Burma Link | June 13, 2017

As a child, Saw Klee K’Paw’s education didn’t come easy. He studied in his village until grade 4 when fighting broke out in his village and he and his family had to flee.  For the next few years, he studied on and off in a refugee camp and back in his village. He completed up to grade 9 before taking a Teacher Preparation Course and then beginning his teaching career. Despite being only 27 years old, Klee K’Paw has been the Headmaster at English Immersion Program (EIP) since 2014. When he first accepted the post, he was told that the school would lose funding if they stay in the refugee camp. Saw Klee K’Paw did not want to close the school, so they relocated to Karen State.  Before his current post, he was a teacher, a teacher trainer and an EIP graduate. He has experienced first-hand how EIP and the skills he learned there can open doors and create opportunities. Besides English language skills, the skills he feels are most important for students are teaching, critical thinking, project design, leadership, and community development. Other advantages to studying at EIP are the international focus and the cross-cultural student body. Klee K’Paw understands the value of good education and the opportunities that arise for graduating students, and he hopes to see more doors open for students in Burma.

[/fusion_separator]

The interview was conducted in November, 2017, as part of the joint documentary “Unrecognised Leaders, Tomorrow’s Hope: Raising the Voices of Forgotten Youth” by Burma Link, Karen Student Network Group (KSNG) and Karen Youth Organisation (KYO). The interview is the sixth one in a series that we will be publishing in the coming weeks. This interview series is meant to give more in depth understanding into the situation of Burma’s young ethnic refugees and refugee education as well as refugee advocacy and Burma’s political past and current situation. The text has been edited and some parts have been omitted for flow and clarity.

Burma Link started planning this documentary film project in August 2016, consulting numerous refugee-led organisations and other organisations working on refugee issues and producing advocacy films to set the direction for the project. Based on our positive experiences working with refugee youth along the Thailand-Burma border for years, we decided to focus on creating a film that would amplify the voices of the youth, share their stories, and enhance national and international awareness and support for the realisations of social and political aspirations of the youth. The project was planned and conducted in close collaboration with two local youth organisations: the Karen Student Network Group (KSNG) and the Karen Youth Organisation (KYO).  We also partnered with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and Right to Play who support the distribution and advocacy of the film. The central role of education in the film grew organically during the filming and interviewing process, as did the youth’s strong pleas for national and international actors to recognise and support their education.

Burma Link’s team members involved in planning the project all have years of first-hand experience from the Thai refugee camps and working with young refugees. Over the years spent along the border area and in the refugee camps, we have developed a thorough understanding of the security context and how it has changed over time. This context has been given serious consideration ever since the beginning of the planning process, and appreciating its complexity and state of constant flux, we started the planning process by arranging meetings with central actors including various local organisations. Considerable time was spent in considering the security aspects about this project before the filming started. Everyone taking part was clearly explained about the project and that it will be spread to local, national and international audiences as widely as possible. Everyone taking part has been given the option to be anonymous and unidentified.

For more information and screenings, please visit the film’s website and follow the Facebook page.

[/fusion_separator]

Background: ‘I want to develop people’s skills’ 

My name is Klee K’Paw. The place I live here is called Kaw La village. I live in Taw Naw Mu Htaw in Kaw T’Ree Township, Dooplaya district. I am the school principal and have worked as the school principal for three years already.

I studied at my village up to grade 4. Then I moved to Kaw T’Ree town and studied grade 5 and 6. There was difficulty related to transportation and accommodation because we had to walk from house to school and we were poor. Fighting often happened. We had to flee all the time. We also faced a problem with our livelihood. In 2003, I came to the refugee camp. I had to walk for three days and I was 11 years old at that time. I studied in the camp for one year and then I went back to my village in 2004 because there was ceasefire and the situation was becoming more stable. I thought I would continue my education in the village but I couldn’t study at the government school. I studied up to grade 9 but I couldn’t take the government entrance exam and continue my education to grade 10, so I came back to camp in 2006 and graduated in 2007. Then I studied at Teacher Preparation Course (TBC) for two years and taught at high school for two years. First year, I taught English subject at middle school and second year, I taught English and history subject at high school. In 2010, I took EIP entrance exam and got an opportunity to study at EIP.

I  graduated from this school in 2011. After I graduated from the school, my teachers wanted me to become the school principal but I was not confident. I wanted to get more experience on the situation inside the country and I wanted to know and learn how ethnic groups live and about their relationship with the Burma government. I worked with Karen Teachers’ Working Group (KTWG) as a mobile teacher trainer for two years. Then I moved to KTWG media team and worked there for one year. I learned many things related to the field situation, work experience and the relationship with leaders. After that I came back and worked with Easter Burma Community Schooling Project for seven months and then I was told that EIP needs a school principal. EIP was recruiting people and they needed former EIP students to become the school principal because students who graduated from EIP know the best about EIP and what EIP needs. I applied for the position and they chose me to be the school principal.

