The Karen Teachers Working Group (KTWG) is a community based organisation founded in 1997 that works to promote and improve education in Karen State. The organisation helps to fund Karen Education Department Schools and conducts pre service and in service teacher training. KTWG provides assistance to around 1000 KED or mixed authority schools.Conflict Sensitivity in Education Provision in Karen State. Polina Lenkova, Thabyay Education Foundation 2015
The organisation was the subject of a 2016 Save the Children reportA Model of Education in Hard to Reach Areas- The KTWG Model, Save the Children, 2016. which recognised the significance of KTWG in both national and ethnic education spheres and found substantial evidence that KTWG was contributing to "reducing student drop out rates, increasing student participation rates, improving ethnic teacher retention rates and improving ethnic teacher competency and skills in student-centred teaching pedagogy".
Professional Development Training Pre Service Training In 2004, the KTWG founded the Karen Teacher Training College in Mu TrawStrength in Diversity- Towards Universal Education in Myanmar's Ethnic Areas- The Asia Foundation. 2016 The school runs a two-year course in teaching following a locally designed curriculum.
In Service Training Mobile Teacher Trainers (MTT) are supporting refugee and community teachers along the Thailand–Myanmar border to support ongoing peace building efforts who conducting in service training as part of a program that began in 2001. MTT's travel, often to remote areas, to observe and support active teachers. Trainers also work with the local communities, working with local parentsKTWG Training boosts parents role in their children's education. Karen News, August 2017 and community members to promote the value of education and to engage people in wider policy discussions As of 2017, there are 66 teacher trainers working with KTWG.
Summer Vacation Training Teacher trainers conduct teacher trainer for four weeks during the summer school break. In 2015, 1474 teachers completed this training.
Financial Support KTWG provides stipends.Comparing Models of Non-state Ethnic Education in Myanmar: The Mon and Karen National Education Regimes, Journal of Contemporary Asia, [Marie Lall & Ashley South (2014) Comparing Models of Non-state Ethnic Education in Myanmar: The Mon and Karen National Education Regimes, Journal of Contemporary Asia, 44:2, 298-321, DOI: 10.1080/00472336.2013.823534, Page 312] to over 6000 active teachers each year
Partners and Affiliated groups KTWG is a founding member of The Myanmar/Burma Indigenous Network for Education (MINE) an advocacy group for Language rights in MyanmarETHNIC LANGUAGES AND EDUCATION DECLARATION. MYANMAR/BURMA INDIGENOUS NETWORK FOR EDUCATION. 2014 KTWG is a partner of the Karen Department of Health and Welfare. KTWG receives financial and technical support from WorldEd KTWG has partnered with Naresuan University with the university which provided training and certification for KTWG teachers
The Karen State Education Assistance Group (KSEAG) was formed in 2005 by KTWG in partnership with the Karen Education Department. It provides teacher stipends and educational material to schools in Eastern Myanmar. According to KTWG, In 2013/14 KSEAG supported 6154 teachers, 141,632 students and 1294 schools.
In 2014, KTWG and Karen News produced the film "Our Schools, Our Language and Our Future", which was launched in Yangon. The organisation has received support from Save the Children for the MTTs to use Save the Children's Quality Learning Environment evaluative tool in the field.
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