Opening ceremonies were held on 15th January at the Nyisar Mon National School for two new high school buildings that can accommodate up to 275 students.
Each new one-storey, concrete school building is 96 feet long, 32 feet wide, and 11 feet tall. The buildings cost more than 218,400,000 kyat, in a project sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Ministry of Development of Border Areas and National Races (MDBANR).
Located in Nyisar Camp, the Nyisar High School is supervised by the New Mon State Party’s (NMSP) Mon National Education Department (MNED).
“At this school, the students excel in Mon and English languages. I am very grateful to the organizations that built the [new] school buildings for the students to study. The old buildings were not good, these [new buildings] are clean and tidy,” said a student’s parent who attended the ceremony.
About 500 people attended the opening ceremony, including NMSP chairman Nai Htaw Mon, representatives of MDBANR, invited guests, as well as students and parents. The ceremony was followed that night by student entertainment, including performances of Mon traditional dance.
“At this school, Mon students from Mon State and Pegu Division also come to study. In addition to the Mon language, the school uses the same education system used [throughout Burma],” said Mi Jarai Non, a Middle-school level teacher at the Nyisar School.
Mon language and culture are taught in the Mon language, but other subjects are taught in Burmese.
Following the 1995 ceasefire agreement reached between the NMSP and the former government of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, high school students from Mon National Schools have been granted permission to take matriculation exams for college admissions.
According to Mon National Education Committee (MNEC) member Mi Lawe Han, 556 students from Mon National Schools have passed the matriculation exams so far.
Mi Lawe Han continued that about 550,000,000 kyat is spent each year for Mon National Schools, and 400,000,000 kyat for teachers’ salaries.
Mon teachers’ salaries are very low, with each teacher paid only 20,000 kyat per month, on average. However, starting in 2015, salaries will be raised to 50,000 kyat, with World Education providing an additional 12,000 kyat per teacher.
Under the MNED there are 142 Mon National Schools and 107 schools which are integrated with government schools. The MNED also runs a post-ten school, three high schools, and twelve middle schools.
The Nyisar Mon National Education High School is located in eastern Ye Chaung Phyayar, near NMSP headquarters, Mon State.
