Given the economic crisis in Mon State, fewer students have enrolled for the 2009-2010 academic year in schools. Many are working outside schools.
Many schools in Mon state reported a 10 percent drop in their total student strength compared to last year. A large number of students from grades VII, VIII 1X and X have quit school to become daily wage earners, according to a school officer in Mon State.
“In my school fewer students enrolled, even though we don’t charge a lot of money. The student strength decreased 14 percent compared to last year. Last year we had 940 students in grade X and this year we have 800 students,” the school officer said.
“I feel very bad because fewer students joined my school. I know some students are too poor to enroll. Not only they have to pay money (to the school) but also have to pay for tuition outside. So some parents cannot afford to support their children’s education,” added the officer.
Since 2007, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has purportedly offered free tuition at the primary level for the students. However, they have encouraged schools to charge for things such as library usage, the building itself, and sports. In reality only those in kindergarten receive free tuition while other grade level students have to pay.
Students usually also have to buy required materials from their school like notebooks and textbooks, which are first sold to the schools by the Ministry of Education Department in Burma.
According to a teacher from Kaladot village in Mudon Township, this year they lost 200 students from their school.
“This year my son will be in grade VII but I can’t pay for him to join school. So I told him to leave school and work in the paddy field with my husband. Not only my son but also my friend’s children have left school and gone to Thailand to find better jobs “said that a parent from Mudon Township.
A distressed teacher from another school in Mudon Township added that their school saw a 10 percent drop in student enrollment.
A primary teacher from Thanphyuzayat said, “We have lost half the children in our school this year. Last year we had 250 children and this year we have 100.”
