Peace education in Myanmar: an analysis of the education in the country through the peace education perspective

Abstract

Burma or Myanmar is a highly diverse country, with more than 130 different ethnic groups and 100 languages. The pluralism of the country is its most prominent characteristic. Since independence, Burma faced challenges to establish the unity and identity of the society. Education in the country directly connects with the sociopolitical background of the country and impacts the construction of peace. This research aims to identify the education policies in the school system of Myanmar that can be connected with peace education. The research seeks to understand how peace education is demonstrated in the Myanmar educational system over the post-independence, military rule, and democratic periods. Based on the literature review of peace education theory, a framework was created to identify the education policies that can be considered peace education and juxtaposed to the historical and educational developments during post-independence, military rule, and democratic periods in Myanmar. Analysis of the education system in Myanmar concluded that many peace education policies were present during historical periods in the country. Nevertheless, key concepts of peace education were never found in the educational policies of the country. Keywords: Peace Education, Myanmar, Burma, Negative Peace, Positive Peace