Yangon American awarded IB PYP authorisation

RNS Number : 6809F

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd

19 July 2021

 

REACH- a non-regulatory announcement

        19 July 2021

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd.

("MSH" or the "Company")

Yangon American awarded International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme authorisation

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd. (LSE: SHWE), the independent developer and operator of consumer businesses located in Myanmar and Vietnam, is pleased to announce that the Yangon American International School ("Yangon American"), the Company's first private K-12 international school, has been recognised as an official International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme ("IB PYP") school by the International Baccalaureate Organization. 

The IB PYP programme, which was established by the International Baccalaureate Educational Foundation in 1997 and is now taught in 109 countries, is designed for students aged 3 through 12 and focuses on the child as an "inquirer", developing their natural curiosity, both in and out of the classroom.

Despite the challenges of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent political events in Myanmar, the school's leadership, teachers and students completed a two-year training and implementation path to achieve recognition as one of an elite group of elementary school programmes worldwide that teach high-level academics to all students.

As an IB World School, Yangon American is now part of a global community of schools committed to developing knowledgeable, caring young people who will be ready to negotiate their futures successfully and make contributions resulting in a more harmonious and peaceful world.

Among the key components of IB PYP at Yangon American are teaching international-mindedness: who we are in our school, in our community and in the world; focusing on the social, emotional and academic well-being of students; learning a foreign language; continuing professional development for teachers to expand their knowledge and expertise in teaching IB PYP to high international benchmarks; and regular evaluation visits by the International Baccalaureate Organization to affirm the quality of the programme.

Yangon American's enrolment for academic year 2020-2021 was ca. 70 students. Subject to the relevant rules and regulations, Yangon American is committed to teach the academic year 2021-2022 in person.  

Commenting on the award of the IB PYP authorisation, the Head of School at Yangon American, Robert Crutchfield, said:

"The entire Yangon American learning community is to be congratulated as they are officially recognised internationally for what we have known to be true since our founding in 2019; that Yangon American is committed to student achievement and academic excellence. This achievement would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication shown by our faculty, staff, parents, Board of Directors and students.

"Offering the Primary Years Programme to the students at Yangon American is an opportunity for us to change the course of their lives. Developing students that can think critically about concepts and issues, be compassionate about the world around them, and be creative problem solvers will undeniably change their lives and the communities they live in. Our students deserve the best educational experience possible and I could not be prouder or more honoured than to lead such an amazing group of true professionals and students."

Jonathan Kolb, Chief Financial Officer of Myanmar Strategic Holdings, commented:

"I am delighted to announce that the Company's first international school, Yangon American, has been recognised as an official International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme school, having only opened in August 2019.

"Against the backdrop of a challenging environment, with the school's leadership, teachers and students completing two years of training online as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, this achievement is not to be underestimated. Furthermore, this programme will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the lives of all Yangon American's teachers and students, plus those living in the surrounding community.

"We have also always been committed to responsible investment and improving the lives of those in the markets we serve, and this is a further example of that focus. We look forward to further developments from Yangon American in due course."

For more information please visit  www.ms-holdings.com  or contact:

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd. Richard Greer, Independent Non-Executive Chairman Enrico Cesenni, Founder and CEO	[e-mail] [e-mail]
Allenby Capital Limited (Broker) Nick Athanas Nick Naylor	[phone]
Yellow Jersey PR (Financial PR) Henry Wilkinson Matthew McHale	[phone]

Notes to editors

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd.

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd. (LSE: SHWE) is an independent developer and manager of consumer businesses in Myanmar and Vietnam, two of the fastest growing economies in the world. The Company's portfolio currently focuses on Education, Services and Hospitality with the view to expand within the broader consumer sector.

Education sector:  the Company currently has exclusive development and franchising agreements with Wall Street English for ten English language centres across Myanmar over the course of the ten-year agreement. Two centres were opened in 2017, a third in August 2018, and a fourth in February 2020. As of September 2020, Wall Street English Myanmar served ca 2,000 students.

In July 2020, the Company completed the acquisition of the Wall Street English business in Vietnam. Founded in 2013, the WSE Vietnam business operates through seven centres in Ho Chi Minh and Binh Dhuong serving over 6,000 students. 

The Company also operates a joint venture with Auston Institute of Management to develop and operate the Auston College Myanmar. The private school opened in May 2018 offering diplomas in Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering and Networking, Information Systems, and Security. English language learning is also provided by the Company's nearby Wall Street English centre. In February 2020, the Company announced a partnership with Liverpool John Moores University to provide high quality engineering training programmes for young, working professionals in Myanmar, to be taught by Auston College Myanmar's teaching staff at its Junction Square complex in Yangon.

The Company launched its first private K-12 international school, the Yangon American International School in Yangon, in August 2019.

Services sector:  through its acquisition of EXERA, the Company offers security, risk management and secure logistics services, including cash-in-transit. Founded in 2013, EXERA employs approximately 1,500 well-trained and high-quality security officers making it one of the largest security services providers in Myanmar.

Hospitality sector:  through its portfolio, the Company currently manages over 470 beds across four boutique hotels in three core tourist locations across Myanmar, operating under the award winning Ostello Bello budget hospitality brand. MSH operates an asset light strategy, entering into long-term operating and management agreements with local hotel owners.

Myanmar and Vietnam were among the fastest growing economies in Asia in 2017-2020 (Source: Asian Development Bank). In 2021, Vietnam's annual GDP growth is expected to be 6.7% (Source: Asian Development Bank). 

MSH is well positioned to provide investors early exposure to Myanmar's and Vietnam's strong economic fundamentals enhanced by ASEAN's wider growth prospects. 

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