It has been a busy month for the Myanmar Education Reform Process. On June 18th, the country’s Upper House approved the amendments made on the National Education Law by the Lower House with 51 changes. The amendments, however, do not entirely reflect the 11 points proposed by the student representatives during their quadripartite meeting which took place last February with the government, Parliamentary Committee representatives, and National Network for Education Reform, another party concurrently undertaking the nationwide education reform. The disagreement within the Parliament mostly centres on enshrining the formation and recognition of student unions within Higher Education Institutions in the law which was included in the 11 points students request that the lower house has agreed to include.
The 11 points request submitted in 24th January 2015 from Action Committee for Democratic Education (ACDE) which is comprised of All Burma Federation of Student Unions and University Student Unions includes:

1. Inclusion of representatives of teachers and students in legislation process of education policies and laws, by-laws and other related laws,
2. the right to freely establish and operate student and teacher unions and legal recognition for them,
3. establishment of National Education Commission and University Coordination Committee mentioned in the approved National Education Law
4. self-determination and self-management on educational affairs of individual state/regions and schools
5. modifying current examination and university matriculation system
6. modifying teaching methods to such that ensure freedom for thinking and self-studying of students
7. inclusion of a provision in National Education Law that ensure freedom for the practice of ethnic languages and mother tongue based multi-lingual education for ethnic populations and tribes
8. inclusive education for all children including children with disabilities
9. resumption of enrolment for students previously expelled from schools due to the student uprisings
10. allocation of 20 percent of national total expenditure on education
11. regulating of free compulsory education up to middle school level rather than primary level

One of the lower house parliamentarians said that students will still have a chance to negotiate with the government on their requests during the development of by-laws, which should come into effect within 90 days of the enactment of the national education law.

Source: Seven Days Daily News, 19th June 2015
http://www.burmapartnership.org/updates-national-education-law-student-…