Unclear if students attending Mon National Schools will be part of military council vaccination plan

October 22, 2021

HURFOM: The military council has been preparing to re-open schools for November, 2021. In preparation the junta-controlled Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health have arranged to vaccinate students aged 12 and above.

However, there is no certainty vaccines will be available for students operated by the Mon National Education Committee which works in cooperation with the Ministry of Education.

“We’ve already given the list of Mon national students but they (the junta officials)

replied that they haven’t gotten the order from above so that Mon national students can’t be vaccinated yet,” said a school teacher from the Ye Schoolteacher Association.

The Military council has plans to vaccinate students who are under the responsibility of the Basic Education Department, monastic schools and private schools. There has been no mention regarding the needs of students attending schools operated by the MNEC.

The MNEC hoped to re-open their schools in November alongside government schools.

“We’ve already had discussions even at village and community levels to re-open the (Mon national) schools. In fact, some schools have already re-opened in some areas. But there is still COVID-19 so that it’s not 100% safe,” said a schoolteacher from the Thanbyuzayat Township School teacher Association.

Students attending government run schools were vaccinated on October 17 and there

are116 vaccination clinics across Mon State. The vaccine being administered is the China-made Sinovac vaccine.

“If students from the government schools have a chance to be vaccinated, our Mon national students should have the same right,” stated a schoolteacher from the Thanbyuzayat Township School teacher Association.

The military junta has planned to vaccinate 66,273 students aged 12-years and older in