Basic Education High School No. 2 Dagon


Basic Education High School No. 2 Dagon is a public high school located a few miles north of downtown Yangon, Myanmar. The former nationalist high school founded for the children of the common folk, now educates mostly the children of well-to-do Burmese families from Dagon and vicinity. It was one of the first "nationalist schools" opened after the First National Strike against the British rule in Burma.

History

The Myoma school was first founded at Bahan township in December 1920. The school was founded as the Myoma National High School by Ba Lwin in 1920 and the current building was built in 1929 as part of a nationwide movement by the nationalist Burmese to counter what they perceived as drawbacks of the British colonial education system: lack of access, and a heavily biased curriculum.
The colonial education system relied heavily on a small number of private schools like St. Paul's English High School that were out of reach for most Burmese. Even the wealthy Burmese who could afford the schools were unsatisfied with the heavy Anglo-centric nature of the curriculum. Throughout the 1920s, the nationalist Burmese set up a parallel education system of national schools throughout the country. In 1929, Ba Lwin founded the school in Yangon. He would go on to guide the school until 1953. The school is regarded as the second nationalist school opened in Burma after the Shin Maha Buddhaghosa National School established in 1899.
The school was nationalized in April 1965, and eventually renamed as Basic Education High School No. 2 Dagon. Today, commonly known as Dagon 2, it is still a nationally prominent school due to its heritage. Ironically, the very access touted in the school's founding has dissipated. Dagon 2 today draws its student body overwhelmingly from well-to-do families who can pay a large "donation" every year.
The school is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List. The Blue Plaque has been installed on the structure by the Yangon Heritage Trust in November 2018.

Notable alumni

Arts and literature