COUNTRY REPORT: MYANMAR

Prepared by:

Daw Aye Nwe San
Principal
Government Technological College
Monywa,Myanmar

INTRODUCTION

Globalisation, the rapid advancement of information technologies and enhanced mobility of labour forces have a great impact on Technical and Vocational Education (TVE)System. This impact has created a situation in which the developing countries have to try to cope with the challenges to  TVE .

As a result of globalisation, competitiveness has become the crucial criterion of a country's success. It is more important than ever for a country to have well qualified and highly skilled workforce, especially when it is trying to become an industrialized country.

In the last decade, the enhanced mobility of labour was seen within the region. There was a flow of skilled and unskilled labour among the neighboring countries. More exchanges of skilled personnel, including technicians, are expected within the  ASEAN region in the near future.

This situation calls for the sharing of labour market information among the countries in the region. Mutual recognition of technical certifications and competency certificate become essential. Development of uniform training and certification standards is also important; only then will the technical and competency certificates be recognized internationally.

Hence, accreditation criteria or systems are to be developed to assure that the technical programmes and Institutions meet the prescribed standards. Moreover, assessment and accreditation of work experience and certification standards are to be developed.

Some of the advantages that can be obtained are as follow:

1. To maintain the quality of the training institutions.
   
   
2. To facilitate the selection of technicians and skilled workers by the employers.
   
   
3. To facilitate the determination or fixation of employees salaries / wages in commensuration with the level of skill attainments.
   
   
4. To facilitate the  recognition of skill standards attained,  for the purpose of licensing, promotion etc.
   
   

Department of Technical and Vocational Education(DTVE) is responsible for the production of technicians, skilled and semi-skilled tradesmen. This is implemented through Technological Colleges, Technical Institutes, Vocational Schools. DTVE also operates a number of vocational training schools at the artisan and craftsman level with a view to admit students who have dropped out at various levels of formal education system.

The Myanmar Naing Ngan Education Committee (MEC) is the highest education policy-making body. Under MEC, the Technical and Vocational Education Council (TVEC) is the highest supervisory body for DTVE. This council is responsible for the management of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) activities. Technical and Education Committee(TEC), Technical Education Curriculum Committee (TECC) and Technical Education Examination Committee (TEEC) have the responsibility to design, develop, implement and monitor progress in the two distinct types of education (ie. Technical and Vocational).

The TEEC is the central body for the examination and certification under DTVE. The roles performed by the TEEC are as follows:

1.  Formulation purpose and policies of students' evaluation.
   
   
2. Organizing development of tests, scoring, moderation, announcement of the  results and certification.
   
   
3. Supervision in the technique and procedures of student evaluation and assessment.
   
   

Technological Colleges and Institutes under DTVE conduct informal tests, mid-term tests and final examinations in each semester. Informal and mid-term tests are conducted by the Technological College and Technical Institutes on their own. But, the final and promotion examinations are held under the direct control  of TEEC. The results are announced by TEEC for promotion and certification purposes. The same standard and system of certification is used for all the institutions under DTVE. This is the Accreditation type of the DTVE.

 

CURRENT STATUS

 

TECC conduct the curriculum to meet the quality laid down by the DTVE. Due to rapid expansion of DTVE and the increase in the number of Colleges, Institutes and High Schools are established in order to produce well qualified and competent teaching staff. Teachers are sent abroad for post graduate, special trade and teachership training. For new College, Institutes and High Schools, planning for estates and building are carried out by the authorities in the Ministry Of Science Technology (MOST). Resources Centres, E-libraries and Multimedia Class Rooms are well equipped at the College and Institutes. Machineries Equipment and tools are provided by the MOST either through government's funds, or through aids and grants provided by friendly countries and international organizations. Then, teachers train the students theoretically and practically in accordance with the prescribed curricula and conduct informal test, Mid-term test and final examinations in each semester. The results are announced by TEEC for promotion and certification purposes. The skilled level of diploma and degree holders are assessed by government departments, and are recognized within the country.

