Than Oo
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Than Oo (Burmese: သန်းဦး, 1928–2024)[1] was a prominent Burmese educator and Ministry of Education (MOE) official.[2]
Than Oo | |
|---|---|
သန်းဦး | |
| Director-General of the Department of Basic Education | |
| Assumed office 1977 | |
| Assistant Education Research Officer of the Burma Education Research Bureau | |
| In office 1965–1977 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1928 |
| Died | 23 June 2024 (aged 96) |
| Alma mater | Rangoon University |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Nickname | ကိုဟုတ်ကဲ့ |
He was born in Chaungnadan village in Pyay Township, Pegu Province (now Bago Region), located 170 miles (270 km) north of Rangoon (now Yangon) in 1928.[3] His mother was mentally ill, while his father and elder brother died when Than Oo was young. Than Oo studied at Rangoon University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in education.[3] He continued his study at the University of Hawaiʻi, through a scholarship with the East-West Center, and obtained a Master of Education in 1963.[3]
Than Oo subsequently returned to Burma. He was appointed Assistant Administration Officer of Schools at the Directorate of Education, and went on to become a Principal of the Bassein Teacher Training School.[3] In 1965, he was appointed the Assistant Education Research Officer under the Ministry of Education's Burma Education Research Bureau.[3] There, he began a nationwide mass literacy movement that increased Burma's literacy rate to 78.6% by 1988, and reformed the Burmese language pedagogy.[3]
In 1977, he was appointed to Director-General of the MOE's Department of Basic Education, becoming an influential education advisor.[3]
Later projects
Than Oo was the chairman of the Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science.[4] He also served on the academic advisory board of the Myanmar Education Promotion Implementation Committee.[5][6] He also served as the chairman for the Myanmar Literacy Resource Centre.[7]
Honorary recognition
In 2013, the University of Yangon awarded Than Oo an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for his professional accomplishments.[8] On 16 May 2015, the University of Hawaiʻi awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.[5][8]