Evaluating Legal Education Reform in Myanmar: Implications for Peace and Justice (2010-2020)
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study examines the reform of legal education through Critical Legal Studies, with a particular focus on how practice-oriented reforms contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.3 by promoting the rule of law and ensuring equal access to justice. It assesses whether the new legal education system can produce legal professionals who possess not only legal skills but also the motivation to serve society by disseminating knowledge to raise awareness of people's rights, duties, and privileges. The research uses online surveys and interviews to collect information and explore the opinions of lecturers and students on five issues: curriculum, capacity-building, teaching methodology, teaching materials, and research. Drawing on surveys of 33 teaching staff and interviews with 19 faculty members and 18 students from 10 universities, the study found that there has been inequality in implementing all five aspects (curriculum, teaching methodology, capacity-building, research, and academic freedom) of the reforms among universities, teachers, and students to achieve SDG 16.3. The report suggests that the accessibility and equitable distribution of resources should be included in the state’s reform framework and are as important as curriculum reform.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The views, opinions, and pictures expressed in this journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of the editor and the editorial board. All rights are reserved by the authors and the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies of Mahidol University. No part of this journal may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing from the journal’s editor, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Non-commercial use of information in this journal must be properly referenced.
References
Allen, C. (2018, November 7). Critical thinking in Myanmar's education system (Part I). Tea Circle. https://teacircleoxford.com/opinion/critical-thinking-in-myanmars-education-system-part-i/
American Association of University Professors. (1940). 1940 Statement of principles on academic freedom and tenure: With 1970 interpretive comments. AAUP. https://www.aaup.org/reports-publications/aaup-policies-reports/policy-statements/1940-statement-principles-academic
American Association of University Professors. (2022). Resources on academic freedom. [Video]. AAUP. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://www.aaup.org/our-programs/academic-freedom/resources-academic-freedom
ASEAN Secretariat. (2020). ASEAN sustainable development goals indicators baseline report 2020. ASEAN Secretariat. https://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ASEAN-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Indicators-Baseline-Report-2020-web.pdf
Aung, M. T., & Aaen, L. S. (2020). Integrating human rights education in Myanmar's higher institutions. Human Rights Education in Asia-Pacific, 10, 185–192. https://www.hurights.or.jp/archives/asia-pacific/section1/hreap_v10_formal_education4.pdf
BABSEACLE. (2013). Myanmar. https://www.babseacle.org/justice-initiatives/myanmar/
Blomquist, H. (2004). Legal education, profession and society transition: Reform of Lithuanian legal education. Review of Central and East European Law, 29(1), 35-96.
Bünte, M., & Dosch, J. (2015). Myanmar: Political reforms and the recalibration of external relations. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 34(2), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/186810341503400201
Carothers, T. (2007). The backlash against democracy promotion. Foreign Affairs, 86(2), 55–68.
Cemmell, J. (2009). Academic freedom international study: Burma, Colombia, Israel, Palestine, Zimbabwe. University and College Union. https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/3421/Academic-Freedom-International-Study-complete-report/pdf/academic_freedom_whole_document.pdf
Central Statistical Organization. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://www.csostat.gov.mm/PolicyAndStrategy/SDGs?form=MG0AV3
CHINLONE. (2018, December 14). Myanmar's Higher Education reform: Which way forward?. https://www.coimbra-group.eu/myanmars-higher-education-reform-which-way-forward/
Comprehensive Education Sector Review. (2013). CESR Phase 1 higher education: Background information report. http://www.cesrmm.org/assets/home/img/cesr%20phase%201%20higher%20education_backgroundinformationreport.pdf
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2017). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dagon University. (n.d.). International collaborations. https://www.dagonuniversity.edu.mm/international-collaborations/
Edwards, H. T. (1992). The growing disjunction between legal education and the legal profession. Michigan Law Review, 91(1), 34-78. https://doi.org/10.2307/1289788
Haydena, M. & Martin, R. (2013). Recovery of the education system in Myanmar. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 2(2) 47-57. https://doi.org/10.14425/00.50.28
Human Rights Watch. (2005). Reading between the “Red Lines” The repression of academic freedom in Egyptian Universities. In Human Rights Watch, Vol. 17, No. 6(E). https://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/egypt0605/egypt0605.pdf
Hutchins, R. M. (1937). Legal education. University of Chicago Law Review, 4(3), 357-368. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclrev/vol4/iss3/1
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute. (2012). The rule of law in Myanmar: Challenges and prospects. International Bar Association. https://www.burmalibrary.org/sites/burmalibrary.org/files/obl/docs14/IBAHRI-Rule_of_Law_in_Myanmar.pdf
Iwuàla, E. (2022, January 6). Strengthening the ability of communities through legal education: Area the justice of peace can come in. Sabilaw. https://learnnigerianlaws.com/strengthening-the-ability-of-communities-through-legal education/?amp=1
Lall, M. (2020). Myanmar’s education reforms: A pathway to social justice? UCL Press. https://doi.org/10.14324/111.9781787353695
Lien, B. T. B. (2005). Legal education in transitional Vietnam. In J. Gillespie & P. Nicholson (Eds.), Asian socialism and legal change: The dynamics of Vietnamese and Chinese reform (pp. 135–158). ANU Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2jbjds.15
Liljeblad, J. (2019). Democracy, rule-of-law, and legal ethics education in context: Directing lawyers to support democratization in Myanmar. Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, 47(2), 451-478. https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/gjicl/vol47/iss2/4
Ministry of Education. (2020). Mid-term review NESP 2016–2021 (final report). Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw.
Namitha, C. (2018). Modern method of teaching. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(Suppl.1), S39-S41. https://dx.doi.org/10.21839/jaar.2018.v3S1.167
National Education Law. (2014). Available at: https://www.myanmar-law-library.org/law-library/laws-and-regulations/laws/myanmar-laws-1988-until-now/union-solidarity-and-development-party-laws-2012-2016/myanmar-laws-2014/pyidaungsu-hluttaw-law-no-41-2014-national-education-law-burmese-and-english.html
National Education Strategic Plan 2016-21. (2016). Available at https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/myanmar_national_education_strategic_plan_2016-21.pdf
Popoff, A. (2018). The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: Crime, conspiracy and cover-up. Trine Day.
Sung, N. K., & Lee, W. W. (2006). Reform of legal education in the age of globalization. Journal of Korean Law, 5(2), 85-96.
Ulla, M. B. (2018). In-service teachers’ training: The case of university teachers in Yangon, Myanmar. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n1.4
Unger, R. M. (1986). The critical legal studies movement. Harvard University Press.
United Nations. (1990, September 7). Basic principles on the role of lawyers. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/basic-principles-role-lawyers
University of Yangon. (n.d.). International Collaboration. https://www.uy.edu.mm/international-collaboration/
USAID. (May, 2016). Burma Brief: Legal Education, U.S. Agency for International Development (Report). https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PBAAK144.pdf
Wizner, S. (2002). The law school clinic: Legal education in the interests of justice. Fordham Law Review, 70, 1929-1938. https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/flr/vol70/iss5/29
Zan, M. (2008). Legal education in Burma since the mid-1960s. Journal of Burma Studies, 12(1), 63-107. https://doi.org/10.1353/jbs.2008.0002.
