Each Morning……..

Life is too short. Our dearly beloved friend Ko Htoo Ein Thin, renowned vocalist and composer, passed away seven years ago. Time passes so quickly that his untimely death seems to happen recently. I was first introduced to his memorable songs about 30 years ago in 1980-81.

One day, giving me a music album, my friend Aung Zaw Oo said, “This music album has not been released. It was sung by my friend Kyaw Myint Lwin who is from Pathein. Why not listen to it? He himself composed and sang this album. I’m Sunday born. He is Monday born, and you’re Friday born. We are the same ages born in the same week.”

His words could attract my attention to the music album. Aung Zaw Oo was a brilliant student in our class at the Institute of Medicine. He was awarded six times as ‘Person of Outstanding Attainments’. He got roll number one when he enrolled at the Institute of Medicine. Although I was an outstanding student in our region, Aung Zaw Oo was a genius at education. Even before a lecture ended, he had already memorized all of it. As he praised this album, I listened to the songs, and immediately appreciated them. The most remarkable song in this album is ‘For Dear Friend’.

For Dear Friend

Vocalist and composer Htoo Ein Thin

 

Children with the expectant faces’re waiting for teacher;
Oh, classroom tables are messy and with full of termite mounds,
School bell lying in silence is falling into sleep;
We’re hoping voice of students,
Try it with your best.

My friend is a teacher in country;
School bell sure to make the sweet sound,
We take pride in your sacrifice to,
Welfare of all the human lives.

Spiders spin webs in the clinic making thin threads nests;
Oh, patient beds are messy and with full of termite mounds,
The Poor with the deprivation in the sickly health;
For healthy lives of the people,
Try it with your best.

My friend is a doctor in country;
Your soul is pure and untainted,
We take pride in your sacrifice to,
Welfare of all the human lives.

Although this song gone with Foxtrot beat seems to have no distinction, it reflected the situations of education and healthcare services of this country thirty years ago. The words ‘The Poor with the deprivation in the sickly health; For healthy lives of the people,” sang with sympathetic and soft voice is still fresh till present. Htoo Ein Thein created this song in between 17 or 18 years of his age. I was also the same age with him.

(2)

In December, I attended the Ceremony of Paying Respect to the Veteran Teachers of B.E.H.S (1) Pakokku Township where I passed my matriculation exam. I have not been to Pakokku since 15 to 20 years ago. I studied there 8th, 9th and 10th standards. During my visit, I saw no remarkable developments of buildings at our school which was recognized as a Model School over 30 years ago.  Roofs were in disarray at the school sports stadium which was used for classroom of 8th Standard students, and it is now an obsolete building. School’s religious assembly hall which was used for 9th Standard students is still in service. The main building of school for 10th Standard is in original structure. Almost all of our teachers have taken retirement. Some of them have passed away. Some of our teachers are still healthy until 70 to 80 years of their ages with much self-confidence. They never persuaded us to attend tuitions. Instead, they taught us so energetically that we do not need to attend tuitions. It cannot be seen nowadays.

I am not familiar with education field. I am so busy that I could not pay much attention on the educations of my two sons in 9th standard and 3rd standard. My wife has to take responsibilities for them. Since 20 years ago, schools were frequently closed; students were graduated after three academic years instead of four years in the past; one academic year is completed with 10-day intensive course; only questions and answers for final exams are taught in the classes; prescribed textbooks are not read even in medical universities; and medical students do not use cadavers for dissection; professors who set exam questions give tuitions; many students with only 50 percent of school days become doctors; in  the past student who missed even 10 percent of attendance had difficulties to understand the lessons.

At the basic education schools, teachers are forcibly giving paid tuitions to their pupils. Some teachers discriminate against students who do not attend their tuitions. As some class rooms in schools are air-conditioned, poor pupils from other classes felt depressed, discriminated, bullied, diffident and aggressive. These are the mentalities of youths at present, quite different from the students in the past.

B.E.H.S (1) of Pakokku Township was my Alma Mater that trained and shaped me to become a person of critical thinking without following the easy way. This school was a place for me to develop responsible attitudes and pursuit of knowledge, and to become an outstanding student. I am so grateful to this school. While the children from regional countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and from the international schools in Myanmar have easy access to Internet since they are five-year old, students from the B.E.H.S (1) of Pakokku Township have no chance to use Internet. Lower education standard and inferior mentality will not help build a developed country. As a former student of this school, I was given a chance to talk at this Ceremony of Paying Respect to the Veteran Teachers, “To pay back my gratitude to this school and my teachers who taught us with benevolence attitude, I pledge to work as a journalist to the best of my ability for the development of education standard in our country and equal chance of learning for all the students across the country.”

(3)

The upgrading of Myanmar’s education system requires strengthening both physically and mentally. The emergence of learned teachers with self-confidence in their livelihood is a major challenge at present. Instruction not to give tuition is not a solution for this problem. Modification of education sector is more complicated than healthcare sector.

Myanmar youth and students are lacking critical thinking. Educated atmosphere which can be created with knowledge is disappearing in both basic and higher education levels. Universities are not mere centers of education for students. These are venues where social relations, learning various ideas and methods to solve problems physically and mentally can be adopted automatically.

(4)

Modification of social sectors such as healthcare services and education system is directly proportional to the stability of politics and economics of a country. The situations of our country should not go back to starting point or should not stand at present spot. Due to global changes, amazing developments in neighboring countries and the existing miseries of our people, changes must be carried out speedily to go forward confidently.

In the political sector, all the requirements for national reconciliation must be implemented as this is the time to rejoin international community. Situations of the past should be regarded only as previous experiences, and we need to consider and concentrate on the present and future welfares and prosperities of the nation and its people. Rather than thinking about the positions in the past and the present circumstances, constructive approaches are more pragmatic. Even in the processes of discussions and peacemaking, centralism must be substituted with democratic institutions and development of human rights among the people. Social injustices and unlawful acts must be wiped out.

The creation of political trust in the country and the overcoming of first obstacle to rejoin international community are very important. Prisoners who were detained with various laws for their political beliefs should be released according to the legal rights of 2008 State Constitution. Political activists are also suggested that revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests like ‘Arab Spring’ which is taking place in the Arab Word is not suitable for our country under the present political situations and such unrests are possible to become the major drawbacks of our country.

Although it is too early to confirm promotion of State’s economy, good governance and clean government are on the right tracks, some changes of new government are to be appreciated. Government’s projects and budgets which were used in ineffective short-term plans for the public should be cut. Increase of pension rates and budgets for healthcare services and education sector is worthy to be acknowledged. Together with the plans of poverty alleviation, strategies should be developed to expand the layer of middle class who are the motivated work forces of the country. Economic development can help solve the problems of political crisis. These two sectors are mutually supporting each other.

(5)

The 19 July 2011 is 64th anniversary of the demise of national leader Bogyoke Aung San. From 18 year of his age to death, he used to consider about the independence of our country each morning. His strong mental power spread to his environment, friends and people. His zealot led to regain independence of the country. If the government, political opponents, individuals concentrate all our efforts on the development of our country, then we would be able to find the solution of problems. If we could trace this way out, our country will have the same status with Vietnam within 10 years and with Thailand within 20 years. However, we must consider every morning how to develop our country and how to solve various problems. In fact, I firmly believe that our mental power could create our future.

Than Htut Aung
15 July 2011
Fullmoon Day of Waso (Friday)