Nay Pyi Taw, June 11
In the country, there is 40 percent decrease in the student population between the time children starts their primary education and the time they pass the fourth standard. Their number further decreases at the time they reach matriculation. As the pass rate is just 30 percent, the percent of students who reach higher learning is less. The situation is alarming for the nation’s future. In the neighbours and ASEAN member states, enrolment rate and pass rate are high. In 2016-2017 academic year, 789,845 students sat for matriculation examination and 259,191 or 32.83 percent passed; during the five years – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 –3,282,152 sat for the matriculation examination and 1,148,701 passed and 2,133,451 failed. So the number of students who failed is high. The high number of fail rate is a great loss for students, parents and the State, said Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at a ceremony to develop and upgrade the school of No 1 Saikpyo Mwemyuyay Ward and to present education promotion aids held at Zartiman Hall of a basic education high school near Myanma Thagaung War Veterans Housing (Laydauntkan) in Dagon Seikkan Township, Yangon Region, this morning.
Also present at the ceremony were Daw Kyu Kyu Hla, wife of the Senior General, Commander-in-Chief (Navy) Admiral Tin Aung San and wife, Commander-in-Chief (Air) General Maung Maung Kyaw and wife, senior military officers of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) and their wives, Commander of Yangon Command Maj-Gen Thet Pon, departmental personnel, donors, teachers, war veterans, students and parents.
In his address, the Senior General said the school was built in 1987 at the time when War Veterans Village was set up. It became a high school after successive gradual upgrades. The Senior General said during his inspection of the Myanma Thagaung War Veterans Housing, he inquired about the pursuance of education of children of the war veterans and visited the school. He found a lot of weaknesses and made necessary renovation arrangements. So, the school achieved significant progress. Thirty computers and accessories, books for the library and other necessary materials were donated to the school. The housing is under the upgrading project at present. In doing so, education improvement for the families of war veterans is also required.
Students want to attend clean and beautiful schools which have better environments and facilities and high exam pass rates. All schools should be like that. So, this renovation aims to inspire students to attend schools. Only when students have a burning desire to attend schools, will they have more willingness to learn subjects. It will also promote their desires to have reading habits. As a result, the exam pass rates would be high, and students themselves and their parents would have to enjoy the fruits of it. Students need to try to work harder to pass exams regularly.
The average daily expense of Ks-1,200 including food costs for a student is calculated based on the five-year matriculation exam result. Parents have to spend over Ks-576 billion for 180 schooling days for five years and around Ks-1,150 billion for 365 days (one year). Thus, it is crucial for every student to learn subjects thoroughly and pass their exams yearly. Exam pass rates from primary to ninth standard are high.
It needs to seek the solution to the problem with relatively-low matriculation exam pass rate. Teachers need to teach their students to have thorough understanding of subjects while students must have a burning desire to learn subjects.
The future of students will be dim if they are interested in other matters. Parents are urged to pay attention to education of their offspring as much as they can. Students can pursue their education effectively only when they are healthy. So it needs to hold school sports competitions for the health and fitness of students.
Books are donated to library as students need to read books to gain extra knowledge in addition to their subjects. The main aim is to ensure students become outstanding ones. School renovation costs amounted to over Ks -130 million. I would like to thank donors. The government has increased budgets for education sector. It would contribute a lot to the government’s education promotion activities. Efforts will be made to provide more assistance.
Outstanding students will emerge through united efforts between students, teachers and the school administrative boards. The commander reported that the guidance of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services was implemented for ensuring education promotion and good learning of students including offspring of families of war veterans at the Basic Education High School, starting from May 2018. In doing so, the concrete roads on the campus school were repaved to have eight feet in length and 2,054 feet in length. Three pipe culverts under the roads were reconstructed. School buildings were painted in designated colours. A total of 30 computers were donated together with desks and chairs as part of education aid for students.
Myanmar Economic Corporation gave Mytel Internet service to the school free of charge, donated 400 sets of Viga plastic desks and chairs for the school building, installed one 100 KVA transformer, posts and cables for sufficient consumption of electricity at the school, donated 562 books on various subjects and two cupboards to the school library and carried out clean and pleasant tasks of the school in addition other tasks. The Senior General and wife donated 30 sets of computers and accessories, and fiction and nonfiction books to the headmistress.
Lt-Gen Myo Zaw Thein of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief (Army) presented sports gear and Adjutant-General Lt-Gen Hsan Oo, 400 Viga plastic desks and chairs for high school classrooms, Quartermaster-General Lt-Gen Nyo Saw, 300 yards each of green and white textile for school uniforms for teachers, Myanmar Economic Corporation and well-wishers Ks-35 million to the fund of the school, and Chairman of Executive Committee of Telecom International Myanmar Co Ltd (Mytel) U Khin Maung Soe presented the records on installation of Mytel Internet Facility to the teachers.
Cash donation for upgrading the school of the No 1 Saikpyo Mwemyuyay Ward and donation for teaching aid of education promotion amounted to Ks-137,828,392 and Ks-35 million for the school fund, totalling Ks-172,828,392. The headmistress spoke words of thanks and presented a commemorative gift and a certificate of honour to the Senior General.
Next, the Senior General and party cordially greeted teachers, departmental officials, war veterans, students and parents who attended the ceremony.Later, the Senior General and party viewed round the school buildings, classrooms and the library.
