The Comparison between DSA & YU

When we were attending the Remedial Course, our English teacher Daw Wynn Shi Sho told us to present a talkshow named ‘the comparison between DSA and YU. Win Htun Aung (brain wash and first year life), Nay Win Htun( the history of the academy), Kyaw Zeyar(memorable speech of DSA leaders), Kyaw Zarni Win (beautiful words), Zarni Mg Mg (the largest academy of the south-east Asia), and the following is my topic.

The Comparison between DSA and YU

Good afternoon everybody. I am Kaung Htet San. Now I am here to present you about the comparison between our academy and this university. Therefore, please, imagine me as a junior cadet who has visited here for this presentation.

I am cadet Kaung Htet San. I am the 6633^rd cadet of the academy. My mother company is Bandoola, named for the significant Field Marshall in the ancient Myanmar Naing-Ngan. I have being visited here for two weeks. In my sight, there are many differences between yours and ours. I would like to present the nature of our academy.

There are two main parts in our academy; training and academic wing. Training concentrates on physical fitness and academic concentrates on mental fitness. But they are related and they can not be separated. So our academic life is not a fashion of real university student routine, it is just a part of our soldier life.

A day of academic life starts by marching to the Academic Wing with the participation of the band troop, marching tune and energetic songs of the cadets. Daily timetable starts as soon as we get the wing. There are three periods in the morning and three periods in the afternoon. Each period takes an hour and the interval is ten minutes break.

To have lunch, we have 50 minutes from ten pass eleven to twelve a.m. Within fifty minutes we march to the compound mess and have lunch and come back to the wing.

The timetable comes to an end at ten pass three p.m. and we march again to our hostel with the participation of energetic music.

As for the class, the student orderly officer, so called ‘SO’ like Than Soe Htike here, is responsible for the class. Every cadet is rotate SO for everyday. The SO needs to observe the status of the class and takes down in a piece of paper called Parade State. When the teacher comes in, he orders the class to stand up and report the teacher like this_

Eyes front

Put on your beret

Class stand

( salute the officer and reports)

The 43^rd intake , English specialization

Posted strength 37

On parade 37

No one is absent

The class is ready for your lecture.

( in this case, Teacher Wynn acts in the roll of the teacher and I myself acts in the roll of the SO and my comrades act in the roll of the cadets. Teacher Wynn praises the system)

When the time is up, the SO reports the teacher like this_

Permission to dismiss the class.

If the teacher gives permission granted, he dismisses the class and waits for another teacher.

Every teacher including master or mistress, military officer or civilian, can punish the cadets either it is needed or if he wants. The teachers often do it on the spot, may be in the class or on the way or on the ground. If not, he summons the cadets to the department to punish him. The unlucky cadet might be given corporal punishment or black and white action. Physical punishment is not a problem for any cadet. It often be a childplay because we have been well-trained by our seniors. However the black and white action might be a little problem with the misfortune cadet. The teacher claims the report book (individual report book which is needed to have in any condition for all cadet). The teacher takes down the offence or misdeed of the cadet in that book and the cadet has to show the report to his respective company commander. Then the cadet might be given some penalty, not to go outpass in weekend or to be trained extra military drill. This is just for individual.

For a group, or for a class, there is special punishment. If the teacher wants to punish the class, he can interrupt his teaching and takes the class in the parade ground and gives corporal punishment.

There are so many prohibitions in our academy especially for junior cadets. Juniors are not allowed to pass any short-cuts and hold handrail when they use the stairs.

All the cadet has attaché case to carry their books and documents. We call it ‘academic bag’. There are three levels of cadets in the academy; first year, second year and final year. So also, there are three styles of hanging attaché case. The final year cadets, so called the ‘God of DSA’ can hang the case and walk in style (like this). For the second year cadets, the so called ‘problem of DSA’ can hang the bag but not allowed to walk, they need to run in the academic wing (like this). For the first year cadets, the so called ‘servants of DSA’ are not allowed either to hang the bag or to walk. If they have to move here to there, they need to fold the academic bag in their arms and run (like this). If not, they might be punished by the nearest senior cadets.

In the squad, marching to the wing or coming back to the hostel, the junior cadets are being influenced under the sight of near by senior cadets. If the marching step or walking style is not good or the singing is not loud enough, he may be given some ‘extra’ (lines). If he new cadet can’t sing by heart, he might write the song 10 times or more, may be 50 times.

To study the lessons, there is a certain study hour, seven to nine p.m. Within this period, no one can go anywhere and he needs to be present in his room. Punishing is not allowed in this period. During the examination season, we can light our room till 11 o’clock exactly. In the examination season, most senior cadets prepare some fresh food and snacks for his juniors. When the study hour is up, they invite his respective juniors and serve them in their rooms. In vice-versa some juniors do like that to their seniors. But it is very rare and difficult to accept according to the tradition of our academy. Some of the seniors who are skilful in their respective subjects, offer and welcome to help in the lessons of other cadets especially for juniors. The company briefing hall sometimes change into a classroom. In accordance with ‘the brother guardian system’, senior is responsible for his younger cadet affairs including academic lessons. (oh very kind manner)

Let me go to a new point.

In our academy, there is no multicolour fashion and beautiful ladies. The whole battalion is uniformed in olive green gressing. Instead of it, there are flowers, multicolour blossoms. Cadets are used to remark the season of the year by looking at the blossoms.

The red gold mohur ( Sein Ban Ni) is the symbol of starting a cadet life. The yellow wild sunflower (Nay Kyar Yine) is the symbol of excursion. Lovely cheery is the symbol of peaceful condition of the cadet battalions. Because at that season, all the cadets are concerned about their second terminal examination. And their soldier hearts are soft and tender under the influence of magic power of cheery blossom. The deep blue coloured gold mohur( Sein Ban Pyar) and the multicolour blossoms is the magnificent signification of the graduation season and the happiest season of the first year cadets. Because ,they have to return to their mother land for a month, away from the pressure of senior cadets and away from the tight rules of the Defence Services Academy.

(after the talk show, the teacher requested to play an energetic song. We, all the comrades of 22 candidates participate to play the ‘Song of DSA’.)