Lawmakers discussed a proposal yesterday to include ethnic languages lessons in the last 45
minutes of the school day, rather than outside typical classroom hours.

The proposal, from Amyotha Hluttaw MP U Larl Min Htan (NLD; Chin 10), responds to legislature
enacted during the 2014-15 school year, which set up ethnic languages classes as an out-of-school
activity.

MP and former Speaker U Khin Aung Myint (USDP; Mandalay 8), urged the government to
“consider a special project to reduce illiteracy, [so that students can] access higher education,
and to develop ethnic literature for all ethnic races”.

U Larl Min Htan pointed to a section of the 2008 constitution that decrees an aim to develop
language, fine arts, and culture for the national races.

The introduction of ethnic languages in 2014-15 was a step forward in inclusive education, as
ethnic languages could not be taught at government schools prior to that change, but it required
students and teachers to stay after school.