Han, May Kyi; (2024) The role of donor agencies in basic education policy reform in Myanmar from 2012-2017. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The central purpose of this study is to analyse donor education strategies for international development and their roles in Basic Education (grades 1-12, covering primary, middle and secondary schools) policy reform in post-military Myanmar during the period 2012-2017, with a particular focus on how educational policy reform was influenced by donor organisations. The thesis tries to understand education reform in relation to the complex process of democratisation. Education reform in Myanmar took place under two civilian governments, Thein Sein’s administration, and the National League for Democracy (NLD) government. Yet, this study suggests that the military influence in Myanmar never went away and could be felt throughout the democratisation period which adversely affected the reform process. Political forces on the ground further compromised the purposes of aid. The military takeover in February 2021 makes it essential to critically evaluate this period of reform to help better understand its achievements and drawbacks. To explore the role of donor agencies in education policy, qualitative methodological approaches were utilised. This included interviews with policy makers, donor organisations, administrators, teachers, and civil society groups as well as documentary analysis. The study argues that education policy was hampered by a weak state bureaucracy, within an ethnically divided and democratically in experienced public sphere, working with a diverse and conflicting range of international aid agencies, which blended various strands of neoliberal international discourse with their own agendas. Overall, while there were some achievements, these obstacles hindered the development of effective education policy. My review of the field reveals that human capital theory and neoliberalism were dominant influences in framing educational problems and possible solutions. They appeared to offer a short cut for Myanmar to catch up with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eventually integrate into the global economy. Donor organisations and their representatives gathered to put Myanmar education back on the global agenda. However, it is argued that Myanmar found it difficult to respond to a world pervaded by neoliberal assumptions and language. For instance, the traditional practice of education, based upon hierarchy, religion and rote learning was not considered valid, but the new knowledge and methods had not yet been established. Neoliberalism was often associated with market democracy, that Myanmar supported in theory, but in reality, it was based upon a continuing authoritarian political structure. Since Myanmar is a weak state dependent on international funding and capacity building, the MoE used and attempted to adapt to the new rhetoric and language widespread among global players. What resulted in Myanmar was a specific authoritarian variant of neoliberalism which created a number of contradictions for the development of education policy. Moreover, Myanmar’s political history was based upon marginalising ethnic minority groups and their languages which further thwarted reform. The case of Myanmar reveals of donors’ difficulty in connecting education to democratic promotion. The thesis argues that the government of Myanmar failed to establish a proper dialogue with civil society groups that sought to influence representations in the development of education policy. The Thein Sein government did not welcome civil society groups critiquing reform activities or their peaceful demonstrations. The Ministry of Education, reflecting wider societal divisions, tended to avoid such ‘difficult’ areas. Donors did not challenge the status quo, were unable to develop inclusive approaches and so became complicit in the marginalisation of ethnic minority groups. The thesis contributes to the literature on educational development in Southeast Asia by providing a nuanced account of the complex and difficult process of education reform in Myanmar. The adoption of an international view of good practice carried some benefits for Myanmar, however, the lack of attention to coordinating the existing skills and practices in the country has led to the construction of the Myanmar education system as incapable.

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