IN MYANMAR, since the advent of the Union Governments following the Multi-Party Democratic Elections starting 2010, there has been an increase in the establishment by the private sector, of technical education and vocational training institutions/ centres/ schools. Setting up of Vocational Training Centres by the Private sector is welcome as more and more Technicians and Skilled workers will be needed to support Myanmar’s transition to an Agro-based Industrial Economy with an expanded Service Sector.

Vocational Training Institutions, in general, require bigger investments to establish compared with academic institutions and schools of the same size. The obvious reasons are that the buildings, machines and equipment needed for systematic training, including up to date technical training aids calls for heavy investment. The running expenses incurred for adequate quantities of consumables required for effective practical training can be high as well depending on the number of areas in which training is offered. As for the teaching staff, qualified and competent instructors can be hard to come by and the salaries and wages demanded may be high. Quality of TVET Centres/ Schools also depends on how well they are run and the standards they follow.

Although the National Education Law of 2014/2015 includes provisions relating to establishment of private TVET Institutions, a specific TVET law including coverage of private sector TVET Institutions is still in the making. As of now “registration” or “permission” to establish private vocational training centres/ schools, have been made by various authorities according to relevant existing laws.

Some of the private Vocational Training Centres are “affiliated” to one or the other Institution in a foreign country and so follow the curriculum standards of the foreign entity concerned. Many of the local private vocational training centres have their own curriculum drawn up by local vocational education teachers and instructors, probably without recourse to any “training standards”.

Laws on TVET normally require “Registration” of Private Vocational Training Centres/ Institutions. Registration means “Recording; inserting in an official register”, in other words, an official recognition of existence. Registration may involve issuing of a document by the registering authority “permitting” the establishment of the Centre. The conditions/ requirements for registration, of course, have to be met.

However, “Accreditation” of TVET Centres/ Schools would more likely ensure the emergence of Quality TVET Centres/ Schools. “Accreditation” means “the process of officially recognising the Centre/ School as being qualified to conduct quality assured TVET programs or courses in accordance with prescribed standards.” Institutional Accreditation is a process in which many factors are scrutinized by a competent Accrediting Authority. The scrutiny would normally include the competency standards or the learning outcomes to be attained by the trainees, the adequacy and suitability of the physical facilities used in respect of the stated number of trainees or students to be trained per program/course, the education and training delivery system including use of IT techniques, the qualifications of personnel involved in the utilization of the delivery system, the assessment for certification system and the “assessors” responsible for implementing it and so on. Accreditation, if not for the Institution as a whole, can also be for specific programs or courses offered by the Institution.

Not all “Registered” TVET Centres would of course, seek or be eligible for “Accreditation”. However those TEVET Centres seeking “Accreditation” must meet the requirements of the Accreditation process conducted by the Accreditation Authority under the law, to be issued a Certificate of Accreditation.

By Lokethar

PHOTO: YAMANYA

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar