By Hlaing / MPA (Article)
“I was able to attend school until last year. With a monthly tuition fee of 15,000 kyats, my father couldn’t afford it anymore, so I had to drop out, even though I want to go back to school,” said Ma Lat Lat Zaw, a 7th-grade student from Saw Township in the Southern Yaw Area of Gangaw District, Magway Region.
Ma Lat Lat Zaw previously attended a school under the National Unity Government (NUG) in Saw Township. However, she is unable to attend school for the 2024–2025 academic year due to financial difficulties.
Her family of five faces significant hardships. Her mother suffers from a chronic illness, and her father works as a daily wage laborer, earning just enough to cover the family’s basic needs. Her older brother takes on odd jobs, while her younger sister is still in primary school.
Every morning at 8:30 a.m., children with school bags walk to schools in the village with their friends. Watching them, Ma Lat Lat Zaw wipes her tears with her shirt. “I want to go to school too,” she said. “Watching my friends go makes me wish I could join them.”
A volunteer teacher at an NUG school explained, “NUG doesn’t provide salaries, so we have to collect a certain amount of tuition fees from parents. An academic year is nine months long, and teachers’ salaries come from these funds.”
At NUG schools, the tuition fee is 15,000 kyats per month for primary and middle school students, and 30,000 kyats per month for high school students under the old system or 11th and 12th grades under the new system. In households with two students and only one parent, fees are charged only for the student in the higher grade, according to the teacher.
Parents like Daw Khin May struggle to manage these costs. “We pay 45,000 kyats a month for my two children—one in 11th grade and one in primary school. With our limited income, it’s hard to cover these expenses,” she said.
In Saw Township, many primary school children, like Ma Lat Lat Zaw, cannot afford the fees and are unable to continue their education.
The military junta’s education department reports that five million students were enrolled in basic education schools under its control during the 2023–2024 academic year, a number that increased to over six million for 2024–2025. In contrast, the NUG’s Ministry of Education announced that over 700,000 students are currently studying in more than 60,000 schools, both online and in areas controlled by local resistance forces.
Teaching in these resistance-held areas is fraught with challenges. A teacher participating in the Anti-Dictatorship Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) from Kanbalu Township in Sagaing Region said, “Teaching is unsafe due to ongoing conflict, and financial constraints are severe. For children who pass Grade 12, there are no on-ground universities in the central regions, and attending universities in other areas is unaffordable for most displaced families. Even online education is hindered by the lack of internet access in many villages.”
Higher education institutions set up by resistance forces are limited to a few areas, such as Kachin, Kayin, Chin, and Karenni states.
“I went to Kachin to enroll in medical school at Kachin State Comprehensive University. Although I completed the application process, the expenses were too high for my family to afford. Now, I’m planning to pursue online education,” said Ma Lin Mo, a student who passed the NUG’s Basic Education Completion Assessment (BECA) exam in 2023.
A teacher from an IDP camp in Magway Region explained, “The children take NUG exams, but support is minimal. Teachers receive only 2,500 MMK per month for phone bills, and network coverage is poor. Despite these challenges, the children continue to pursue their education, holding onto hope.”
Education is crucial not only for the children’s future but also for the nation’s. A strong education system is the foundation for building a Federal Democratic Union. Interim education efforts led by CDM teachers, university graduates, and students are playing a vital role in resistance-held areas like Sagaing and Magway Regions.
A former student activist from the All Burma Federation of Student Unions emphasized the importance of systemic reform: “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, children haven’t fully returned to classrooms. Myanmar needs a comprehensive education policy. The NUG’s Ministry of Education should draft clear policies to guide future development.”
The decline of Myanmar’s education system predates the military coup of 2021, with roots tracing back to the military takeover in 1962. The 2021 coup has exacerbated economic and educational hardships, particularly in rural areas.
Economic instability has further strained families. Before the coup, in early 2021, the exchange rate for one US dollar was about 1,300 MMK; by December 2024, it had risen to approximately 4,500 MMK. Rising prices for basic goods, including school supplies, have compounded these challenges.
According to a December 2024 UNICEF Myanmar report, six million children are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with over 33% of the country’s 3.5 million internally displaced persons being children. More than five million children have lost access to education.
“My dream is to become an engineer,” said Ma Lat Lat Zaw. “Next year, I want to go back to school.”
On December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in Article 26 that “Everyone has the right to education.” Yet, in Myanmar, this right remains out of reach for millions of school-aged children.