Basic Education High School No. 6 Botataung - History

History

The school was founded as St. Paul's English High School by the De La Salle Brothers, a Roman Catholic order in August 1860, eight years after the British had seized Yangon and all of Lower Myanmar. It was the second LaSallian high school in the country. (St. Patrick's High School was founded in Mawlamyaing in April 1860.) The all-boys school was among the few early schools that educated the children of the country's British officers, the Anglo-Burmese, the Anglo-Indians and the wealthy Burmese. Naturally, many of the notable colonial era names were St. Paul's alumni. The language of instruction was mainly English in the early days, and bi-lingual for some classes in the later days. Latin, science and higher mathematics were taught in the senior classes. Special interest classes such as Painting, and Carpentry and Woodcarving were also offered. The highlights of the school year were the annual sports and school concerts.

In April 1965, when Gen. Ne Win's military government nationalized private schools, the school was renamed to "Basic Education High School (BEHS) No. 6 Botataung". The primary language of instruction became Burmese. The school, which used to have a "Roll of Honor" for its outstanding students, steadily lost significance partly due to the new requirement to attend nearby schools as much as possible. Nevertheless, the school is still considered among the top high schools in Myanmar. Many well-to-do and wealthy families prefer to send their children to TTC and Dagon 1 High School. The elite do not hesitate to send their kids to English language private schools that cost US$8000 or more annually. Today, Botataung 6 attracts mostly the children of middle-class families from downtown Yangon.

The school has produced two top-ranked students, who finished first in the country's highly competitive college matriculation exams, one in 1974 and another in 1984.