Volunteer Education Specialists

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Myanmar, national and international volunteers, and the British Council on the ‘Towards Results in Education and English’ (TREE) programme, VSO harnesses a volunteer-led effort to improve Myanmar’s health and education systems. In 2019, VSO trained volunteers and education specialists, improved teacher training, and continued professional development in Education Colleges that strengthened the capacity of principals, educators, and student teachers across Myanmar. Increased competence of educators and school leadership, improved learning outcomes for student teachers (particularly in English Language Teaching), greater use of evidence to inform teaching practices, and an overall stronger, more effective and more inclusive education system to support reforms to teacher education are among TREE’s many outcomes. 

To strengthen Myanmar’s education system, VSO places expert volunteers at 25 education degree colleges throughout the country who provide specialist training, support, and professional development for teacher educators and student teachers. These volunteer education specialists reach over 1,700 teacher educators, in turn ensuring that thousands more student teachers complete their training equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to respond to the diverse learning needs they will encounter in the classroom.

Volunteers also support national reforms to pre-service curriculum and developing the knowledge and skills of teacher educators in inclusive practice and pedagogy.