MANDALAY: Singaporeans may find National Education a propagandist yawn, but not Myanmese teacher Zin Zin Zaw.

The 30-year-old has been teaching the subject for three years at MCTA, a Mandalay-based school that offers the Singapore curriculum.

But it was only earlier this year that she finally visited Singapore - on a school trip with her students - and got to see the city state up close.

'I saw first-hand what I have been teaching my students all these years. Singapore's progress to a first-world country is truly amazing.'

Ms Zin, who has a degree from Yangon University of Arts and Science and speaks fluent English, wishes she had the opportunity to study in Singapore like her students. She describes Singapore schools and universities in glowing terms, praising them as 'first-rate with top-notch facilities'.

She recounts how her undergraduate studies were interrupted when the military government shut down her university for three years after a student uprising in late 1996.

She continued her studies by taking up English- language courses at the British Council in Yangon, before going back to the university when it reopened.

She notes her English lessons at the British Council were a blessing in disguise as her teachers there, who were native speakers, taught her to speak English confidently.

It also enabled her to land jobs in international schools, which pay many times more than Myanmar government schools . Her friends teaching in Myanmar government schools earn on average US$40 (S$58) a month. She earns five times more - US$200 - teaching at MCTA.

SANDRA DAVIE

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 11, 2008.

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