Nem Davies
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
September 8, 2007 - In an ironical move, the Burmese military junta, infamous for its stranglehold on the media's jugular, plans to start a three-year degree course in Journalism.

The three- year degree course will be jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Publicity. While the Education Ministry will be responsible for chalking out a syllabus and conferring the degree, the Ministry of Publicity will impart training in Journalism.

U Chit Naing, Director of the Public Relations Department in Naypyitaw told Mizzima, "The Ministry of Education will confer degrees to the students, while the Ministry of Publicity will train the students and help them in gaining exposure to the Press."

According to a Rangoon based ' Yangon Times' journal, the course will include both print and broadcast (Radio and Television) Journalism, and interviewing skills. To be eligible candidates should have passed high school in any stream. The course, according to the journal, will impart basic and advanced training in journalism and will be conducted at the Rangoon Management College.

However, the government has not announced the syllabus and the names of the trainers.

"We have heard that the course will get off the ground from the next academic year, and as it is the first journalism course it should be interesting. But we don't know the details as to who will be imparting the training and what type of syllabus will be framed," U Hein Latt, an editor of the Rangoon based "Popular Journal" told Mizzima.

Secretary of the Burma Media Association (BMA), U San Moe Wai, while welcoming the new degree course in Journalism said, "Burma needed such a course a long time ago. If the training is to be imparted by experienced journalists without any restriction, it will be beneficial for aspiring young journalists in Burma."

"But if the government imposes restrictions and manipulates the syllabus then it will not benefit the students," he added.