I am a young person. My age and my students’ age are not very different. I want to do the job of developing people’s skills. But my own education is also not finished yet. I want to learn more, I want to go and study abroad. I want to learn more about other countries’ situations. What do they teach and how do they manage their school and their countries? Many Karen people go and study in different countries. They graduate and get their bachelor, master and PhD but there are only few people who come back and help their people. I want to go and there is an opportunity for me but there is no one to replace me. I want to go and study at the same time I want to help them. Maybe next two years, I will go and study.

[/fusion_separator]

EIP Relocation: ‘I moved the school to Karen State to get funding’

I became the school principal in 2014. EIP School was founded in 2003 and the funding of the school was secured only for five years. The project was still run and supported until 2014 because there were good outcomes of the project. The support was stopped when I became school principal. The school was based in Umpiem refugee camp in 2014 but the funding was cut off. I was asked whether I want to stop this school or continue. ‘We won’t get any support or funding if we are based in the refugee camp. What is your opinion?’ I was asked my opinion. I didn’t want to stop the program so I told them I will move this school into Karen State.

In 2015, we went to three areas looking for the place to relocate the school in the Karen State. In Brigade 7, there were no villages located around the location we went to, but EIP has many activities related to building relationship with communities. Without communities, we can’t do anything so we didn’t choose that location. In Kaw T’Ree township, the location is good because there are many communities. It is easy to travel and the communication is good but there are Tatmadaw

[Burma Army], DKBA [Democratic Karen Benevolent Army] and BGF [Border Guard Force] troops in the areas and the situation is not good, so we didn’t choose that location. There is a risk related to the security issue. In this area, there are not many communities but the situation is stable. There is not much problem with transportation and communication. After the trip, I met with World Education (WE), Karen Education Department (KED) and KRC-EE [Karen Refugee Committee-Education Entity]. Later we decided to relocate in Kaw La. Local authority is also eager for the school to be based here. With the support of WE, KED and KRCEE, we built the school and started the program in 2015, even though there were difficulties. The school was not going well for the first year but it was better for the second year.

[/fusion_separator]

EIP and its objectives: ‘We want to improve and strengthen the skills of people who work in the communities’

EIP was founded in Umpiem refugee camp. […] At that time, many international organizations came to the camps and wanted to support refugees. They discussed about the problem related to communication with international communities. They wanted to talk to refugees but there were very few people who could speak English. Later they came up with the idea to found EIP school for young people to learn English. The school taught only English language at that time.

The objectives have changed since 2007, because we wanted to invite other ethnic groups to join the program. Now we teach teaching and leadership skills, project design and implementation skill, community development, translation skills and advanced English skills, including speaking, reading, writing and grammar. Our main objective is to improve and strengthen the people’s skills, including English skills, who work in the communities as teachers and also people working in organisations based in communities. EIP’s objective is that anyone who graduates from EIP will be able to do any task when they go back to their communities such as teaching, leadership and other skills.  Other ethnic groups also join the program and share their culture and we learn more about each other.

Most students have their host organization so they go back to their organization after they graduate. Some don’t have an organization. They become teachers, interpreters, translators, or work in community based organizations like in education and politics.

[/fusion_separator]

Education system: ‘The attitude and knowledge of students change when they study at EIP’

Students come from many different areas. As there are many ethnic groups in the camps, students come from many ethnic groups. Most ethnic groups from Burma have joined EIP. Students who attend EIP have graduated from post-ten schools on the border, camps and inside Burma.

In the beginning of the school, there are language barriers. Some students can speak English but they are not confident to speak English. At first, they don’t know what to do and how to teach children.  They don’t know how to hold a meeting or discuss what they will do. They also can’t do monthly activities and community development training well but later they can do it well. They don’t know that they have develop their abilities such as language skills, relationship skills with leaders and communities, and communication skills. Some students are shy and they are afraid to speak English, but after a few months, they don’t feel shy anymore and they start to speak more. They plan and prepare before they do any activities.

