Episode #309: Unbroken Lessons
This interview was recorded before the recent suspension of USAID programs under the Trump administration, which has placed the future of the Diversity and Inclusivity Scholarship Program (DISP) in jeopardy. As a USAID-supported initiative that equips Burmese educators with skills for inclusive and culturally relevant teaching, the program that Maw Maw Tun and Chan Lwin describe in this episode now faces uncertainty about its continuation.
“To all the people who are working in the education sector in Myanmar, let's do what is possible, instead of focusing on creating the ideal situation,” says Maw Maw Tun. “It will be hard for us and we may feel discouraged if we are aiming for the ideal, right? So with the current situation, let's do together what we can, and let's move forward, hope for the best, and stay strong.”
Myanmar's educational landscape is fraught with socio-political complexities, contrasting and competing ethnic narratives and historical challenges. The country’s education system has always been centralized and controlled by state ideology, leading to an academic environment that discourages critical thinking and emphasizes rote learning. It has also created imbalances in educational opportunity, between urban and rural areas, as well as between Bamar and ethnic minority students, in the form of language barriers, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient resources. The 2011 political reforms brought opportunity for change, but many problems persisted, especially for marginalized communities.
Then in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to pivot to online learning, which further underscored the existing disparities in technology and infrastructure. And the 2021 military coup became a nearly unprecedented challenge to the country’s education system. Students in urban areas were able to find ways to adapt to the changing educational landscape, while those in rural regions and the growing number of students in internally displaced person (IDP) camps faced a worsening situation, with their already unreliable internet, lack of devices, and power outages. In addition, many educators joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), leading to teacher shortages and additional disruptions in formal education.
In the face of these obstacles, Chan Lwin and Maw Maw Tun sought ways to foster inclusive education and empower teachers across Myanmar. Chan, a program manager at the Asia Center at Arizona State University, and Maw, a graduate student at Northern Illinois University, have been leading the Diversity and Inclusivity Scholarship Program (DISP), a USAID-supported initiative that aims to equip Burmese educators with the skills needed for conducting effective online and blended learning classes, while incorporating their students’ ethnic, linguistic, and gender diversity.
For Chan, who oversees the program's strategic direction, the concept of agency is central to her thinking. Rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all solution, her goal for DISP is to empower educators to take ownership of their teaching and adapt it to their specific contexts. Her collaborative effort ensures that Burmese teachers are not only equipped with skills, but also with ongoing support as they put those skills into practice. Maw is the lead instructor, conducting weekly Zoom sessions to help participants adapt teaching methods to Myanmar's unique context.
Instead of enforcing a standardized approach, DISP emphasizes local knowledge, enabling teachers to integrate culturally relevant content into their classrooms, making learning more impactful and resonant for students. However, these online training sessions present logistical challenges, particularly for participants in IDP camps and others with limited internet connectivity. So it is a testament to their dedication that over 90 educators consistently attend, demonstrating their dedication to enhancing their skills. In the second phase of DISP, teachers collaborate to create culturally relevant resources, reinforcing the importance of community-specific education.
As the name implies, honoring diversity and inclusivity are foundational to the DISP program. Educators from various ethnic and linguistic backgrounds across Myanmar are actively encouraged to create a representative teaching approach that takes into consideration cultural differences. Teachers develop curricula that are directly relevant to their local communities, making education more meaningful and applicable for their students. Moreover, the program supports educators in creating resources in their native languages, further enhancing the accessibility and relevance of educational content. On the flip side of inclusivity, DISP training directly deals with bias in the classroom as well, as Myanmar's historical ethnic tensions, along with the state’s “Burmanization” policies targeting marginalized communities, have resulted in highly discriminatory educational practices. Chan here shares her own experience as a non-native, Burmese speaker, emphasizing how language differences can lead to isolation and exclusion. By equipping educators with the tools needed to recognize and address these biases, DISP aims to foster a learning environment where all students feel valued and respected.
Gender inclusivity is another vital focus of DISP. Having been shaped by the culture’s conservative values, Myanmar's education system has traditionally discriminated against LGBTQ+ individuals and limited their opportunities. By including participants from diverse gender identities, DISP is helping to challenge traditional norms in addition to creating a more inclusive educational space. Maw says, “I was hoping this would be a start to think how we can we start with ourselves to try to make better content, better lessons for our students, and together collaboratively with our peers to create a more comprehensive learning system, together with our community.”
In sum, the long-term goal of DISP is to facilitate a learning environment that reflects Myanmar's diversity while ensuring equitable opportunities for all students. It is a “bottom-up” vision. As Chan adds, “In the long run, it would be most beneficial if the people we’re trying to help have their own agency to shape their own future.” This would involve further decentralizing educational governance, empowering ethnic communities to have greater control over their curricula, and integrating local languages and community knowledge into the education system.
Maw concludes by expressing a belief in their self-reliance in looking ahead: “We have to start with ourselves, doing what is possible now. It's not about a perfect scenario but about making a real difference with what we have.”
If you enjoyed this episode, consider listening to past podcast shows that have explored similar themes:
· Saw Kapi was involved in the student movement during Myanmar's 1988 uprising, underscoring the intersection of personal identity and democratic aspirations. He emphasizes the pivotal role of education and student identity as catalysts for political consciousness, paralleling the broader struggles for unity and resistance against military oppression.
· Thura tells of his efforts in establishing Spring University Myanmar to address the educational vacuum created by the military coup and COVID-19. His work exemplifies the legacy of student-led activism, focusing on nurturing future generations through education as a tool for empowerment, reflecting resilience and innovation in the face of adversity
· Min and Hla Hla Win share their experience as educators and tech innovators who created Myanmar's first augmented reality-based educational apps. The coup crushed their hope of democratizing access for underserved communities in Myanmar, which highlights the challenges posed by authoritarian regimes, and emphasizes the resilience required to sustain educational innovation amid societal trauma and repression.
· Katie Craig describes how her linguistic work in Myanmar helps preserve minority languages to help maintain cultural identity and fostering inclusivity. Her work aims to push back state attempts towards homogenization, and emphasizes how diversity strengthens societal resilience.
· Terrance discusses the shortcomings of Myanmar's education system for ethnic minorities, and explains how Burmanized propaganda pervades the historical narratives in classrooms. His advocacy for critical thinking and authentic representation of ethnic struggles resonates with the overarching goal of fostering awareness and reform.
· Kyar Phyu emphasizes her innovative approach to training Myanmar’s civil servants by cultivating dialogue and shared learning, a stark contrast to the country's traditional, rote-learning practices. Her work reflects a commitment to systemic reform and underscores the importance of collaboration in challenging entrenched authoritarian systems