Myanmar’s Education System: Historical Roots, the Current Context, and New Opportunities

This chapter provides an overview of the historical development of educational provision in Myanmar. Starting with pre-colonial forms of schooling, which occurred almost entirely outside the confines of the state, the chapter traces the evolution through colonisation and the country’s independence to the non-state and state-provided education systems that exist today. In charting this evolution, the chapter highlights how, while the general intent has been for the state to centralise control and have a monopoly over education provision for the purposes of nation-building, strong dissent, particularly from minority groups, and a lack of sufficient access and quality has led to a continuation of a fragmented and de-facto decentralised system. In light of the current sector-wide reforms within education, there are particular challenges and grievances—around redistribution, recognition, representation and reconciliation—that this context creates for the reforms’ broader ambitions.