According to local residents, children residing in Mobye (Mongpai) Township, situated on the Shan-Karenni border, are unable to access education during this academic year, as a result of being displaced from their homes by the escalating war in Karenni State..
Due to the escalation of fighting and heightened military tension in Mobye Township since February, residents of Mobye are compelled to flee the conflict and seek refuge in various areas.
A member of the IDP Camp Management Committee stated that, within an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, out of a total of 23 students, 21 are currently unable to access education and attend school.
"Some children cry because they can't go to school. And when they actually want to go to school, they incessantly pester their parents, urging them to send them to school."
He further explained that due to the tense military situation, parents were hesitant to send their children far away in order to attend school, resulting in the inability of children to access education.
An IDP woman mentioned that while living from hand to mouth and facing tight livelihood and limited income, it is a big problem for Mobye IDPs to be find the money to send their children to school.
"When I resided in Mobye last year, children had the opportunity to attend school, and their monthly requirement was merely 5,000 kyats. However, things have changed now. They expect a significantly larger sum, exceeding 200,000 kyats per year. Additionally, there are monthly expenses to consider. I cannot afford to fulfill such high school fees ]," said the IDP woman.
However U Banyar, the Secretary General of the Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC), said that the implementation of education for IDPs is imminent. "According to our initial projections, IEC is on track to soon provide educational assistance in the form of stationary, as well as allowances or stipends for teachers. We are preparing to initiate the implementation phase in the coming days."
Fierce fighting erupted in Mobye Township on the Shan-Karenni border in February and persisted until July.
As per the accounts of IDP helpers, Mobye Township has a population of approximately 30,000 people, with 50% of them being individuals who have been displaced due to the ongoing war..
