Dengarkan

Burma spent just 5 % of its national budget on education last year. Three times of that went on defense. 

Parents are concerned that the teaching in schools in not up to scratch and their children are suffering.

Because of this, children as young as 7 are going to extra tuition classes until late at night - missing out on vital recreation time.

Aung Moe Tha is 12 years old. Before school he packs his bag and has breakfast.

His mother says goodbye and gives him his lunch in a tiffin box. 

After a full day at school Aung Moe Tha, like many children his age will attend extra tuition classes.

Her teacher is a different teacher, not the one who teaches at school. 

Aung Moe Tha’s family recently moved house. 

And since they did, his mother Mon Mon Myat says his grades have gone down.

“At every monthly exam, he used to get 100 at Mathematics. Now we've moved to here and he has to go another tuition class. He does not make as much effort as he did before and I asked him "What’s wrong, kid?" He said he could get 100 in exams because his old teacher gave him the questions prior to the exam.” 

After school Aung Moe Tha plays the piano before heading off to tuition.

"I do not understand well at school, but I do understand at tuition class, because it has enough time at tuition class. And there are many students at school class and we only have 45 minutes for one section. And I take tuition class for better understanding.”

Despite recent reforms in the country, Burma’s education system is woefully lacking. 

Less than half of Burma's 18 million children complete primary school and only about half of all teachers are qualified.

For parents wanting their children to do well, they must pay for extra tuition.

7-year-old Phyu Phyu is a first grade student. She just finished her tuition class at 6PM with her tuition teacher which is also her teacher at school. 

Phyu Phyu  also attends tuition. 

Her teacher takes the class after the regular school day. 

Those who attend are favoured in the regular classes and get questions to exams. But she misses out on vital play-time. 

Dr Thein Lwin is a member of NLD’s Educational Committee.

“Something learnt by heart is easy to forget. This kind of learning cannot be applied in real life, social life, or at work and professional life.”

Older students feel the pressure more, like Thaw Zin Tun, first year student with English major. 

“I take tuition because, there is some weakness of teaching method at school, and school classes are always crowded. Sometimes I do not understand well.”

Oversized classrooms, under qualified teachers and insufficient recourses contribute to Burma’s crumbling education system.

“There are usually some 80-100 students in every classroom, while the number of teacher is still little. More rooms are needed to be built. To reach all students in a class, we have to decrease the number of students. To make reform in our education system, we have to redesign the size of our class rooms. A teacher can manage well the room of 30 students. If so, teachers can teach well and students have a change to raise questions. And class rooms will become more inter active. That's why I think our class rooms should be redesigned.”

During the military junta period schools were restricted to teaching a military-approved curriculum. And universities were closed.