Education in Burma/Myanmar

Education in Burma is struggling.  According to UNICEF 30% of children never attend school and nearly three quarters fail to complete primary education.  Less than 2% who enter, complete secondary education.  Schools are very poorly resourced and many need to charge fees for children to attend.  This is often beyond the reach of many parents who struggle to earn the average daily wage of little more than a dollar in many parts of the country.  Monastic Schools (secular schools run by monks and nuns) are the schools of choice for many poor families as they generally provide free education and are often the only schools in more isolated parts of the country.  There are nearly 2,000 Monastic Schools around the country.  Currently APEF is working in around 80 of them in the Ayerawaddy Delta, Mandalay and Yangon.  Soon our work will be expanding to three other States and Divisions (Shan State, Pegu and Sagaing Divisions).  Follow this link to discover more about this work.

A Founding Member of APEF is the Abott from Phaung Daw Oo Monastic School

In Mandalay, Phaung Daw Oo was established by three monks (two of them brothers), who believe that education should be free and available to all.  They have developed a vibrant and exciting learning environment.  Through ingenuity and hard work they have been able to keep pace with the rapid growth of the school and have developed some very innovative teaching methods.  From its inception some 15 years ago the school has grown from 400 to over 7,000 pupils.  There are now 130 teachers spanning kindergarten to high school.  Students come from Mandalay as well as ethnic areas, particularly Shan State.  Many students from outside Mandalay board at the school.  To learn more about Phaung Daw Oo, follow this link. http://www.dhammadana.org/pdo/about.htm