Myanmar Spring Chronicle – Scenes from May 29
(MoeMaKa), May 30, 2026
Pearl Township People’s Defense Administration (Pa Ka Pha) Statement: Warning to Parents Enrolling Children in Junta Schools
Recently, the military regime’s Ministry of Education issued a notice stating that students who have been out of school would be allowed to re-enroll after undergoing assessment tests to determine the appropriate grade level for their return.
After the military coup on February 1, 2021, some parents, for political reasons, decided not to send their children to schools under the military regime and chose to boycott the state education system. At the same time, many children were unable to attend private schools because their families could not afford the costs or lacked access to such alternatives.
Those with sufficient financial means have been able to enroll their children in private schools in Yangon, Mandalay, and other major cities. However, many families across the country have been unable to do so due to financial constraints or because no private schools exist in their towns or villages. As a result, the number of children who have remained out of school could range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands nationwide.
In the early years following the coup, many parents who actively supported the revolution did not expect the Spring Revolution to become a prolonged struggle. Some therefore assumed their children would miss only one or two years of schooling and made their decisions accordingly.
However, as the armed resistance has dragged on, many have come to view the decision to boycott regime schools as increasingly impractical. This perception has been shaped by the limitations of the National Unity Government’s online Spring Education programs, as well as difficulties related to internet access and electricity supply.
In areas controlled by resistance forces, some non-online schools staffed by Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) educators have been established. However, these schools also face serious challenges, including disruptions caused by armed conflict and the risk of becoming targets of airstrikes, making continuous education difficult.
In some ethnic armed organization-controlled areas, schools under local administration had already existed before the 2021 coup. Consequently, their educational circumstances differ significantly from those in regions such as Magway, Mandalay, and other central Myanmar areas.
On May 26, the Pale Township People’s Administration Team issued a statement titled “Notification and Warning Regarding Parents Enrolling Children in Junta Schools and Individuals Assisting School Enrollment for the 2026 Academic Year.” The statement called on residents living in revolutionary-controlled areas not to enroll their children in military-run schools under any circumstances. It further instructed that any children already enrolled should be transferred to interim community-based schools no later than June 30.
This announcement appears to treat the question of where children receive their education as a political issue. It carries an implicit threat that parents whose children attend schools under the military regime could face punishment. Given the realities of a prolonged armed conflict and the challenges associated with operating schools in wartime conditions—including safety concerns and continuity of education—parents must weigh numerous factors when making educational decisions for their children. The statement can therefore be viewed as an authoritarian use of power that fails to appreciate these realities.
It is unclear whether this announcement reflects a uniform policy of the National Unity Government across all territories, or whether it represents an independent decision made by Pale Township authorities under the Sagaing Federal Unit Interim Government.
Nevertheless, attempts to intimidate or prevent parents and students from choosing schools in military-controlled towns risk damaging the reputation of the Spring Revolution itself.
Children have an inherent right to education. Parents naturally seek whatever educational opportunities are accessible to them. Restricting those choices, treating them as political acts, or punishing people through sanctions, exclusion, or even displacement because of their educational decisions cannot be regarded as justifiable actions.
The public may understand that neither the NUG nor interim federal administrations are currently in a position to fully prioritize education amid ongoing conflict. However, when authorities fail to understand and respect the educational choices that citizens are forced to make under difficult circumstances, such actions can reasonably be viewed—at least from an organizational and public-relations perspective—as being contrary to the interests and wishes of the people.