Mon 25 Feb 2013
Filed under: Education,Inside Burma,News
The Minister for Education has pledged to reallocate more than K30 billion (about US$35 million) from the budget on the basic education sector following a proposal submitted by a Pyithu Hluttaw representative last week. U Tin Htut, the representative for Zalon, submitted a proposal to increase the budget allocated to the basic education on February 20.
He said rural residents are obliged to help themselves in educating their children by building schools and employing teachers with their own money.
He said the government must increase spending on basic education to pay for the renovation of dilapidated schools, hire sufficient numbers of teachers and should also increase the budget for the higher education sector.
Dr Mya Aye, the Minister for Education, said some expenses included in the budget could re-allocated, especially some on “luxury items”.
“There’s about K31.27 billion planned for buying new furniture and luxury items such as 41-inch televisions,” he said. “I pledge to re-allocate this surplus from the higher education sector to the basic education sector to renovate old schools and build new schools, instead of spending it on unnecessary luxury items,” said the minster.
Dr Mya Aye added that the ministry faced some difficulties as a result of non-affiliated schools in some areas. However, he said the ministry could bring 1200 of the estimated 1500 non-affiliated schools into the legal fold as either primary or middle education facilities.
“And those who have passed matriculation exams will be appointed as daily-wage teachers; we will train them during school holidays. We also plan to employ graduates as teachers directly because I know we have a shortage of teachers,” he said. He added that the ministry also plans to reduce the ratio of students per teacher to improve the quality of education.
Thura U Shwe Mann, speaker of Pyithu Hluttaw, also urged respective parliamentary affairs committees to evaluate proposed national plans quickly for the 2013-14 financial year.
“This proposal was defined as an important issue because this session was intended to discuss national planning and we have a length of time to evaluate plans that are drawn by union ministries. So we need to assess budgetary spending to determine what’s necessary and what’s surplus.”
Translated by Zar Zar Soe