Will Education in Myanmar’s Heartland Be Forced to End?
A school in Oe Htein Kwin Village, Tabayin Township, Sagaing Region, was reduced to rubble—its classrooms stained with the blood of students.
Just a week before the start of Myanmar’s school enrollment period, the National Unity Government (NUG) announced the temporary closure of all schools in its controlled areas, citing security concerns. Meanwhile, in junta-controlled zones, schools reopened as scheduled under June’s monsoon rains.
“While children in junta-controlled areas are happily going to school, our children are surrounded by conflict,” said a teacher from an interim-period school in Pakokku District, a resistance-held area.
In the central Magway and Sagaing regions—collectively known as the “Anya” region and a stronghold of anti-junta resistance—education depends largely on makeshift schools and a few online platforms.
But safety remains a grave concern. On May 12, a junta airstrike hit a school in Oe Htein Kwin Village while students were in class. There was no fighting in the area at the time. The bomb directly struck the school, killing 22 students and two teachers, and injuring more than 50 others. It was one of the deadliest attacks on a school since the 2021 coup and sent shockwaves across the country.
In response, on May 25, NUG Union Minister for Education Dr. Zaw Wai Soe ordered the temporary closure of all primary, secondary, and vocational schools in resistance-held areas while new security measures are put in place.
Such bombings are no longer isolated incidents—they are part of the military’s ongoing strategy, repeatedly targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools.
Between May 9 and 15, a total of 61 airstrikes were carried out across 14 regions, including Sagaing and Mandalay, killing 94 people—31 of them children—according to independent research group Nyan Lin Thit Analytica.
In the third week of May, the National Unity Government (NUG) reported that the junta had conducted over 2,600 airstrikes from January 2023 to May 12, 2025. These attacks killed more than 3,000 civilians, including 441 children, and increasingly targeted schools and students.
“Ground offensives have decreased, but airstrikes are rising. Some households have dug bomb shelters and stay alert for incoming attacks. But many haven’t been able to build shelters, so casualties and damage remain high,” said a mother of a student in Pale Township.
Local resistance groups say they are doing their best to protect communities, but the junta’s growing reliance on air power has made schools and civilians more vulnerable.
“Because they can’t carry out ground assaults, the military is focusing on airstrikes. Schools, teachers, and students are among the targets,” said Ko Ba Thaik, spokesperson for the TK People’s Defense Organization in Ye-U Township, Sagaing Region.
“We’ve installed radio transmitters to receive airstrike warnings. Some bunkers have been dug. When an attack is imminent, we advise schools to close immediately and seek shelter,” he added.
However, security measures remain limited across many resistance-held areas. Most schools are adapted from older buildings, and their traditional designs make them clearly visible from the air. A revolutionary group in Magway Region noted that such visibility often results in schools being targeted.
“Some schools have the classic educational building layout. The junta often assumes resistance forces are stationed there—and bombs them,” the group said.
Despite the risks, the NUG has established 5,994 public basic education schools nationwide between 2021 and July 2024, enrolling 756,288 students. These include home-based, online, land-based, and ethnic schools, according to the NUG Education Ministry’s press conference on August 14, 2024.
Of the NUG-run schools, only the on-site schools were ordered to close, while online schools continued operating, according to a teacher overseeing online education during the interim period. However, no official figures were released regarding the number of schools that were shut down.
Unlike the junta-controlled system, the academic year for schools in resistance-held areas is not strictly tied to a June start. Schools do not all open at the same time, and class hours often vary depending on local conditions—such as security threats, displacement of families, and ongoing military activity.
“All schools have been closed due to the risks to children’s lives,” said a teacher at an interim-period school in Pakokku District. “Although the academic year is supposed to last about five months, actual teaching time has only amounted to three. The constant fear of airstrikes and the repeated closures have drained the children’s motivation, which makes our work even more difficult.”
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As schools in resistance-held areas remain closed, older students are being pulled into farm work, while younger children spend their days playing, gradually losing interest in education, parents say.
“Some wealthy families can afford to send their children to private schools in nearby towns, but most parents cannot—and their children are being forced to give up school altogether,” said a mother from Pale Township, Sagaing Region.
In many resistance strongholds, internet access has been cut, and even basic phone connectivity is limited. In some areas, revolutionary forces use Starlink to stay connected, but this too has led to overcrowded networks.
Teachers in these areas report that online education is nearly impossible for most displaced families due to a lack of electricity, limited internet access, and widespread poverty.
“Starlink is only available in some places, and even then, it’s hard to focus on teaching through mobile phones when there’s no regular electricity,” said one teacher.
In central Myanmar, on-site schools still operate in many villages, while online options are rare. A teacher in Pale Township noted, “Nearly every village has at least one on-site school, but we don’t have online schools because of internet and other logistical challenges.”
Ma Hnin Hnin Hmwe, Joint General Secretary of the Democratic Party for a New Society, stressed the importance of flexible solutions under current conditions.
“It’s too early to reveal alternative plans because once they become public, the junta will likely try to obstruct them,” she said. “Any new education model under a federal democratic system must be adaptable to local realities, not rigid. It should focus on critical thinking and development.”
Today, many parents in resistance-controlled areas are torn—eager for their children to return to school but deeply concerned about the lack of safety. They are urging authorities to prioritize both education and the protection of their children’s lives.
Likewise, teachers are urging authorities not only to allocate budgets and draft plans but also to prioritize the safety of children and closely monitor local conditions to ensure education is delivered effectively and systematically.
“In some villages, underground classrooms have already been set up thanks to strong local planning and management,” said a teacher from Pale Township. “But in other areas, no one is taking the lead—so nothing has been organized yet.”
Despite the challenges, teachers say they are committed to finding alternative ways to keep education going and are actively seeking support from organizations willing to help.
Commenting on the uncertainty around school reopening, a mother said, “I work hard as a farmer because I don’t want my children to struggle like we do. That’s why I send them to school. But now, with the crisis dragging on, I don’t even know what I can do for them anymore.”
She has four children—one in Grade 12, one in Grade 10, one in kindergarten, and one in pre-kindergarten. They have all been studying at NUG-run schools in resistance-held areas for the past three years.