In Myanmar, under the technical education system three levels of certifications are awarded, namely degree, diploma and skill certificates. This technical workforce is divided into categories, labour, foremen, technician, engineering technicians and engineers. ( Appendix I )

The Technological Colleges, Technical Institutes and Vocational Schools are operated by DTVE under the MOST. Since MOST is the main provider of human resource development in the country, the certificates awarded by DTVE are recognized nationally. For this reason, there is not a national body for accreditation and certification to establish levels of skill.

Even though there is no national accreditation body for technical and skill certificates, the certificates and skill levels assessed by governmental departments are recognized within the country. Electric Power Enterprise, under the Ministry of Electric Power, conducts tests and issues (awards) certificates to the successful candidates who are qualified to work as electrician and line men.

Similarly, Yangon City Development Committee issues Building Surveyor Licenses and Structural Engineer Licenses to Civil Engineering Degree holders and Diploma holders. Licenses are issued by conducting tests or by assessment and accreditation work experiences. Department of Public Works under the Ministry of Construction, also conducts the skill training courses and issues certification of competency.

 

ISSUES

 

The performances of the DTVE may be enumerated as follows:

1. To implement policies and guide lines laid down by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
   
   
2. To plan for the expansion of Technical and Vocational Schools / Institutes.
   
   
3. To plan for the attainment of highly qualified and proficient teaching staff.
   
   
4. To be responsible for matters relating to budget allotment, purchase of tools, equipment and other teaching aids.
   
   

As mentioned above, there is no national accreditation body in Myanmar. In 1997, there was an Asian Development Bank Project for " Cooperation in Employment Promotion and Training in the Greater Mekong Sub-region". One of the aims of the projects was " to develop accreditation criteria / systems and through this, to identify centres of excellence". But that objective was not fulfilled nor materialized as yet.

When Myanmar Industrial Development Committee was formed with a view to striving for  gaining basic ground work for emergence of an industrialized nation, " development of accreditation system and certification standards" was also discussed. But it was deemed that development of accreditation would take time, and that plan was suspended then.

Accreditation involves maintaining the standards of the TVE programmes, materials and institutions. Thus, the issues and problems in the following areas are expected:

1. Staff development requirements
   
   
   
   • Developing skills in various rules
     
     
   • Acting the role of a resource person
     
     
   • Planning and managing resources and learning events
     
     
2. Achieving validity and reliability in assessment
   
   
   
   • Developing appropriate measuring instruments
     
     
   • Assessing performance at the work place
     
     
3. Work-place assessment
   
   
   
   • Person to be involved in this assessment
     
     
   • Achievement of consistency (reliability) 
     
     
   • The training for supervisors
     
     
4. Setting up the standards
   
   
   
   • To decide the levels of standards
     
     
   • To set up the testing procedures standards
     
     
   • To develop the certification standards
     
     

FUTURE PLANS

 

Today dramatic changes in technology are taking place .Economic growth is brought about by rapid advances in science and technology. As a result, there is a corresponding transformation in the occupational patterns and job qualifications. Although Myanmar, being a developing country, is not yet faced with such emerging challenges, plans are under way to formulate policies, guidelines and strategies not only to meet the current manpower needs but also to address the human resource requirements of the future trends in industry and economy by:

• developing teaching quality and effectiveness of teachers
  
  
• introducing competency-based curricula and new courses
  
  
• introducing entrepreneurial training to promote self employment
  
  
• providing opportunities for retraining of workers 
  
  
• establishing more training institutions
  
  
• promoting high technology training, research and development.
  
  

Since Myanmar become a member of ASEAN, the cooperation between Myanmar and other member countries has been enhanced in every aspect. In the  near future, the engineers, technicians and skilled personnel are free to work in the member countries. This situation calls for the uniform standards of technical training programmes and mutual recognition of technical certificates among the member countries.

For this reason, Myanmar is bound to establish an accreditation system, and standards of accreditation and certification to be set up. The procedure will include the evaluation of institutions and identification of skill areas for which common standards should be developed. It is also necessary for developing training standards (Formal, content, training methods), facilities, teaching staff qualifications, evaluation methods, and standards and procedures for testing / assessment and certification. However, we believe that the accreditation of technical programmes will ensure the quality of the technical and vocational education of our country. The accreditation system is being developed as part of the on-going skilled development project.