RANGOON — The Government Technical Institute, Insein will be turned into a polytechnic institute, Deputy Minister of Education Zaw Min Aung told Parliament on Monday.
Zaw Min Aung was responding to a question from Lower House lawmaker Win Htein, a member of the National League for democracy (NLD), about whether there were plans to re-open Insein Township’s Government Technical Institute (GTI) as a multidisciplinary industrial institute when he made the announcement.
“Before, the institute could only teach technology-related subjects such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering and electronic engineering. We’re going to open a polytechnic institute that offers engineering and vocational subjects according to Asean standards,” he said.
The deputy minister added that there are also plans to launch a technical high school and institutes to teach vocational skills to those unable to finish high school. Short- and long-term classes on hotel and tourism management, among other vocational subjects, will be offered.
“It’s heartbreaking to know that the GTI was used as a prison cell by the former government,” Win Htein said, referring to when the school was run by the military junta.
The institute celebrated its 120th anniversary in December 2015 and received recognition from the Yangon Heritage Trust to mark the historic milestone.
*This article has been amended to correct the name of the institute, originally erroneously stated as the Yangon Technological University.
