Drawing on over 15 years of field research carried out across Myanmar, the book offers a cohesive inquiry into government and non-government education sectors, the reform process, and how the transition has played out across schools, universities and wider society. It casts scrutiny on changes in basic education, the alternative monastic education, higher education and teacher education, and engages with issues of ethnic education and the debate on the role of language and the local curriculum as part of the peace process. In so doing, it gives voice to those most affected by the changing landscape of Myanmar’s education and wider reform process: the students and parents of all ethnic backgrounds, teachers, teacher trainees and university staff that are rarely heard.
Marie Lall is Professor of Education and South Asian Studies at the UCL Institute of Education, and former UCL Pro Vice Provost for South Asia (including Myanmar). Her research focuses on the politics of South Asia including education in India, Pakistan and Myanmar with regard to gender, ethnicity, conflict, social exclusion, the formation of national identity, and the linkage between national identity, citizenship and education. She has over 25 years of field experience and has been instrumental in providing thought leadership to development agencies, policy makers and governments in the region and internationally. This is her 10th book.