Since school year 2014-2015, the learning centres overseen by Help without Frontiers offer Non-Formal Primary Education, an alternative pathway to education designed for those children who missed the chance for an education in the Myanmar formal system of education. Upon completion of the two-year programme of Non-Formal Primary Education in migrant learning centres in Mae Sot, children can sit for the final examinations of Grade 4 prepared by the Myanmar Ministry of Education. If they pass the final test, they are eligible for enrolling into Grade 5 in the formal educational system of their country.
When non-formal education was launched as a pilot project in 2014, 120 students enrolled into four migrant learning centres in Mae Sot. After few years, in school year 2018-2019, 718 children are enrolled into Non-Formal Primary Education in 22 migrant learning centres in Mae Sot, Mae Ramat and Phop Phra. Since school year 2017-2018, Help without Frontiers has launched a pilot project of Non-Formal Middle Education to expand non-formal educational opportunities up to Grade 8.
From 17 to 19 December 2018, 175 students finishing Grade 4 and Grade 8 in eight migrant learning centres under Help without Frontiers sat for testing their preparation to the final board exams. Among them, 120 students from Parami, KM42, New Society, Sauch Kha Hong Sar, Rose Field, New Day and Sukho Thai learning centres took the Grade 4 pre-test exams while 56 students from Parami, New Road and New Day took the pre-test for Grade 8 board exam.
The pre-test is conceived to assess the students’ knowledge on the six core subjects contained in the Myanmar government curriculum; Burmese, English, Social studies, Geography, Science and Math.
In the beginning of year 2019, students in migrant learning centres in Mae Sot, Mae Ramat and Phop Phra will sit again for the final board exam at the same time as their fellow students in Myanmar. The final exam period, coming up in February 2019, is normally around six days long. When the tests are completed, the teachers correct the exams and send the results to the Ministry of Education in Naypyitaw.
The pre-tests serves as an important part of the preparation for the final board exams. If and when students will return to Myanmar, the Ministry of Education will recognise the education they have received when they were away from their motherland and they will access the same educational opportunities available for their peers.
