Myanmar Spring Chronicle – June 2 Overview
(MoeMaKa) June 3, 2025
Conflict, Floods, Earthquakes, and the Education Sector
After the 2021 military coup, schools already closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic were further affected by major political unrest and protests. Since schools had been intermittently closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic, the post-coup consequences have proved even more severe and long-lasting — effects that are still being felt today.
The military takeover dealt a heavy blow to the education sector. Teachers, principals, and other education officials were deeply affected. Many chose to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), leaving schools, universities, and colleges. Some university and high school students also refused to attend junta-run institutions and declared themselves CDM students.
In response, the National Unity Government (NUG) initiated online “interim education” programs, with CDM educators participating. While some CDM students continued learning through these online schools, many others were left without access. At the start of the coup, many political leaders predicted that the resistance would last only a few months to two years. Believing this, parents accepted the loss of one or two years of their children’s education as a political sacrifice.
This situation mostly affects ordinary citizens — not the wealthy or upper classes. As the armed resistance stretches on, students who paused their education are now reluctant to return to junta schools and cannot afford private education. Even NUG-backed online classes carry safety risks for both teachers and students inside the country.
Some families have sold assets to send their children to school in neighboring Thailand, but this remains a minority. Many migrant families in Thailand enroll their children in charity-run migrant schools while the parents work under migrant worker permits. These schools are often raided or shut down by Thai authorities, and their teachers are sometimes arrested.
The coup, armed resistance, civil war, floods, and earthquakes are all compounding factors disrupting education for Myanmar’s children. The belief that overthrowing the junta must come before reviving education is being reconsidered. As the conflict drags on, this mindset — once widely accepted — is beginning to show its flaws, even if it’s not openly discussed.
In Myanmar, the idea of separating education from politics is not widely embraced. Some politicians have argued that CDM actions by education and health workers were part of peaceful protest, but should end once the movement reached a certain phase. However, no clear decisions have been made along these lines.
There’s a political belief that “everything — including education and healthcare — is subordinate to politics.” While it’s true that bad governance negatively affects all sectors, there’s also an urgent need to decide whether public services like education and healthcare should be preserved and maintained as much as possible during times of crisis.
In areas affected by the recent earthquake — such as Mandalay and Sagaing — many schools were damaged or are being used as temporary shelters for displaced residents. As the school term begins, orders have been issued to relocate earthquake survivors to make way for classes. At the same time, in resistance-controlled regions, bombed schools present another tragic reality.
Myanmar’s children are trying to learn amidst civil war, natural disasters, and instability. Their ability to access education is essential to the country’s long-term recovery and future.