The new school year started across Myanmar yesterday, with many parents sending off their children to school amid much excitement. In the 2019-2020 Academic Year, children aged 5 will enrol in Kindergarten and kids aged 6 will start Grade 1.

“We are ready to begin classes. We, the teachers, are trying to produce clever school children. Children are being provided with ferries by the government,” said Daw Si Si Win, Headmistress of the No. 6 Basic Education High School in Nay Pyi Taw. To ensure the safety of school children, traffic police were also on duty yesterday to avoid congestion during rush hour. There are 47,005 schools and 440,444 teachers under the Basic Education Department. Schools in Myanmar are providing free textbooks and exercise books to children. Over 9.7 million children are attending schools, including private schools and monastic education schools, in the country. — Han Lin Naing /(Translated by Tun Tun Naing)