Mon leaders, including a senior monk, have emphasized the importance of the Mon summer schools programme for the Mon community despite the struggles faced to keep the schools running.
According to Nai Sunthorn Sripangern, chairman of the Mon Unity League, “ Mon summer schools are very important for us in order to maintain our literature and culture. All Mon people have a responsibility to maintain our culture and if we do not learn our literature it will be lost.”
The summer schools are organized by the Mon National Literature and Cultural Committee (MNLCC) and give young Mon the opportunity to be educated in their own literature; an opportunity denied to them by mainstream Burmese government schools. According to MNLCC statistics, in 2006 the summer school programme enrolled a total of 63,320 students and had 1,900 volunteer teachers.
One of these volunteers, a senior monk from Ye Township explained, “Mon literature is not taught in the government schools which our young people must attend so they don’t have the chance to learn it. Therefore the Mon summer schools are very important. Without them this knowledge would be difficult to obtain.”
The Mon summer school programme was founded by Mon monks in 1941 and has been run by the MMLCC ever since. The Mon community meets most of the cost of the schools themselves with some additional funding being provided by NGOs inside Burma. In the past NGOs have contributed 0.8 Kyat per township but the MMLCC has not yet received any NGO funding for this year.
Despite this setback the MMLCC is continuing to open summer schools in many areas. According to Nai Hong Done, vice chairman of the MMLCC membership of Mudon Township, the schools operate in all ten of the townships in Mon State. They also operate in Mon villages in Pegu District and Karen State.
He added, “ However, this year the townships of Mon State are struggling to open summer schools because of lack of money, despite the support of the local community.”
The schools start between March and May with some opening after students have finished government school Grade 10 exams and others opening later after the Water Festival holiday. For example, Mudon Township summer schools began after the exams this year with 8706 students enrolled and have already held their closing ceremonies whilst those in other areas have yet to open.
“I’ve been going to the summer schools since Grade 8. I’m happy to learn about our literature because I didn’t get the chance at government school. Now I can understand it and our culture,” said a university student who attended the one of the Mudon schools.
It is not only the students themselves who are eager for the opportunities offered by the summer school programme. Parents are also keen for their children to attend.
The mother of summer school students from Thanphyuzayat commented, “ I encourage my children to join the summer school once the government school term ends. I don’t want them to waste their time during the summer holiday. If they join a Mon school summer they can learn about our culture and will gain knowledge.”
