Basic Education in Myanmar

This chapter provides an overview of Myanmar’s basic education sector, which was undergoing extensive reform before a military coup in February 2021. The chapter explores the intentions of the reform process, the successes achieved, and the challenges experienced. It starts with a brief overview of the sector and maps significant contextual characteristics. The chapter then reports on access, student assessment, curriculum, quality, inclusion and equity, digital technologies and innovations, teacher training and professional development, and leadership and governance. It identifies issues concerning the recognition of learning within the sector, especially regarding who is recognized and who is not, and the points where education interfaces with politics. It also comments on the complexity of implementing reform, how best to sequence change, and what obstacles prevent reform uptake, notably at the school level. It queries why some children continue to be excluded from the education system despite external pressure to meet UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how the pandemic has exacerbated disparities. The final section of the chapter reflects on trends and key challenges for the sector.