Contrary to misleading information in the media, Venerable Wirathu is not uneducated. The reason for this is the frequently cited Times Magazine article that he left public schools at age 14. However, as with most things in Time Magazine, the whole story was not revealed. Frequently overlooked in the West, monasteries have been a traditional place for education in Southeast Asian cultures for thousands of years. Young monks are fully expected to complete their studies. Wirathu worked hard as a young man to earn the equivalent of a Phd in Buddhist studies which is only awarded to students between the ages of 22-26 years old and is a very difficult exam to acquire. Since 1998, Ven. Wirathu has been volunteering his time to serve the education needs of his community.