..."Education has always been given high priority in Myanmar society since ancient times with the monasteries acting as the main centres of education. Because of its strong tradition of monastic education, the literacy rate has been high all along the history of Myanmar. The literacy rate in the country dropped drastically as education was given scant attention during the British colonial period. However, sustained efforts after Independence in 1948 have steadily increased the literate population and today the literacy rate has climbed to 91.8 percent in 2002."...