Myanmar Joins Global Partnership for Education to Mitigate COVID-19 Impact on Education

Strategic Insights -

Myanmar's Minister for Education, Dr Myo Thein Gyi, participated in a virtual meeting of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) on May 7, where they discussed ways to enhance access to education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As a member of the GPE since 2018, Myanmar aims to leverage the partnership's resources to address the challenges in the education sector.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Union Minister of Education, Dr Myo Thein Gyi, led discussions on a $73 million grant jointly provided by the GPE and the World Bank to support education reform programs in Myanmar.
  • Teachers training courses during the summer vacation were also a key topic of discussion to help educators adapt to new curriculum and teaching methods.
  • The establishment of the Myanmar Digital Education Platform (MDEP) was proposed to benefit teachers from government schools, monastic education, and nationally certified schools, particularly in far-flung areas.
  • DBE Boxes for remote areas, trial tests of education channels, and technical assistance for the project were also discussed.
  • The short-term objective of the MDEP project is to conduct teacher training courses, trainings on new curriculum teaching-learning methods, and create an online library for teachers and parents.
  • The long-term goal of the project is to support e-learning for both online and offline learning beyond traditional face-to-face learning.
  • The minister shared the implementation of education guidelines by the State Counsellor to promote gender equality in the education sector.
  • Discussions among GPE member countries included general equality, harm reduction for women, and strategies to overcome the detriment to education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics:

  • $73 million: The joint grant provided by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the World Bank to support education reform programs in Myanmar.
  • 2008: The year Myanmar became a member of the Global Partnership for Education.
  • 2020: The year the Myanmar Digital Education Platform (MDEP) was proposed.

Sources:

  • "Minister for Education joins online meeting of ministers on the Global Partnership for Education." (7 May 2020), distributed by Contify.com.
  • No additional sources cited in the original text.