Disability no longer handicap for college entrance: ministry
Disability no longer handicap for college entrance: ministry
Myanmar Times, 30 Jun 2017
URL: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/yangon/26619-disability-no-longer-handicap-for-college-entrance-ministry.html
Restrictions on the disabled to pursue a college education will be removed and they will be eligible to apply to study in institutions of higher learning, said U Aung Aung Min, deputy director general of the department of higher education.
Speaking to The Myanmar Times Thursday, he said that colleges cannot discriminate against disabled people and must treat them equally.
“Everyone can apply for a place to study in colleges from this year on. The restrictions related to disabilities and on citizenship that we set last year will be removed,” he said.
The Minister of Education and the Myanmar Federation of People with Disabilities agreed at a meeting in February that people with disabilities should be accepted in education colleges.
Fifty three percent of people with disabilities do not have access to education, while just 2pc hold bachelor’s degrees, according to a 2010 nationwide report from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
More than 2.3 million people in Myanmar have some form of disability, according to the 2014 census.
“If the application of a school is rejected because of a disability, a complaint with firm evidence can be lodged with the federation and other organisations that are active for the disabled,” said U Myat Thu Win, general secretary of the federation.
“If the disability is serious, they will be rejected, but if the disability is not serious, they will be accepted. In the past, they did not accept people with webbed fingers, but now they will. We have an agreement with the education minister,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Education, there are 23 education colleges nationwide that offer a two-year diploma course. After another two years of training, the graduates will be appointed as teachers in basic education schools.
More than 10,000 teachers are trained every year by these colleges.
The ministry is trying to upgrade education colleges to degree institutions and hopes to open two more colleges soon. An announcement will be made in government newspapers about the openings in December.
Myanmar became a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disability on December 7, 2011. In June 2015, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw adopted the Disability Rights Law.
Speaking to The Myanmar Times Thursday, he said that colleges cannot discriminate against disabled people and must treat them equally.
“Everyone can apply for a place to study in colleges from this year on. The restrictions related to disabilities and on citizenship that we set last year will be removed,” he said.
The Minister of Education and the Myanmar Federation of People with Disabilities agreed at a meeting in February that people with disabilities should be accepted in education colleges.
Fifty three percent of people with disabilities do not have access to education, while just 2pc hold bachelor’s degrees, according to a 2010 nationwide report from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
More than 2.3 million people in Myanmar have some form of disability, according to the 2014 census.
“If the application of a school is rejected because of a disability, a complaint with firm evidence can be lodged with the federation and other organisations that are active for the disabled,” said U Myat Thu Win, general secretary of the federation.
“If the disability is serious, they will be rejected, but if the disability is not serious, they will be accepted. In the past, they did not accept people with webbed fingers, but now they will. We have an agreement with the education minister,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Education, there are 23 education colleges nationwide that offer a two-year diploma course. After another two years of training, the graduates will be appointed as teachers in basic education schools.
More than 10,000 teachers are trained every year by these colleges.
The ministry is trying to upgrade education colleges to degree institutions and hopes to open two more colleges soon. An announcement will be made in government newspapers about the openings in December.
Myanmar became a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Person with Disability on December 7, 2011. In June 2015, the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw adopted the Disability Rights Law.