Burma, also known as the Union of Myanmar, is situated in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand. It has an estimated population of 50 million, with an annual growth rate of 0.81 per cent. The productive segment (15 to 64 years) is estimated at around 68.5 per cent of the total population. Almost ten per cent (3.6 million) of the whole population resides in Rangoon, officially known as Yangon, the capital city of Burma. 35 million (70 per cent) remain predominantly rural-based and unable to afford study overseas, or access to the Internet.
Burma is ruled by a military junta, known as State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). They seized the power in the early 1990’s soon after the outbreak of a public outcry for democracy in 1988. The Political situation in Burma has been volatile since then and it has drastic effects on the country’s economy and social development.
The main democratic opposition party is the National League for Democracy (NLD) which remains resolute in their opposition to the regime. Most overseas development assistance ceased after the junta began to suppress the democracy movement in 1988 and subsequently refused to honour the results of the 1990 legislative elections. The sudden move of the administrative capital from Rangoon to Pyinmana in November 2005 has further damaged business and investor confidence in the country.
Though a resource-rich country, due to gross mismanagement of the economy over many decades, Burma is one of the poorest countries in Asia, being classified by the United Nations as one of the 49th least Developed Countries in the world. Reliable data about poverty in Burma is scarce, but a household survey from 1997 found that 23 per cent (11.2 million) had an income below subsistence level and recent studies indicate that households spend 70 per cent of their income purely on food, an indicator of the vulnerability of poor people in Burma.
Living standards have also been squeezed by persistently high inflation, the result of large annual government budget deficits that the regime traditionally covers by printing money. The regime’s huge investment in the on-going construction of a new capital city, Naypyitaw near Pyinmana in central Burma, has added to the deficit. In a bid to control their deficit, the SPDC has reduced spending on areas such as health and education and implemented some add hoc efforts at increased tax collection. A serious banking crisis in early 2003 led to reduced consumer confidence and spending power with some retailers noting a 30 - 40 per cent drop in sales. The banking sector remains fragile, and the crisis continues to have drastic effects throughout the economy.
Education has traditionally been highly valued in Burma but its quality is undermined by under-investment. The state education system is gradually deteriorating due to a lack of quality teaching staff, classroom resources and quality teaching methods. Moreover, the international education promoted by the private education sector is not yet encouraged by the government. Education authorities assume that the growing of private sector harms the image of state education and instead of improving their system they discourage the growth of the private sector. A few investors from the private education sector establish joint ventures with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and only these ventures are free to promote their business under the umbrella of the education ministry. However, the quality of evening classes and joint ventures is questionable.
Due to declining quality of state education system, students and parents crave for better qualifications and study opportunities abroad. However, because of the poor state of the economy, only the rich and upper classes can afford UK qualifications. Studying in the UK is, therefore, usually associated with prestigious position and a graduate from the UK is perceived as a member of an elite club. Although inflation in this country has been increasing year after year, wealthier parents have tried their best to enable their children to possess internationally recognised certificates. Middle class parents often make very considerable sacrifices to invest in their children’s future.
Demand for UK qualifications fluctuates due to a range of factors, such as qualifications not meeting the standard entrance requirement, limits in availability of the International banking system to undertake financial transactions, and the entirely unpredictable economic situation which directly influence the ability of parents to fund their children’s education.
In Burma, there are two main sectors in the education sector: basic education and higher education. Basic education school system consists of:
- 3 years schooling at the lower primary;
- 2 years at the upper primary;
- 4 years at the lower secondary;
- 2 years at the upper secondary level;
At the end of the upper secondary level, i.e. grade 11, students sit for the matriculation examination to enter the tertiary level. English is taught as a second language from Kindergarten.
After matriculation at the age of 16 or 17 depending on their grades, students would then continue their studies at government universities or institutions. Admission is based on the matriculation results (or grade). Some HE institutions require students to sit an entrance examination. The syllabus of Grade 11 (Standard 10) is assumed to be equivalent to that of GCE O level. However, due to ineffective teaching methods and a lack of facilities for science subjects, those who have passed their matriculation cannot be regarded as qualified for Foundation courses at UK institutions. In fact, those who are planning to go and study in the UK are usually required to take GCE O level examination after they matriculate.
The education system is based on the UK’s system due to nearly a century of British presence in Myanmar. A number of courses opened by the Human Resource Development Centres under the MoE were held in partnership with foreign and local private enterprises contributing to their courses. Nearly all schools are government-operated, but recently, there has been an increase in privately funded schools which offer preparatory courses for international exams.
There are 156 higher education institutions in Burma. 64 institutions, which form the majority, are under the jurisdiction of the MoE while 92 institutions are under 11 other ministries and the Public Services Selection and Training Board. All the higher education institutions are state-financed. The 156 higher education institutions specialise in varied fields such as arts and science, law, economics and business education, teacher education, foreign languages, engineering, computer studies, maritime studies, defense, agriculture, forestry, medicine, nursing, veterinary science, culture and fine arts, etc. and offer a variety of programmes – undergraduate, postgraduate diploma, master’s degree programmes and doctorate programmes. Higher education institutions under the MoE have also established Centres for Human Resource Development that offer re- education and retraining human resource development programmes ranging from short- term certificate programmes to master’s degree programmes.
There are also private schools in Myanmar for students who wish to follow international qualifications either with the American or the British curriculum. These schools start accepting students at Pre-Kindergarten level and those who follow the American curriculum usually need to study up to Grade 12. As for the schools that follow the British curriculum they prepare the students to be able to sit for GCE 'O' levels after the completion of matriculation. GCE exams are offered by The British Council Exams Services.
So far the main market for international qualifications only exists in Rangoon. There are quite a number of local education agents active in the market, representing a range of study destinations in Singapore, Malaysia, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, and Cyprus. However, there is no official agent association to regulate these agencies and the British Council is not in a position to check the quality of their services. Over the years, HE and FE qualifications from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand have come into the market as main competitors for UK and US qualifications. Increasing numbers of local professional training centres also turn their focus on access/foundation courses that would prepare students for further studies in these countries. According to the survey conducted by British Council Exams Services, out of 1,285 IELTS candidates from April to December 2007, 37.2 per cent of them were Singapore bound and 33.2 per cent were Australia and New Zealand bound.
Despite aggressive marketing activities from competitors like Singapore and Malaysia over the last two years and the worsening situation of the country’s economy, there has been a significant rise in the number of UK visas granted to students – up by 28 per cent from 300 in 2006 (calendar year) to 383 in 2007 (calendar year). According to the HESA report, there was a 38 per cent increase in the number of students studying in the UK between 2002/03 (170) and 2005/06 (235), the most popular subjects being Business & Administrative Studies, Computer Science, Engineering & Technology, and Accounting & Finance.
Regardless of the poor economic situation demand for international qualifications continues to grow in Burma and parents remain committed to investing in their children's education and the students themselves are very keen on self-improvement. The Burmese Education System is gradually deteriorating and it is generally understood that as long as the country remains under the military regime, there is little prospect of obtaining a proper education.
Most of the students after finishing their matriculation will go for their further studies at the state universities or colleges. At the same time, they will take up vocational qualifications or professional courses which are locally available such as City & Guilds, NCC, LCCI, CIMA, ACCA, and CIM that will help them prepare for entrance requirements when taking up HE and FE courses in the UK and other countries. Over the years, an increasing number of local professional training centres/institutions have come into the market, offering preparatory courses for UK exams and professional qualifications to thousands of students.
These centres serve as a meeting place for our potential target groups and this gives us an opportunity to market UK qualifications among them. There is also a growing demand for locally available overseas exams and among professional subjects UK exams occupy the major portion for international exams of the market in Burma, the most popular qualification being LCCI which has increased by 35 per cent in 2007/08 (8,611 exams in 2006 to 11,624 exams in 2007). Professional exams such as ACCA, NCC, ABE and City & Guilds are also popular among the students and they occupy another 37 per cent of the current market.
Burma is predominantly an undergraduate market and according to the statistics from UK Visa Section among the visa applicants (June 2006 to October 2007) 86 per cent of them are for undergraduate studies.
UK qualifications are positioned in the market along with those from Australia and the USA as high quality high price products. Informal feedback from agents in Burma suggests that a majority of target audiences are drawn to studying in Australia for its relatively easy immigration policy, flexible entrance requirements and good prospects for employment. Over the last two years, Australia has penetrated into the market through local education agents and according to the data received from some agents it is estimated that the number of enquiries for studying in Australia has doubled from those received in 2005/06.
Recently, the US has launched more active marketing activities like Education Open days at the American Center (similar to the British Council, promoting education and culture). They have also extended their market in Mandalay (the second capital) by opening a centre there. US scholarships such as Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowship programme are available to Burmese students and it serves as the major attraction for a large number of Burmese students choosing to study in the USA. However, the US Visa Section has a reputation for a high visa rejection rate amongst Burmese students and the size of the market for US qualifications has not grown significantly over the last two years.
Over the last decade, Singapore’s and Malaysia’s education promotion has reached a mature stage in the local market. Singapore being situated in the vicinity of Burma with scholarship opportunities, flexible academic entrance requirements, availability of student loans and a wide range of employment opportunities and whose tuition fees & living costs are also relatively cheap compared to the UK, Australia and the USA, is the first choice of study destination for Burmese students. Polytechnics in Singapore are also well known among Burmese students and a majority of them choose these schools because of education grants received from the Singaporean government. These schools also have a good relationship with the Burmese government sector which gives them extensive access to target customers from local government institutes. Recently, the trend has developed to allow the students to attend sandwich courses on Hospitality, Travel and Tourism, Nursing, Business Administration, and Food & Beverages.
A comprehensive competitor analysis is not available yet but according to the survey conducted among the target audience and the enquiry statistics received via the local education agents, over the last two years the market size for Singapore qualifications has grown significantly and it is estimated as half of the total local market for international qualifications.
There are two British Council offices in Burma, Rangoon and Mandalay (the second capital), with the main office in Rangoon. Both offices have public access. We are widely recognised in the community as the premier provider of English language training, learning and study resources through the library, certification of skills through our examinations administration, and easily accessible and up-to-date source of information on study opportunities in the UK. The British Council is also well known for creating self-development opportunities for ELT teachers from the local community.
The Teaching Centre business has expanded over the past few years, and the British Council is positioned at the top of the market as a provider of high quality English language classes, enjoying an excellent reputation among those wishing to purchase a quality international educational experience. The demand for UK exams is also growing, especially IELTS and LCCI.
Being the best source of unbiased information resources in the country, our Library attracts more than 1000 visitors a day. With over 7000 members using our 30000 items, our library supports a wide range of learning opportunities and a huge collection of study materials give assistance to the students as well as the tutors.
The Education UK promotion team began operating and giving full access to UK education information to the public in late 2003. The first high quality Education UK exhibition was held in Rangoon in following year. So far four exhibitions have been organised and these are held either in late March or early April. Next Education UK exhibition will be held in Rangoon in November 2008. Burma is not an Education UK Partnership country and our main priority is to promote UK qualifications in the market through enhancing the target customers’ awareness of various study options available in the UK. This we aim to achieve through our website and marketing and communications publications. Recently, we have launched an Education UK country website www.educationuk.org/burma which has attracted more than 1,500 visitors.
The future of our position in the market is heavily dependant on the political and economic situation in Burma. Assuming it will remain as it is without any drastic changes in the near future, we still aim to promote the flow to the UK of bona fide students of UK HE and FE qualifications and believe the market exhibits opportunities for UK exporters.
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