MYANMAR: Students to hold emergency meeting over education law

Mizzima17 October 2014 Issue No:339

 

 

Myanmar students are planning an emergency meeting to deal with concerns over the draft higher education law. Here students protest at Dagon University on September 2 against the proposed law. Photo: Nyain Thit Nyi/Mizzima

 

 

(MANDALAY) – The All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) is planning to hold an all-Myanmar students’ emergency meeting in November, said ABFSU central working committee and research committee official Aung Hmine San.

“The ABFSU, in cooperation with other organizations, needs to oppose the national education law,” Aung Hmine San said. “We think other students organizations also need to collectively oppose it. That’s why we plan to organize the students emergency meeting so that ABFSU, the University Students Union and other students organizations will be able to work together to make plans.”

Students and civic groups say the proposed law allows centralized control of universities and curtails efforts to bring about autonomy of the country’s institutions of higher learning.

An organizing committee was set up on October 4 to arrange the students’ emergency meeting. The committee comprises of 10 members of the ABFSU and 10 members of the University Students Union.

Students and education experts will discuss the national education law on the first day of the two-day meeting.  On the second day, the students propose making plans as to how to proceed.

The time, date and venue for the students’ emergency meeting have not yet been announced.