Education, interfaith issues and constitutional amendment will be the priority of the next parliamentary session which will start today.
"There are always bills to discuss. We will have to give first priority to the important ones. The bill to safeguard nationality and religion and the national education amendment bill must be given special emphasis," said Saw Hla Tun, secretary of the Joint Bill Committee of the Union Parliament.
The Union Parliament approved and enacted 159 laws during its first term.
In this session, Parliament will likely discuss and approve the bill to safeguard nationality and religion, which restricts conversion and marriage rights.
On May 4, US Ambassador Derek Mitchell and the Ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom David N. Saperstein met social and religious organisations based in Meikhtila Township. Civic organisations, Buddhist monks, clerics of Islam, Hindu and Christian attended the event.
"They asked if we have met with different religious organisations," said Khin Soe, chairperson of Htilasukhasamagi social organisation. "There were some of such occasions. We gave training on tolerance together with monks from Pyin-Oo-Lwin. We talked about access to information to prevent crisis among public. Our interests also extend to cover the 2015 election which should be free and fair."
On the constitutional amendment, Parliament Speaker Thura Shwe Mann said during his visit to the United States that more effort would be put into matters relating to constitutional amendment before the 2015 elections.
The Implementation Committee for Constitutional Amendment, which was formed by the Union parliament, submitted a report on constitutional amendment to the parliament suggesting that 210 of 457 sections, including 59(F), which bars Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president, should be amended.
It will also consider the bill to amend the National Education Law. A number of 131 changes were proposed, approved by the Lower House.
Both the Lower and Upper Houses approved the Education Ministry's proposed change to Section 62(A), to pledge 20 per cent of the entire national budget to be used on education within five years. It is one of the demands of students which ferociously fought for the bigger budget.
Last week, the government announced the plans to introduce free higher education system soon.
"The government provided free education system for primary-level schools in 2011-12 academic year and middle-level schools in 2014-15 academic year. Now, the government plans to provide free higher education system soon. Moreover, scholarships will be granted to outstanding primary- and middle-level students. The government will also provide president's scholarship award," said President Thein Sein in a meeting with students on April 5.
He also pledged to increase the budget to Ks1.5 trillion for education sector in the 2015-16 fiscal year and Ks753 billion for health sector. In the year, the government will spend up to Ks732 million to provide scholarships for 828 higher-level students and 2,418 middle level students.
Moreover, the government will provide Ks901.3 million for 11,022 students in addition to 5,000 primary-level students in next academic year, said the president.
In the middle of this month, representatives from 134 universities will also convene a seminar, to examine university autonomy and management, rules and regulations, and the university entrance system. An anonymous source at the Education Ministry said that in the past such discussions were confined to the ministry, but now universities have been invited to participate.
"We have invited all the universities to discuss the role of the ministry ... and what path they will follow," the official said.
However, participants at the seminar will look at any procedures that ensure integrity in maintaining standards as well as fairness in providing opportunities to students, he said.