Myanmar Centre for school dropouts completes 5 years

Myanmar’s Sacred Heart Education Center commemorated five years on March 3, in Bago, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Yangon.

Sacred Heart Education Center is a private pre-primary school started in 2016 under the guidance of Cardinal Charles Bo.

Sacred Heart Education Center started as a learning center in Payathonezu Village, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of Bago, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Yangon.

The centre began with nine students on March 13, 2009. The students were dropouts who failed to clear their matriculation examination but wanted to give another try to clear the exam.

In 2011 with the approval of Cardinal Charles Bo and support of Maria Pia from Palamo, Italy, the learning center was transferred to the compound of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Bago. The increasing number of dropouts were trained at the centre and cleared their matriculation exams.

In 2013, the number of students doubled from 35 to 70. The center started to accept students of different faiths and from other locations.

From the Education Center, which is limited to a certain number of high school students, the archdiocese extends its efforts to establish a pre-primary school with the help of Catholic Mission, Australia. The school came into existence in 2016. The Myanmar Government acknowledged the center and has already registered with the country's Education Ministry.

Sacred Heart Education Center also bears the name Shwe Hin Thar Education Center, which means Golden Bird Education Center, making it easier for government officials to accept it.  Golden Bird is the symbol of Bago city in Myanmar.

“We train the children for their mental, spiritual, and physical development,” said Angelica Ngu War, a Sacred Heart Education Center teacher.

According to Angelica before Covid-19, there were about 100 children with about 15 teachers.

“One of the advantages of online learning is that the parents can see how their children are following the lessons and how the way of teaching is going. But it is hard to know whether children are attentive to the lessons and the teaching. Parents are more responsible in online learning. But face-to-face learning is more advantageous. We plan to have the learning in school in 2022,” said Father Abraham Shwe Win, the rector of the learning center.

“Our Catholic Education Centers should not be the place of conversion to Catholicism. Whatever faith they have, they should be in good morality,” said Auxiliary Bishop John Saw Yaw Han of Yangon.

Bishop John Saw Yaw Han hopes that once their learning is accomplished, the students will become good friends of the Catholic Church. “But if they are willing to accept the Catholicism, we are happy to welcome them,” said Bishop John Saw.

Sacred Heart Education Center is a Church program that assists in the nation-building process through supporting education.

Father Abraham Shwe Win is the present rector, and Father Paul Lin Htut is the associate rector of the learning center.

Cardinal Charles Bo, together with Bishop John Saw Yaw Han and Bishop Noel Saw Naw Aye, the Auxiliary Bishops, were honored.

The management comprises of eight persons, including Bishop John Saw Yaw Han. Bishop Noel Saw Naw Aye has been a director of the education center.