The development of the Five Physical and Mental Strengths in youth means equipping them with the essential qualities and abilities they need to stand on their own feet throughout their future lives and to become good citizens for their country.
Beyond just providing school education, it is essential to conduct sports and physical exercises during physical education classes to ensure physical fitness, while also offering training to broaden general knowledge, improve social skills, and foster an understanding of civic duties. Although Myanmar is a small developing country with many national needs, we must do everything possible to support the all-around development of young students. For this reason, school libraries are established for students to read. In fact, a school and its library are inseparable, and the library is an integral part of the school.
School libraries must be stocked with reading materials tailored to students’ respective grade levels, and arrangements should be made to ensure they actively read literature that expands their general knowledge during designated library periods. Furthermore, in schools that face challenges managing full library duties, homeroom teachers should use library periods to give talks that go beyond standard school lessons—sharing knowledge gathered from books about Myanmar’s history, prominent leaders, and geography. Only then will students develop the curiosity to explore and read about the subjects in their textbooks, sparking a lifelong passion for learning and reading.
To foster the mental and physical development of students, the following initiatives must be implemented: creating smoke-free school environments; inviting engaging speakers for school health talks; raising awareness about student health and nutrition; modernizing the lifelong life skills curriculum; collaborating between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education to digitize student health record cards; developing programmes to teach digital English and the use of AI; improving Grade-12 pass rates; ensuring school heads and teachers adhere to professional ethics and regulations; and mentoring and disciplining students with loving-kindness and compassion.
It is essential to cultivate students’ reading habits and library usage skills, guiding them to independently seek out information from libraries for whatever they wish to learn in the future. It is necessary to instruct students in modern techniques to help them understand and master the internationally practised library-based teaching and learning system. Furthermore, everyone must share modern library technologies to ensure they are familiar with up-to-date practices, and train them to integrate library resources seamlessly with their academic studies.
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