the issues of educational certification along the thailand/burma border
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The Issues of Educational Certification along the Thailand/Burma border. January 2008 “ I feel like I got an education so no problem, but I would like if my certificate was legal ” - Student in Umpium Refugee Camp, Thailand. The Population. 500,000 IDPs in Eastern Burma - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Issues of Educational Certification along the Thailand/Burma border
January 2008
“I feel like I got an education so no problem, but I would like if my certificate was legal”
- Student in Umpium Refugee Camp, Thailand
The Population
500,000 IDPs in Eastern Burma
Over 130,000 registered refugees in the 9 Karen/Karenni refugee camps along the Thailand/Burma border
In the camps 43,418 of the refugees are under the age of 12
200,000+ refugees outside of the camps in Thailand
2,000,000+ Burmese migrant workers in Thailand
The situation in Burma…
1948 Independence: Assassination and unstable democracy
Karen and other ethnic groups seek independence
1962 repressive military group takes control of Burmese government
This past summer and the protests
Continuous attacks on minority groups: burning of villages, forced labor, stealing of food, rape…
The situation in Thailand…
Thai government did not sign the 1951 refugee agreement but do have lenient refugee policies (Cambodia, Laos)
1984 the first large scale attacks. Thousands flee to Thailand. Some emergency aid NGOs allowed to assist.
1988 Burmese democracy refugees flee to Thailand – culture shock for many living in the jungles
1994 Education and sanitation NGOs allowed on border
The division of the KNU: 1995 fall of Manoplow
Increased security in camps 1997
UNHCR allowed to assist the Burmese refugees in 1999
Migrants and refugees going to school in Thailand…
What does the education system look like? KED, KNED, NHEC – CBO’s or Educational Departments of
governments in exile?
Migrant schools: BMWEC, Shan and Mon settlements and schools
Issues with Thai schools: language barriers, financial constraints, culture and legality
NGO support: financial, operational, curriculum, teacher training
Thai gov’t support and lack of support: Thai language, talks with NGOs and UN, restrictions on travel and id cards
The Positives: Migrant and Refugee Schools
There is a great community spirit
Community ownership of the curriculum
Education is free (or minimal costs)
More materials than in Burma
Problems around education…
Competition for school after Standard 10
Thai schools: finances, language and culture
Curriculum
Not having access to University
No freedom of movement: migrants and refugees
School itself: languages, noisy, crowded, teacher salaries
Ethnic biases
Resettlement
drugs/alcohol, fighting
Educational Certification:
The education up to this point was looking at repatriation back to Burma and there was no Thai dialogue. No official accreditation besides KED, KNED, BMWEC…
Thai government has only recently started talking about migrant and refugee education because of Education For All policies
Special Cases: EVA, Thai schools, GED, TOEFL, Internet education.
“My certificate means nothing if I don’t have Thai or Burmese ID” – EVA student, Mae La camp
Living in a global world…
Educational Certificates are used and valued by refugees/migrants within their communities – no use or value (except in certain special cases) outside of community.
“The degree you get is very important although not recognized internationally – it is in the community system – so as long as it is recognized in the community it is valuable. This is key, because the aim or purpose of educating people is to serve their community. To get a degree from abroad will help the individual but it won’t necessarily help the community” (24/04/07, Refugee and NGO worker).
The skills gained are valued for outside of the community: ex. English and computers.
NGOs use the certificates to put value on the work – they acknowledge the certificates in hiring practices
Thai government does not recognize certificates – but there are talks currently about providing Thai certificates
Research into how the certificates are valued once repatriated?
The future…
The possibility of Migrant and Refugee schools certified by the Thai Ministry of Education: 70/30 division of curriculum
The big question: What can the refugees/migrants do with their education with limited mobility?
Resettlement. Will there be any teachers left?