An opening ceremony of South-East Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) training workshop for Test Administrators and School Coordinators was held at Grand Ballroom of Mingala Thiri Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw yesterday morning.
In his address to the event, Union Minister for Education Dr. Myo Thein Gyi said the day’s event is the opening ceremony of a course where Test Administrators and School Coordinators who’ll be responsible to conduct research on primary level teaching and learning in Southeast Asia region. The research to be conducted is evaluating Grade-5 level students in ASEAN region with a set norm. A meaningful teaching and learning results will be achieved by submitting a report on the research findings to the policy makers.
During 2019 SEA-PLM Main Survey will be conducted in seven ASEAN countries and Myanmar is the first country where the survey will be conducted. Once every four years regular assessment and evaluation in areas of writing, reading, mathematics and being a good human being will be conducted. An international level education assessment norm will be utilized with financial support provided by SEAMEO (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization) and UNIFEF-EAPRO (United Nations Children Fund East Asia and Pacific Regional Office) and technical support provided by Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). Uniqueness of this study and assessment is the inclusion of being a good human being.
This is the first time in the world where writing ability is being studied and assessed and it is the outcome of the close cooperation among SEAMEO member countries. Capacity building courses will be conducted for representatives from relevant governments and ministries with an aim to include it in the education system of the member countries.
SEA-PLM Main Survey will be conducted on 202 schools with 5,853 students selected from basic education schools, monastic schools and private schools in states and regions. In addition 5,853 parents, 441 Grade 5 teachers and 202 head masters/mistresses will be answering assessment questionnaires. All are urged to cooperate in unity towards a successful SEA-PLM Main Survey so that a quality education can be implemented said the Union Minister.
Next, UNICEF Office Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Paul Edwards delivered a message of greeting and the ceremony continues as per the course schedule.
The event was attended by Union Minister for Education Dr. Myo Thein Gyi, Deputy Minister U Win Maw Tun, UNICEF Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Paul Edwards, Education Section Chief Mitsue Uemura, Research Fellow Dr. Jacqueline Cheng from Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), directors general from ministry of education, state/region heads of education, head masters/mistresses who’ll be School Coordinators, teachers who’ll be Test Administrator, SEA-PLM steering committee members, technical support group members, officials and invited guests.
The three-day training workshop will be held from 7 to 9 January and 202 School Coordinators and 282 Test Administrator, are attending the course.
— MNA(Translated by Zw Min)
