MYA/Strengthening Teacher Education in Myanmar

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

Myanmar's education system is under-resourced and in urgent need of support to improving quality and inclusivity in education. Learning outcomes among all students as well as the quality of teaching are poor. UNESCO's Strengthening Pre-Service Teacher Education in Myanmar (STEM) -program's third phase aims to develop teacher education in Myanmar based on international norms and standards. There is a strong focus on human rights and gender equality objectives. The expected impacts are 1) An increased supply of qualified primary and middle school teachers able to provide inclusive quality education and take an active role in achieving an equitable education system; and 2) All students in Myanmar are better able to access and participate in quality education, improving their learning outcomes and developing the five strengths: intellectual, physical, moral and ethical, social, and economic. Under STEM Phase I, significant achievements were made to advocate for the prioritisation of teacher professional development, by the Government and Development Partners alike, resulting in a notable shift away from a singular focus on basic education and towards policies that supports the training and management of teachers. Further, the data from STEM I was used in the process of formulating the National Education Strategic Plan. STEM Phase II focused on continued capacity building for the realisation of sound teacher education reforms. This included development and implementation of a validation study on Teacher Competency Standards Framework, creation of syllabi, student teacher textbooks and teacher educator guides and training of teacher educators. The phase II mid term evaluation stated that STEM II is well in line with the national priorities and answers the needs of the Education Colleges. More attention should be paid to activities related to inclusion, and this recommendation has been incorporated in the design of STEM Phase III. Finland's contribution for the years 2020-2022 is 5 000 000 euros.