Ministry of Education will upgrade 25 education colleges into degree colleges in December 2019, said Dr. Aung Aung Min, Deputy Director-General of Higher Education Department.

“The ministry has a plan to upgrade all education colleges into degree colleges in December 2019. As a pilot project, textbooks, content and curriculum for the first year course will be conducted at Yangon Education College and Mandalay Education College in coming December. After the pilot project, the first year course that will kick off in December 2019 will be ready,” he added.

The new curriculum is being drafted by UNESCO and Stern Project. A college has proposed to receive the enrollment of about 300 students. The department is carrying out upgrades to the education colleges due to the lack of facilities like hostels and rooms as the department changes the course from two to four years.

“Students who have passed the matriculation exam can apply for Diploma in Teacher Education D.TED course. When the education colleges become the four-year degree college, the four-year bachelor course will be added to the university entrance guidebook. Students can attend the two-year diploma course at education colleges. The department will open the four-year courses for either B.A (Education) or B.Sc (Education), he continued.

Those who have got D.TED can apply for the primary teacher posts. Then, they can apply for the middle education teachers after getting the four-year art and science courses at the universities of distance education. Then, they can apply for senior assistance teacher post after attending two-year B.Ed courses at Yangon University of Education and Sagaing University of Education.

All basic subjects will be conducted in the first and second years and the primary and JAT (junior assistant teacher) courses in the third year.