Permission To Teach S’gaw Karen Literature in Mawbi State Schools Proves Challenging

Retired middle school headmaster Saw Maung Tote, an organizer and a committee member of the Karen Literature and Culture Committee in Rangoon, said the Ministry of Education Department has not given permission to teach S’gaw Karen Literature in Mawbi state schools.

“The Karen Literature and Culture committee in Mawbi have gathered the number of students who want to learn Karen literature. The schools also have teachers who are able to teach Karen literature. They spoke with the education official, but he said they can only start teaching Karen literature once they receive official permission from the Education Department.”

Saw Maung Tote said that they have tried to approach the Karen Ethnic Affair Minister to get permission, but the minister was unable meet them.

Saw Maung Tote said that as soon as permission is granted they can plan to start teaching Karen literature in this school year.

Saw Augustine Khu, a S’gaw Karen presenter on Myanmar Radio and ethnic group television who lives in Tat Gyi Kone village, Mawbi Township said, although Karen people want to learn S’gaw Karen Literature in Mawbi state schools, the literature and culture committees of the division and state are not working together on the issue.

Naw Nelly, one of the student’s parents from Sar Phyu Su village, told Karen News that the Karen community wants to be able to teach its literature to its children as soon as possible.

“The government said they will allow for ethnic literature to be taught in schools so it’s up to us to make the most of it. We, the majority of Karen in Mawbi Township, are waiting permission.”

Records from the Karen Literature and Culture committee in Mawbi Township, show that they have collected the names of students of 1,044 from 19 schools who would like to learn S’gaw Karen literature. They have also identified 40 teachers who are willing to teach the students S’gaw Karen literature.

Mawbi Township Karen are eager to get permission to teach ethnic literature as most elementary schools in Bago Division are officially teaching S’gaw Karen Literature, schools in Irrawaddy Division are officially teaching West Poe Karen Literature, and some schools in Karen State are officially teaching East Poe Karen Literature.