46 > Next Generation Myanmar CHAPTER 4: CONCLUSIONS AND R ECO M M E N DAT I O N S Opportunities and expectations towards life Much has changed in Myanmar. Youth are now able to organise themselves and attend trainings with local civil society groups and NGOs. They are able to vote, join political parties and start student unions. Many recognise the shortcomings of their country’s ongoing transition, but still feel their futures will look better than their current circumstances. Though optimistic, youth have several concerns about their future. They worry about employment prospects, fearing their education has prepared them to participate in neither Myanmar’s emerging economy nor its budding democracy. They chafe at their parents’ restrictions and question social conventions about identity. They are concerned authorities aren’t doing enough to curb Myanmar’s drug problem, and are suspicious of conflicting interests in government. They are concerned about the rate at which their peers use social media, and doubt how free they truly are to express themselves on it. They have also inherited a country divided by ongoing civil conflicts that have left Myanmar with a scarred international reputation. These concerns can inform policies affecting youth and improve the services provided to them. The following policy options, informed by a series of youth policy workshops held with 200 young people across the country, can help government officials and aid providers better design programmes for the youth they serve. Many of these efforts may affect outcomes in ways that have significant secondary effects for Myanmar’s democracy and peace process. Table 1: Recommended policy and programme options Concern Policy and programme options Quality of education • Increase youth input in education design through boards and consultations and strengthen feedback to education systems from graduates. Many youth feel the current education system does not prepare young people for employment, social engagement or political activity. • Strengthen inclusivity in education by providing education in locally relevant languages, and by developing a curriculum that reflects Myanmar’s multi-ethnic, multi-faith heritage. • Promote the decentralisation of educational institutions, and the autonomy of universities and other higher education providers. • Ensure education is equitable across the country by providing additional and comparable facilities and resources to students in rural areas, including libraries. • Ensure these libraries are equipped with internet access. Poor employment opportunities Many youth feel there are few quality jobs for young people, especially in areas outside major urban centres. • Stimulate youth entrepreneurship by increasing access to (seed) funding, particularly in rural areas. • Increase public investment in sectors that provide youth employment. • Expand the government’s support for technical and vocational education and training by supporting local vocational schools and training centres. • Provide guidance for accessing online job boards, such as the Myanmar Information Management Unit. Widespread drug abuse Youth across Myanmar are concerned with the increasing rates of drug use and drug sales among young people in their communities. • Work to shift perception of drugs users from criminals and/or ‘lost individuals’ to victims. • Increase access to rehabilitating treatment. • Focus law enforcement on middlemen and ‘bigger fish’ rather than on drug users or drug addicts. • Work with international organisations and neighbouring countries to strengthen cross-border law enforcement programmes to disrupt supply chains of drugs and related materials.