[Infographics] Meeting Education SDGs in Myanmar

19 May 2017

Public spending on education has risen by 49% in Myanmar since 2012. However, only half of school-age children complete their education. In the Philippines the percentage of children in primary education drops to 33%, according to the Aid and International Development Forum (AIDF) infographic on education and infrastructure resilience in Southeast Asia.

According to the OECD, basic levels of education in Myanmar are fairly high for the country’s income level, yet there is an urgent need to advance access to education amongst vulnerable populations and children in rural areas. Furthermore, quality of higher education and training programmes also require improvement in order to prepare the Burmese for jobs in the manufacturing and services industries. These, have been identified as most impactful in assisting with growing the country’s economy.

Nearly 141,000 children affected by internal conflict are in need of humanitarian interventions in education. Almost 70% of conflict-affected children are in the Rakhine state, where they remain dependent on in-camp education services (Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2017). The World Food Programme together with the Burmese government have implemented a school programme to feed 227,000 children in Myanmar.

The youth are in particular need of education and learning opportunities as they tend to be more vulnerable to exploitation and forced labour. Education allows adolescents to participate as members of their communities and aids in preventing them of being recruited into armed groups.

The infographic was created in light of the upcoming Aid & Development Asia Summit. To download it, click here.

Learn more about new technologies and initiatives for meeting education SDGs at the 3rd annual Aid & Development Asia Summit in Nay Pyi Taw on 14 & 15 June 2017. Hear from Wai Mar Phyo, Programme Director, Mobile Education Partnerships, Min Jeong Kim, Head of Office, Global Education First Initiative, Myanmar, UNESCO, Mar Mar Thwin, Senior Education Advisor, World Bank Group and Tim Aye-Hardy, Director, Myanmar Mobile Education Project.

To view detailed agenda, please visit asia.aidforum.org; to register your participation, click here