New Myanmar government faces uphill task to reform universities



YANGON: -- The National League for Democracy (NLD) faces a daunting task of restoring rundown universities in Myanmar to become an institution of higher learning for students, according to a report of the Irrawaddy published on Wednesday.

The report said that decades of brutal military rule has destroyed Myanmar’s higher education system. Funding was scarce and rote memorization and not critical thinking became the teaching norm and distance learning was promoted to prevent students from associating. Student unions were banned.

During 1988-2010, 10 universities were ordered built on the fringes of Rangoon creating desolate and remote campuses. Programmes at the once prestigious University of Rangoon which used to be a hotbed of resistance against the military regime were drastically cut down.

“I feel the university is like a prison. Transportation here is very difficult and the campus environment does not feel free or pleasant. You can see many students during the exams but other times only few students are here,” said Ye Myat Hein of the University of West Rangoon.

The first educational reform under the new NLD-led government includes planned hiring of better qualified teachers and improving study and teaching resources such as libraries and laboratories, said NLD MP Tin Aung, adding that these steps require more budget.

On the problem of the remote locations of universities, it was reported that regional governments had been trying to arrange for affordable transportation for both students and staff.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/162869


-- Thai PBS 2016-05-11

rote memorization and not critical thinking became the teaching norm

Now where else have I heard of that