The community colleges movement is set for rapid expansion in Myanmar following a successful workshop for teachers organised by the Myanmar Network of Community Colleges (MNCC). Community colleges respond to a great current need in Myanmar: they aim to give school dropouts a second chance, offering them the skills and confidence that will help them find work and prepare for the challenges of life.
Fr MS Joseph Antony Jacob SJ, Dean of the School of Human Excellence, Loyola College, Chennai, led the workshop held at the Myanmar Leadership Institute (MLI) in Yangon in the last week of June. Fr Jacob has extensive experience with the community college movement in India. Many of the participants were preparing to open new community colleges in various parts of Myanmar. They learned in detail about this alternative system of education and were introduced to the vision, mission, and core values of the community colleges, curriculum approaches, and the pedagogy for “life skills”. Participants were also instructed about protocols for the protection of minors and vulnerable adults by MLI Director Fr Irsan Rimawal SJ.
The 33 participants were from the new St Aloysius Gonzaga (SAG) Community College in Taunggyi; from three colleges being planned by Pyinya Sanyei Institute of Education (PSIE); St Paul Community College in Pyay; Dayamit Community College in Dalarun by PIME Fathers; St Francis Xavier Community College in Aung Nan Myitkyina run by St Francis Xavier Sisters; and Loyola Yangon Community College in Thingangyun run by the Jesuits.
Three Servite brothers attended the workshop to learn the principles of community colleges for their learning centre in Thongwa and to prepare ultimately for a college in Myaung Mya, Ayeyarwady Region. Five Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition were enthusiastic about starting a college, possibly in Kalay. Three Missionary Sisters of St Paul, and several Dominicans –two sisters and one priest –wanted to explore how to increase their educational services to young people today.
The community college’s vision is to “reach the unreached”, to “include the excluded” and to “give the best to the least”. Participants shared their new confidence to teach life skills at their colleges and they are set on preparing more effective curricula for their schools.
During the six days of the training, Fr Mark Raper SJ and Nant Gloria Ri Ri of the MNCC core team spoke with each group to know what further help they needed to start the new community colleges and how, through the network, the different community colleges could support one another.
Among them, three new community colleges are opening immediately. One will open in Thilawa run by PSIE, and another, also by PSIE and run by Ms Assumpta, is in See Buu, Shan State. A third is at SAG in Taunggyi. The programme of the Servite fathers in Thongwa is ongoing. Also ongoing are the Pyay Diocese Community College, SFX community College in Myitkyina, CBCC in Lashio run by MSP Sisters, Dayamit in Dala by the Servites and two community colleges in Yangon by the Jesuits. Two community colleges in Myeik and Latthama Lay Myat Nar are still in the planning stage.
The participants showed great enthusiasm from beginning to the end of the workshop, which augers well for a strong, mutually supportive, and growing network to serve the young people of Myanmar. [Myanmar Jesuit Region]