Statement regarding the Need for Creation of National Education Policies and Laws for Realization of Democratic Education System

Statement regarding the Need for Creation of National Education Policies and Laws for Realization of Democratic Education System

Action Committee for Democratic Education (ACDE) is comprised of All Burma Federation of Student Unions and University Student Unions. The Committee was established and its members were elected during the nationwide student emergency conference convened on 12-13 November 2014. The emergency conference, attended by more than 500 students, strongly condemned the National Education Law approved by the parliaments and government and unanimously agreed to boycott it. The boycott students demanded that the government initiate negotiations with them regarding the approved National Education Law within 60 days and called for a quadripartite dialogue involving ACDE, National Network for Education Reform (NNER), parliament and the government. We believe the following matters urgently need to be addressed for creation of national education policies and laws that endure democratic education system. Therefore, we hereby announce that we will work to address matters surrounding the following issues by means of negotiations with relevant stakeholders.

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 enrollment for students previously expelled from schools due to the student uprisings
10. allocation of 20 percent of national budget for education
11. regulating of free compulsory education up to middle school level rather than primary level

This post is in: Human Rights, Resistance