Social Service and Development Department’s Director Sayarma Naw Lee Myar said the government needs to enforce the education law that bans tuition.

“Now, preschool children are being taught lessons and asked to write. Kindergarten students have to attend tuition. The students from the 9th and 10th standards have no time to rest. Sometimes, they couldn’t even rest when the schools are closed. They have to attend tuition. Although they a chance to attend schools and learn, they are living with stress. Many children don’t get to play during playtime because they are being pressured with school work,” she said.

Daw Shar Buu, a teacher from Demoso High School, said the tuition system is inconvenient for parents and causes poor morale for the students who cannot afford the after hours classes.

She told BNI Election Newsroom that Myanmar is still an undeveloped country and parents cannot afford tuition fees so they can only afford one-fourth of the fees.

“It would be better if the qualification of the teachers are tested and the system could be reformed. I want capacity building courses to be given for teachers,” she said.

She wants the government to raise teachers salaries.

“I don’t teach tuition, but I called for overtime as I wanted the children to learn” she said.

While half of the teachers teach tuition and the rest of the teachers do not teach tuition in Demoso, nearly all the teachers in Loikaw do tution, BNI has learned.

According to her, teachers believe there will be a drop in students that attend tuition and parents believe their children will not learn well if an anti-tuition law is enacted.

She believes the students will learn well if they are taught well in school.

“Only when the tuition system disappears will the children be on the same level. Some teachers only teach at their tuition classes and don’t teach well in school. Some teachers teach equally,” said Daw Shar Buu.

Kayah Unity Democracy Party (KUDP)s chairman U Saw Daniel said students who are accustomed to the tuition system may face some difficulties at first if the tuition classes are shut down, but he expects Myanmar would be able to implement a good education system.

“The teachers should have changed since a long time ago. It’s not because they don’t get enough salary. Due to the education system, some people think children will only learn if they attend tuition. Actually, if the education system can be changed, the children will be able to keep up with a better international education system. The important thing is that everything will get better if the education policy is changed,” he said.

He views the current education policy as parrot education policy or learning by heart policy.

“If an international standard education system can be implemented, our children would not lose face among the international countries. Even university graduates from here don’t know anything. We should have changed this system a long time ago,” he said.