In spite of fierce fighting with the Arakan Army (AA), the Junta is planning to push forward with reopening basic education schools in Rakhine State for the upcoming school year in early June.
Township education departments have instructed education staff in certain Rakhine State townships, including Sittwe, Minbya, and Kyauktaw, to return to their respective schools
by the May 25 deadline, in order to facilitate student enrollment for the upcoming school year.
The Junta has also issued threats, stating that teachers failing to report to the relevant schools and departments before the deadline will face salary reductions or sacking, according to the Rakhine State education community
"Teachers currently residing in rural areas have been instructed to collaborate with existing teaching staff and work in local schools, while those in downtown areas have been instructed to return to their schools by the last week of this month”, a high school teacher from Sittwe said.
Education department authorities have instructed teachers currently residing in Kyaukphyu, Taungup, Thandwe, and Ramree townships to join the local schools in their respective areas.
The Junta’s plan appears to have taken no accounts of the many townships that have
fallen into the hands of the AA. During the past y 6 months since fighting resumed in Rakhine State, the AA has captured control of Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Pauktaw, Myebon, and Ramree townships. Intense clashes are also ongoing in Maungdaw, Ann, and Thandwe townships.
The Junta’s Ministry of Education appears to be completely oblivious to the reality on the ground.
In Rakhine State, fighting between AA and the Junta resumed in mid-November, and the intensity of the conflict has been escalating. As a consequence, education staff from both urban and rural areas have been evacuated to safer locations.
A middle school teacher from Ramree told DMG, "We were told that teachers must be ready at schools, even if no students show up to enroll. Such pressure is unacceptable, especially during this time of widespread conflicts, but as education staff we feel we have no other options.”
The Ministry of Education under the Junta has declared that basic education schools will accept enrollments for the 2024-25 academic year from May 23 -June 2.
The middle school teacher called into question huge safety issues. “If we return to our schools, who will ensure our safety? The current situation is very dangerous. We are concerned about being caught in the middle of conflicts, if we obey the order to return to respective schools. Therefore, we the education staff, are confronted with a difficult decision: whether to risk returning to work or resigning.”
Because of the Junta's threat, some of the education staff who were temporarily evacuated are now returning to the townships where their assigned schools are located.
DMG reached out to Rakhine State Education Director U Ba Htwee Sein regarding reports of education staff being forcibly recalled for the mandated reopening of schools, but did not receive a response.
