“Ethnic Languages and Education Declaration" Released by MINE

“Ethnic Languages and Education Declaration" Released by MINE (Myanmar/Burma Indigenous Network for Education)

MINE members, Naw Zet (left) is explaining the importance of MTB-MLE and Law Eh Moo (seated right)

The Myanmar/Burma Indigenous Network for Education (MINE) today released its Ethnic Languages and Education Declaration. The Declaration is the product of cooperation between ethnic education leaders from 22 different organizations representing 12 ethnic groups across Burma.

The Declaration promotes Indigenous language rights in schools and beyond. Although the promotion of Indigenous language rights is at the heart of MINE, the network also recognizes the importance of education in Burmese and English languages and is seeking a trilingual language policy for the Union. “Promoting ethnic languages and rights in Burma is essential for our groups to flourish and also for peace in Myanmar” said Naw Zet, Kachin National Committee for Education.

The Declaration released today explains situation for Indigenous children in education and about barriers to their access to their mother tongue language.

“We know from international research that mother tongue based education in the early years of school is essential for children’s’ learning. We need a Mother Tongue Based Multi Lingual Education approach to children’s learning in Burma for our children to thrive.” Said Saw Kapi, spokesperson for MINE. The call for an MTB-MLE approach to learning is at the heart of the Declaration.

The Declaration calls for the following to be included as the overall goals of Myanmar/Burma’s national education policy:

• The right to mother tongue education in the earliest years of schooling and continued throughout education
• The right to study the local languages (students mother tongue) and the Union language (Burmese) equally as well as the official language of ASEAN (English) so to promote equal rights for all Myanmar citizens.
• National language planning to promote preservation of ethnic languages and cultures and peace in Myanmar.

The Declaration also calls for:

• Comprehensive language planning to support preservation of Indigenous languages and improved learning of Burmese and English by Indigenous students.
• A mother tongue based, multilingual education (MTB-MLE) system in Myanmar, promoting the language of the Union and English along with the Indigenous group's mother tongues.
• The right for ethnic school children to be taught using an inclusive curriculum, which values their own culture. 
• The right for indigenous people to produce their own culturally appropriate curriculum and to produce texts in their own language for use in school
• Indigenous language studies and departments to be available at the University level.
• Research and resources to help develop mother languages so they can be used to teach a variety of subjects. 
• The right for Indigenous people to produce their own culturally appropriate curriculum and to produce texts in their own language for use in schools
• The inclusion of Indigenous language and culture rights in the Constitution.

Contact:

Saw Kapi (Salween Institute)

Karen, Burmese, English

+959250443130 (Burma), +66861887698 (Thailand)

sawkapi@gmail.com

Naw Zet (Kachin National Committee for Education)

Kachin, Burmese, English

+959250193687 (Burma), +66896741760 (Thailand)

azet86@gmail.com

Saw Law Eh Moo (Karen Education Department)

+66 (0) 872110776 (Thailand), +95931762842 (Burma)

kedktl@yahoo.com, laweh82@gmail.com

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