee, headed by the Chairman of Myanmar Naing-Ngan Education Committee was formed to give guidelines for EFA programmes. Under this main committee, EFA Executive Committee, chaired by the Minister for Education was formed. Under this committee, there are also six sub-committees to implement EFA programmes. They are:
The Departments of Basic Education (DBE) and the Department of Education Planning and Training (DEPT) are responsible for conducting formal education programmes where as the Myanmar Education Research Bureau (MERB) is responsible for NFE programmes.
Goals of the EFA are as follows:
Functions of EFA NFE Committees are as follows:
A national literacy policy which will be effective as well as self-sustaining is adopted by the EFA Central Co-ordinating Committee to cover the whole union reducing adult illiteracy rate into the half of 1990’s rate.
National Goal and Strategy of NFE
Organising literacy programmes throughout the Union for the reduction of illiteracy rate of 22% to at least 11% through non-formal education.
The strategy is to create community-based literacy groups which are self-sustaining and linked by a nation-wide network, mobilising local resources.
While the respective committees at the central, state, and divisional levels are adopting policies, strategies, and plan of action to be implemented at the townships, the local authority and community are to carry out the programmes mobilising local resources. Local literacy committees at the ward and village level will also serve as focal points to organise learning centres for the illiterates.
Work Plan for Literacy Activities
NFE Committee is supported by four teams for the smooth running of the NFE programmes in Myanmar. These are:
Township EFA Committees are to organise, supervise and evaluate township wise NFE activities. These activities are to be supported and monitored by District EFA and Divisional EFA committees.
Technical Team of NFE committee is to develop teaching-learning materials; booklets, leaflets, posters, reading cards, and audio/video materials for NFE activities and to provide technical assistance for NFE programmes. Information team, comprising personnel from education, information and culture sector, organises TV sports, video programmes, film and other media on literacy for awareness raising. Detailed work programmes to organise reading centres at wards and villages and to keep these centres accessible to neo- literates are carried out by the respective team. Fund raising team manages to collect donations from well wishers and other sources of fund.
Programmes to be implemented are being prioritised by EFA/NFE Committee. These are:
In line with the adopted strategy of EFA, the role and commitment of EFA committee at divisional, district and township level becomes crucial. Literacy programme can be sustainable with strong will and participation of the local administrative body and the community. Hinthada district of Ayeyarwaddy Division is an example. The District Peace and Development Council gave guidelines and assistance for basic literacy movement in six townships of Hinthada district. Literacy classes were organised in all townships and supervised by the Township EFA Committees and these were also monitored by district EFA Committee. Literacy programme of the whole district completed with great success. Now, Ayeyarwaddy division follows its example by taking concerted effort for the implementation of NFE programme within the whole division.
The EFA Central Co-ordination Committee, formed by the Government of the Union of Myanmar and EFA Executing Committee and NFE Committee, comprises several ministries, departments and organisations. These are:
Ministries
Education, Religious Affairs, Forestry, Co-operative, Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs, Health, Home Affairs, Immigration and Population, Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Railways, Transport, Agriculture, Information and Labour.
Departments
All Departments under MOE, Cottage Industries, Health, Myanmar Agriculture Enterprise, Social Welfare, General Administration, Information and Public Relation, Myanmar Television and Radio Department, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary.
Organizations
State and Division Peace and Development Councils, Red Cross, Myanmar Maternity and Child Welfare Association, The Myanmar National Council for Women’s Affairs, Fire Brigade, Union Solidarity and Development Association.
Under the guidance of Central NFE Committee, the township NFE committees are now launching 12,940 literacy classes for 184,035 illiterates in 106 townships by using the basic literacy programme and establishing community learning centre (CLCs). It will follow the functional literacy, income generation and quality of life improvement programmes.
Along with basic literacy programmes, other continuing education programmes such as vocational skills training, income generation, quality of life improvement, and autonomous learning society have been initiated. CE programme will have to be given priority for future development of government and NGOs, various UN agencies, private sectors and, most important of all, the communities.
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