Here we have good books and teachers , but we do not have enough resources. For example, when students learn about science, they need to use resources and materials but we have limited resources. Teachers try their best and use whatever resources they have. Inside the country, there are resources for teachers and students to use. The education system we use here is more about student centered teaching methods, which is different from Burma government education system as they use teacher centered methods. In here, we let students decide when we are going to do any activities but teachers do it by themselves in the country. EIP students’ attitude is better if we compare with other schools [in Burma]. The attitude and knowledge of students from Burma changes when they study at EIP and they know the different education system that they have in Burma and here. They also know more about the situation in other countries. Students who study inside the country don’t know much about outside world because teachers teach them only what is in the book. So there is difference between the two systems. EIP has a strong point because students have opportunities to meet and interact with international [people].

[/fusion_separator]

Community development and collaboration: ‘They meet up as a team and learn from each other’

We get many benefits because of the many ethnic youth joining the class here. They [EIP students] come from different areas and organizations. Some are teachers and some are organization representatives. Some are from community development [groups] and some are from media and women organizations. They come from different areas and meet up as a team together and learn from each other.

Communities and local authority are welcoming and happy to see our activities when we come here. We sometimes talk about politics with students. We need to know the area’s situation before we move to some areas. For example, what is the political situation? What is the situation of communities? When we know, we can avoid misunderstandings and are able to live with the communities.

There are advantages for the communities and the students.  The communication and relationship with communities and leaders are improved when they work together. EIP students also teach students from primary, middle and high school in the evening. Students in the area are weak in Karen, Burmese and English so EIP students open an opportunity to those students who want to improve Karen, Burmese and English. Because of this activity, many parents sent their children to join the class.

If we compare with other schools, our school is good with regards to the attitude of EIP students when they go back and work in their communities. The EIP students’ attitude, leadership skills and living style are different and they can live in a difficult situation because they have learned many things at school. Their organizations can depend on them when they go back and teach in their area because they have experience. As for me, many organizations depend on me because they know that I graduated from EIP. My friends who graduated from other schools, who have education higher than me, depend on me because they know how EIP teaches the students. For this reason, EIP is beneficial to organizations and communities.

[/fusion_separator]

On youth: ‘They need to express their opinion on what they want to see the country look like’

It is very hard for young people who graduated from high school to continue their education in the camps. Leaders think this kind of school should be in the communities, so they founded this school so that young people could upgrade their education even when they can’t go to university. Youth are the future leaders. They will have to lead in the future. They come and learn at EIP to develop their attitudes and knowledge and to be able to lead their organisations and communities. This also becomes a strength for leaders.

Youth have to be active and work together with children and adults. Critical thinking, forgiveness and leadership are very important for them. They have to know the situation, what is happening now and what will happen in the future. They are the group who need to know the past and the present. They can share it to the new generation when they know the information. When they become older, they have to work with young people with many issues like education, governance, health, teaching, and communication. Youth need to express their opinions on how they want to see their country look like. There are advantages if leaders can use them. For example, they can use me in many ways as I am a youth leader now. I understood how young people felt and what they needed when I became a leader. I know how to work with the youth and how I should live my life for them.

[/fusion_separator]

Burma Government: ‘I want the government to support ethnic education system’

The thing that I want the Burma Government to change is not only about education. Ethnic groups have their own culture, history, and language and they want to learn about them so they won’t forget about them. If the government doesn’t want to recognize us learning them, it is the same as destroying our cultures. If they intend to do so, the traditions of our ethnic groups will disappear. Then, we won’t have our own culture and languages…we won’t even know about them. This is why education is very important and the government should recognize it. Then we, the ethnic groups, will know about our cultures, languages.

So, it is very important for the government to recognize and allow ethnic groups to maintain their culture. I want them to go to the village level and learn the needs of communities and the communities’ views. I want them to see and know. How do communities want to develop the country? The government should go and learn from the communities. Many youth are ready to work but there is no one to support them. They can do nothing when they don’t receive any support. There are many outstanding youth people in the country.  Our government is our parent. If the government knows what we want, they might support us. Burma government doesn’t want to rely on others. I want the government to support ethnic education system and fulfill what ethnic people need. I want the government to listen to people’s voice and help to solve the problem that people face in the country. I want them to open opportunities for young people to learn higher education, get job opportunities and be involved to make decisions on politics. I want the government to support the youth, to recognize their vision and their decisions.

[/fusion_separator]

I want peace: ‘The country can develop quickly if there is peace’

I want to say one more thing shortly. I want peace in the country. To have peace, the government is the main important actor. I want the government and ethnic groups to work together for peace. The country can develop quickly if there is peace. The economy will go well when there is peace. People will feel safe and happy when there is peace. If there is peace in the country with all ethnic groups with inclusive agreement, there will be no hate to each other. In that time, I believe the country will develop.

[/fusion_separator]

For more information and screenings, please visit the film’s website and follow the Facebook page.

You may also like: