Second successful Charterhouse Teaching Development Programme held in Myanmar
Charterhouse’s partnership with the Phayar Taung Monastery & Youth Development Centre continued to progress and succeed this summer, with the second annual Teaching Development Programme for young Burmese educators.
Since 2018, Charterhouse has been privileged to work closely with Phayar Taung, a remarkable organisation looking after and educating 1,200 children in a very poor and rural area of Myanmar. Last summer, five Charterhouse teachers spent a week at the monastery, providing initial teacher training for 30 outstanding Burmese teachers in their teens and twenties.
This year’s course, riding on the success of that inaugural visit, took place in August 2019 and was almost double the size! Fifty-five trainees spent a week working with six Charterhouse staff, covering topics from assessment to learning environment, good communication skills to classroom management. The culmination of the week came as the 55 trainees presented their own improved lesson plans to their peers, and to guests of honour from the local community.
Mr Mark Begbie, Head of Theology at Charterhouse, commented, “Having taught on both programmes to date, I have been hugely impressed both by the beauty of Myanmar itself, and the remarkable values and skills of its young teachers. Their passion for education, and for self-development, is inspiring to me: this really is a partnership where all parties benefit from the experience. Hopefully we have helped our Burmese friends to become better teachers – they have certainly helped us!”
The photographs below offer a small taste of the programme, and of the amazing location of Phayar Taung within the Shan State region of Myanmar.
This year’s attending teachers were Louise Batty (Maths), Matthew Dobson (English), Mark Begbie (Theology), William Tink (History), Annabel Hawkins (Geography / Assistant Head Pastoral) and Ben Cahill-Nicholls (Music / Director of Community & Partnerships).
Charterhouse is proud to partner with, and grateful for the support of, the Samena Foundation and the Inle Trust as part of this exciting project.
For more information about our work in Myanmar, and our wide-ranging programme of local and international educational partnerships, please e-mail BCN@charterhouse.org.uk.
