Only 10% of students return to school

November 8, 2021

HURFOM: The military junta desperately wants to demonstrate their bureaucracy is running smoothly. This includes starting the 2021-22 academic year at any cost. Vaccinations for those 12-year-old and above have been prioritized, and they have announced that schools will be open on November 1, 2021.

However, COVID-19 still threatens communities and there is an active people’s armed revolution opposing the military dictatorship gaining momentum across the country. These developments have led parents to keep their children at home, rather than registering for school.

“Just a very few students have gone to school. Some parents are just waiting, while some are afraid of an explosion at the schools, so that they don’t send their children to school,” said a high school teacher from Mudon.

The military junta has forcefully opened basic middle and high schools with soldiers, police forces and firefighters deployed to provide building security.

There has been fighting between the soldiers who are based at schools, and the People Defense Forces, leaving parents worried about their children’s safety. Explosions have been reported nearby schools in both Mon and Karen States.

“The situation isn’t peaceful so we daren’t let the children go to school. If they don’t join school, they will miss one academic year but if they join school, it might endanger their lives. It’s difficult to make a decision,” said one parent from Mudon Township.

In Mon State there are about 1,500 Basic Education Schools which accept more than 400,000 students. According to the Basic Education Department of Mon State, roughly 40,000 students (10%) have registered to attend school.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News