Schools in Karen State

1. Schools in Karen State • Karen schools have always been organized and supported at the community level under the guidance of the Karen Education Department • Poverty caused by war has made it impossible for communities to provide for teachers and students

2. Karen Teacher Working Group • KTWG was created in 1997 with the belief that given the opportunity, we Karen can develop and improve our own education system in spite of the Burmese military regime • KTWG provides pre-service and in-service teacher training as well as education assistance to all Karen State schools • We provide child-centered approaches that promote local language, culture and knowledge

3. KTWG’s Main Activities Are: • Mobile Teacher Training • Karen Teacher Training College • Karen Teacher Newsletter • Education Assistance

4. Mobile Teacher Training Project Our Mobile Teacher Trainers (MTT) are unique in Burma and Thailand. MTT visit teachers in their schools throughout Karen State providing training and assessment. MTT work to - • Increase the number of teaching methods used by Karen teachers in their classrooms • Motivate and support Karen teachers to continue to teach • Increase the availability of teacher education for isolated Karen State teachers • Ensure that the teacher education provided to Karen State teachers is useful, appropriate and relevant to teachers’ needs

5. Mobile Teacher Training Cycle KTWG Training Centre PLANNING Every three months MTT gather at the KTWG training centre for planning and evaluation. Following this, they return to their districts. SECURITY MTT face many dangers including Burma army attacks and natural disasters INTENSIVE 1 month workshops are held throughout Karen State during the summer vacation period. In March 2011, 783 teachers participated. PARTICIPATORY training methods are used to promote trainee participation and active learning. EVALUATION of the past training cycle is undertaken by all members and is used to plan the goals and activities of the next training cycle. COORDINATION and planning with education leaders is done prior to every mobile training cycle. COMMUNITY discussions are held with villagers to raise issues and gather information about community schools. IN-SERVICE training is provided individually or in small groups in 1-3 day workshops in community schools. ASSESSMENT of teachers needs helps us define the type of in-service training we provide. Mutraw District

6. Karen Teacher Training College • 2 year pre-service teacher education course for Karen State youth who agree to 4 years teaching in Karen State after graduation • Academic knowledge upgrade, child-centered pedagogical training, and KED subject methodology • Focus on community schooling and the incorporation of local knowledge and resources in schools – curriculum includes a 3 staged practicum in community schools

7. Karen Teacher Newsletter Our newsletter is produced 3 times per year in Karen and English. 5000 copies of each issue are distributed to refugee and Karen State teachers as well as other interested groups. The newsletter aims to - • Bridge the widening gap between Karen teachers in Karen State and those in refugee camps • Empower Karen teachers by providing them an opportunity to speak about their experiences • Improve access to teacher education for all Karen teachers • Establish an ongoing forum in which Karen teachers can discuss education and assess the status of their schools

8. FUNDING CUTS • Although promised 5 years of funding, in September 2007 (the end of the 2nd funding year) we were told our core project funding was to be cut in half effective immediately. This meant NO newsletter, NO Summer Vacation Teacher Training Workshops, as well as other severe program cuts. • While this issue was resolved in 2009, it has raised concerns over the security of our education programs throughout Karen State. • We have attempted to sustain these programs to the best of our ability while expanding our education assistance to Karen State schools.

9. Burma Thailand Karen State Teachers – 4,752 Students – 103,964 Schools - 1,130*** Sept 2011 Refugee camps Teachers – 1,578 Students – 34,496 Schools - 67 *** Sept 2011 Most international aid for education goes to refugee camps, but inside Karen State the need is much greater…

10. Education Assistance • KTWG has been the largest supporter of Karen State schools since 2002 • In 2005 KTWG, Partners and KED formed the Karen State Education Assistance Group (KSEAG) to pool and coordinate assistance • Starting in 2006 KSEAG provided teacher subsidies and student materials to ALL schools

11. Supporting ALL schools in Karen State in 2010-11 meant - Purchasing and transporting 132,978 kilos of school supplies across the border and getting them to Karen State schools by boat, by truck and carried on the backs of over 24,200community volunteers. Karen Education Support is the most comprehensive education support program in a conflict zone, not just in Burma…but the world. The scale of this operation is massive and complex, especially due to the conflict, but it works because of the tremendous local level community support and desire for education.

12. KSEAG • June-September: Collect schools stats • October-December: Teacher subsidy distribution • January-February: School and student material transportation • March-May: School and student material distribution • In participating in the design and implementation of this program, KED leaders at all levels are developing the capacity to manage the Karen State education system

13. School Statistics • District and township leaders thoroughly collect and verify student, teacher and school numbers • Stats are used as a basis for distribution and monitoring • Stats also determine which schools are receiving support from other donors

14. Teacher Subsidies • Our goal is to help teachers meet their basic living needs, allowing them to remain in their positions as teachers • In 2010-11, we were able to provide 3650 teachers with 3500 Baht each • In 2011-12, we will provide 4000 Baht per teacher

15. Student/School Materials • We attempt to provide student and school materials at 50% of the level provided in the refugee camps • In 2010-11, we are providing: 8 notebooks, 8 pens, 5 pencils and 2 erasers for 83,267 students, alongside teacher resources, books, sports equipment and basic health provisions • Materials are brought to secure sites throughout Karen State from which communities collect them from February through March for the next school year

16. Transportation • Transporting large amounts of funds and materials into Karen State poses many problems (military attacks, flash flooding, etc.) • KED leaders at the district and township levels are responsible for organizing transportation and distribution of materials

17. Emergency Support • Emergency support for destroyed materials, lost funds or other needs caused by Burma Army attacks or natural disasters is also provided

18. Monitoring and Evaluation • Teachers collect their subsidies in person at distribution sites (maximum one day walk from their community) where photo ID and signature verification are used to determine authenticity • KTWG members regularly check warehouses throughout distribution period (March-May) • MTT verify that materials have reached schools and are being used properly

19. Next Steps • Last year 15% of teachers left their positions – mostly because they cannot sustain themselves. However, this dropout rate has decreased steadily since KTWG began – from 37% in 2001). There is still a lot of work for us to do but we have seen that our multi-faceted approach is working. We will continue to improve our programs in response to the situation. • In 2011, we began to share our knowledge and experiences with 9 other ethnic groups through our Eastern Burma Community Schooling project.

20. Thank you Thank you for your interest For more information please visit our website at http://ktwg.org or write us at ktwghq@gmail.com Karen Teacher Working Group