Empowering Youth and Teachers in Myanmar through Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking
Brief HistoryIn Myanmar, education, although traditionally valued, has been undermined by under-investment with the state education system deteriorating due to a lack of quality teaching staff, classroom resources, quality teaching methodologies and teacher training opportunities as well as poor access for children for education, poor school management and a developmentally inappropriate state curriculum. Myanmar's education standards are therefore one of the poorest qualities in the world.
There is a pressing need to improve the ability and knowledge of teachers to help address the current quality issues in school education. Classroom teachers lack the skills, confidence and empowerment to deliver a creative, culturally relevant education and respond to the learning needs of children. The Thinking Classroom Foundation (TCF) - formerly known as Teacher Training Center for Burmese Teachers (TTBT) - was therefore founded by Dr Thein Lwin in 2001 to address this need. It has been providing trainings to teachers in Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking ever since. TCF's Migrant Learning Center (MLC) was founded in October 2005 and in 2008, TTBT and MLC registered in Thailand as "Thinking Classroom Foundation". In 2012, Dr. Thein Lwin returned to Myanmar and established a base for TCF in Yangon enabling the scope of the organisation's objectives and activities to occur effectively inside Myanmar throughout the country's 7 states and 7 divisions. Selected TCF courses are still held in Chiang Mai. TCF in NumbersFounded in 2001 as the Teacher Training Centre for Burmese Teachers (TTBT); developed into today's TCF in 2008.
Trains 400-500 in-service teachers annually. Empowers teachers & youth in 7 states & 7 divisions across Myanmar. Raises 400-500 teachers awareness of RWCT teaching methodologies annually. 20 Partner Organisations in our education network 16 Universities received Critical Thinking workshops from Thinking Classroom Foundation 60 Active RWCT trainers all over the country 10-20 In-service RWCT training annually 2 Training of Trainers workshop in Chiang Mai annually 2 Critical Thinking in Higher Education workshops have been organized in Chiang Mai 1 vision: for teachers across Myanmar to deliver high quality education in the classroom by applying critical thinking methodologies. |
"Thinking Classroom Foundation empowers teachers to practice active learning and critical thinking; and promotes self-determination in education at all regions in Myanmar as well as students have the right to direct their own lives in the light of Sustainable Development Goal 4".
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