On October 2nd, Burmese Prime Minister General Thein Sein visited administrative departments and a school in Mon State. PM General Thein Sein, along with Major General Tha Aye from the Ministry of Defense, attended the inauguration ceremony for the opening of a new high school building in Taw-guu village, Mudon Township.

Two headmen from every village in Mudon and Thanpyuzayart Townships were required to attend the opening ceremony. Officials from administrative departments in the townships were also required to be present. The PM arrived in Mon State on October 1st. He first went to Ye Township, and then to Set Se beach and then he inspected an administrative department in Thanpyuzayart.

After the ceremony in Mudon on the 2nd, he traveled to Karen State. He is scheduled to return to Mon State on October 4th to attend a ceremony honoring Mon State high schools that saw 50% or more of their students pass the 10th standard in 2007-2008.

The principle of a high school in Mon State told IMNA that a few especially exceptional high schools would also receive awards at the ceremony. Schools with fifty or more students passing 10th standard will receive five hundred thousand kyat, and schools passing one hundred students will receive one million. Last year, high schools in Mon State had a lower passing rate than nearby Tenessarim Division, which was ranked first in the country.

Mon State had been ranked number one the previous two academic years. According to government statistics, Tenasserim Division had a 48% passing rate while Mon State passed only 44.25%. Rangoon Division, home to the country’s largest urban area, passed 43%.