Projects we support

The Phaung Daw Oo Monastic Education School (PDO) in Mandalay is one of the two registered Monastic high schools in the country.  Since its inception some 12 years ago the school has had a policy of free education and free thought.  It has shown itself to be one of the most innovative and progressive schools in the country.  From its humble beginnings of around 400 students it has grown today to over 7,000 pupils and 130 teachers.  In order to pay the increasing bills, the school as developed capacity to generate its own income through a number of small enterprises that it has established including a welding workshop and a paper mill. 

The school has developed what the Abbot (and principal of the school) calls one school, two systems.  This has seen the selection of particularly promising students to enter a more modern teaching curriculum where child focussed learning, smaller classes and a focus on English as a medium of instruction is the norm.  This system caters for over 250 children from years 1 to 8.  It is managed by a group of 9 teachers that includes three foreign volunteer teachers. 

Despite the school’s success it struggles to provide for its own needs.  Further support for teachers, students and the further development of the school infrastructure is necessary to maintain the present teaching standard and reach.  In addition, the school is currently planning to offer support to other monastic education school wishing to develop their own school programs and innovative teaching methods.  This project seeks to support both aspects of the school development.

The underlying focus of this project is to assist in the building of a more vibrant and active civil society movement in Myanmar.  Phaung Daw Oo is a well established agency in Mandalay and contributes greatly to the surrounding community as well as society more broadly.  The school philosophy; that education is necessary to bring about fundamental long term change is worthy of support and is a genuinely local response to the current complex political dilemma.  Support through APEF will assist the school in developing its educational program.  There are two primary components; ensuring that children and their families have the necessary support for children to attend school and, secondly, supporting teachers to create interesting and challenging educational programs.  This will involve:

§         Provision of books, stationery and uniforms for families that cannot afford these basic expenses;

§         Nutritional program

§         Sponsorship of a class and teacher

§         Training of teachers and assistance to update the curriculum to ensure that teaching becomes more child-focussed.  Support will assist teachers to attend regional training, particularly courses offered through Chiang Mai University.  In addition, workshops on child centred education strategies will be held on a yearly basis facilitated by Australian teachers who will volunteer their time. These workshops will focus on skilling teachers in both the development of child focussed teaching materials and curriculum as well as on teaching and learning styles.

§         Support to the School Clinic that caters to over 100 outpatients each day;

§         Support to specific projects within the school such – check this link to see which projects the school is developing now.

Pay Pin Ethnic People Development Centre is a local initiative based in a poor area of Mandalay that aims to address some of the discrepancies in the education system.  The school was established in 2000 by a Buddhist Monk, U Tejavanta. The monastic education system functions according to the government curriculum and has traditionally appealed to disadvantaged families who struggle to pay the fees required at government schools or, in the case or rural areas, where no other schools exist.  Children do not need to become novices in order to attend monastic schools.  Pay Pin Kyaung is registered up to the middle level, i.e. up to the 9^th grade.  There are presently around 600 children attending the school and eight teachers.  In addition to poor children from the Mandalay area, the school also caters to the needs of ethnic minority children from Shan State and the Wa region where opportunities for education beyond primary school are extremely limited.  For these children (approximately 100) the school provides boarding facilities and basic health care and nutrition.  Dramatic growth over the past few years has placed increasing pressure on the school’s limited financial resources as they rely solely on donations from local communities and a very small number of international donors.  

This project will seek to raise funds for Pay Pin Kyaung to enable them to continue their education program and to develop income generation activities of their own to ensure longer term sustainability. To assist Pay Pin Kyaung Monastic Education Centre provide continuous education program to the poor area of Mandalay and to develop income generation activities of their own to ensure longer term sustainability. 

Funding will be identified to provide ongoing support for the running and expansion of the school.  This will include support for teachers, students and the hostel (outlined in the following section).  Funds will be transferred through APEF and GDG.  APEF will monitor funds and activities.

The school has constructed a hostel for students from rural areas and other states and divisions.  The hostel will continue to provide for the day to day necessities of students enrolled at the school.  Funding will assist in the purchase of food and medical supplies and to pay for electricity, gas and water.