The Mon State Education Director U Myo Tint Aung said: “Mon State is full of educated people so we do not have many requirements [to employ more teachers as there is not much of a teacher shortage] in our state compared to other states and regions. In order to meet the ‘One plus Four’ requirement [A requirement that each elementary school has at least one headmaster and four other teachers.] we need 191 more people [teachers] in our state. We need to fulfill this.”

He explained that there is a need for teachers because the education system would be changing in the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year, as agreed by the previous administration and that they will change to the  ‘Kindergarten Games – KG Plus’ system in June.

He said: “When we go to this new [education system] in 2016-2017 the plan is to have one headmaster and six subordinates [teachers] at the elementary level. But it is difficult for schools to even have ‘One plus Four’ – one headmaster and four subordinates. [Teachers] are still needed.”

He said that applicants for the daily-wage elementary teaching jobs have been receiving township-level kindergarten training since 26 April and they will have to sit a one-hour exam in mathematics, English, and general knowledge on 30 April.

He explained that the successful applicants for the daily-wage elementary teachers’ jobs will then be employed as elementary teachers, but they will have to take an elementary teaching correspondence course while they are working and will only be officially appointed as daily-wage elementary school teachers after they have passed the course.

According to the job vacancy advertisements applicants must have a PhD, a masters degree or a bachelors degree.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI