About KECD

As part of the KNU, KECD formerly known as the Karen Education Department (KED) is the governing body that works alongside communities to oversee the standardization, structuring, delivery and monitoring of sustainable quality educational activities and outcomes for the Karen peoples inside Southeast Burma.

The KECD works with local communities, community leaders and local authorities, as well as regional and international bodies to ensure that educational policies and practices adopted and implemented also promote inclusion, equality, peace and democracy.

Our History:

Please see KNU’s website link for a brief history of Karen education: https://www.knuhq.org/public/en/department/education_and_culture

And P’Doh Saw Shwe Ya Hai’s experience sharing of the Karen education history since it was first established till as of today in Karen language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM09zPXZBwY&feature=emb_logo

Our Vision and Mission

Vision: A peaceful, pluralistic and just society founded on an educational climate that provides equal access to appropriate and quality educational services and experience for individuals and their communities to realize their full potentials, and experience and maintain their cultures.

Mission: To develop an inclusive and complementary education system within Southeast Burma that enables learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to critically and creatively contribute to healthy, harmonious and environmentally-sustainable societies.

5 Years Strategy Plan

To support the organisation’s vision and mission, KECD set its five-year Strategic Plan and aims to reach the four strategic goals within the period 2019-2023. The pursuit of these goals is strongly influenced by the ongoing and unpredictable political and economic developments through this period in Burma, as well as in Thailand.

KECD four strategic goals are: KECD 2019-23 Strategy Plan

Senior Staff & Leadership

Meet our Advisors

P’Doh Saw Thamin Htun
KNU – Central Executive Committee

P’Doh Saw Shwe Yar Hei
KECD – former Head

P’Doh Saw Lah Say
KECD – former Head

P’Doh Naw Dah Dah
KNU – Central Executive Committee

P’Doh Naw Zipporah Zein
KNU – former Vice-President

Naw Deborah Htoo
Karen Refugee Committee Education Entity (KRCEE) – former Director, and former Secretary of KECD

Meet our Senior Management Team

• Saw Law Eh Moo – KECD Secretary (also acting Head)
• Saw Eh K’lu Htoo – Joint Secretary
• Saw Banny – Head of Bureau of Secretary
• Naw New Temple Htun – Head of Bureau of Basic Education
• Saw Ler Tamlar – Head of Bureau of Special Project
• Saw Hayso Thako – Head of Bureau of Higher Education
• Saw Hsar Doe Doh Moo – Head of Bureau of Culture

Meet our District Education Officers

• Saw Per Nu – Doo Tha Htu
• Saw Hai Soe – Taw Oo
• Saw Calvin – Kler Lwee Htu
• Saw Boe Boe Khin Maung – Mergui Tavoy
• Saw Yu Bi Poe – Mu Traw
• Mahn Kennedy – Doo Pla Ya
• Saw Pleh Htoo – Hpa An

Bureaux

For more information on each of our bureaux, please go to the “What We Do” page.