By Kantarawaddy Times
A graduation ceremony for the first round of pre-general educational development test (GED) students was held at the Mae Hong Son-Karenni border on Tuesday.
Ma Maw Mi Mar, director of the Sel Thae Foundation (STF), said, “We are working with the Thai education department as our goal is for our students to enrol in Thai universities.” She also wants them to be able to take entrance exams for schools abroad and has plans to improve the programme for next year. The second session of the pre-GED course will start in 2023.
The Deeku Education Centre, which is under the STF, started the nine-month programme last July with 26 students in the border area who want to continue their studies in a foreign university. It was launched for students who are not able to continue their regular studies in a regular school but still want to pursue higher education.
Graduate Maw Shar Myar said she studied for a year at a university in Burma before joining the GED programme at the border. “After completing the course, educational opportunities have opened up for us…Our English skills have also improved.”
She took courses in literature, mathematics, social studies, science and American history, and also learned critical thinking, Karenni history, literature and culture and the Thai language.
Maung Hla Than Oo said, “We learned more about our educational opportunities, such as how to apply to universities and which subject to choose. We also learned how to apply for scholarships. These are things we did not know about in Burma.”
After collecting data on the students’ needs, STF plans to open more educational trainings for youth and others at the border who have lost out on opportunities to further their education because of the political crisis in Burma.
