Education In Uncertainty: Innovation Amid Myanmar’s Conflict – Analysis
By Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre
By Aung Thet Paing Hmue
Myanmar’s education system has been severely affected since 2020 by the consequences of both COVID-19 and the military coup. Amid various oppressions, many CDM educators and students developed initiatives to uphold the right and ensure continuous learning despite the uncertainty.
Key takeaways:
- Despite the collapse of Myanmar’s formal education system, many initiatives are emerging as both a right to education and an act of resistance against the junta.
- The interim education system remains fragile and fragmented with current efforts. All stakeholders should consider and fill the gaps collaboratively.
- Sustainable progress is still required to expand inclusive education for all affected students and holistic support for students and teachers.
Background History
Before the 2021 military coup, Myanmar students faced a temporary pause in education as schools, colleges, and universities were closed to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the continuous learning of young people, NLD’s Ministry of Education developed the National Response and Recovery Plan for the Education Sector with the support of UN agencies. This plan aimed to reopen and restore education once the global crisis subsided.
After the coup d’état, tens of thousands of civil servants immediately went on strike and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) to show opposition against the military junta. In some states and regions, 50 to 65 percent of teaching staff joined the movement in 2021, and the junta pressured them to rejoin the service. The CDM movement pushed teachers and students into an uncertain future, with many arrested, and some choosing to flee for safety. The junta regime issued arrest warrants, detained, and sacked striking civil servants as it tries to pressure them back to work. But most still refuse to work under military rule, and nearly 30% of the national educational workforce was terminated by the junta. Only the economically privileged households could afford non-state schools as an alternative.
Following the military conscription law in 2024, many young people, including the CDM students and teachers, fled the country to escape forced service. The students are struggling with educational setbacks, career uncertainty, and severe trauma. Former students often live with no income and are struggling with depression and fear.
Innovations amid repression
Amid Myanmar’s ongoing repression, many CDM-aligned educators and students have taken proactive steps to create alternative higher education pathways by creating Interim University Councils (IUCs). The NUG also established the Basic Education Completion Assessment System (BECA) for the Basic Education Sectorwhile recognising the IUCs as a sign of democratic higher educational institutions. Currently, 31 interim university councils and networks were approved by the NUG, which were aimed to fill the void left by junta-controlled institutions.
Some councils have received significant backing from international partners, while many cannot withstand challenges due to human resource shortages and security issues after four years of military coup. In 2024, the United States launched the Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP). This program aimed to offer full scholarships to marginalised and vulnerable CDM students across Southeast Asian Universities and via online programs through the University of Arizona. In September 2024, the University of Yangon Interim Council announced its Capstone project for transferring credits aimed at students with one semester left to graduate. USAID financially supports this project.
Meanwhile, the EU Mobility Programme for Myanmar (EMPM) has been running since January 2023. It continues to support CDM students to access education through virtual learning and short-term transfers to universities in ASEAN and Europe.
International experts and the Burmese diaspora helped establish the online learning distance education system through various implementations, especially in the higher education sector. National University of the Union of Myanmar (NUUM) and Spring University Myanmar(SUM), founded after the military coup, were accredited by the NUG’s Ministry of Education. These universities offer scholarships and non-degree credit transferable certificate programs, which can significantly support the CDM students. Moreover, the Spring University Myanmar (SUM) supports on-ground implementation for the diaspora and CDM students. These initiatives greatly support the conflict-affected CDM and refugee people.
The Ethnic Revolutionary Organisations (EROs), on the other hand, have prior experience in filling the educational gap within the context of armed conflict. The Kachin State Comprehensive University, Ta’ang National Education Committee, and Karen Medical College are examples of the EAO efforts to fill critical higher education gaps. Payap University in Thailand also partnered with Mon National College to offer a joint bachelor’s degree, which can be seen as a success for the ethnic centered education.
These initiatives are essential for filling the urgent education gap in Myanmar through diverse approaches. They provide reliable and accredited educational options during political turmoil, while maintaining academic continuity and supporting future leaders in exile.
Challenges
Even though interim education systems provide alternatives for CDM students to continue their education, there are still significant challenges. There are questions regarding the accreditation and recognition of the Interim University Councils. For example, Chulalongkorn University contacted the Myanmar Junta-controlled Medical University (Mandalay) in November 2024. As a result, Myanmar’s military junta labeled the documents illegal and fake. The two students received arrest warrants, and those who helped to notarize and translate their application have been arrested.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to make sweeping cuts to foreign aid in his second administration led to the termination of more than US$70 million in funding for education programmes in Myanmar. This decision also affected Myanmar’s emerging interim education system. The Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program (DISP) and the Capstone Project of the University of Yangon were also terminated, leading to uncertainty for the scholarship-awarded students. The University of Yangon Interim Council stated that they would work their best to resume the Capstone Project.
For many students and teachers who seek to flee and continue their studies abroad, applying for a passport or obtaining a notarised version of their official documents has become dangerous. In one case, the junta arrested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials for aiding a junior CDM doctor. Furthermore, the criminal clearance record is still required for most countries, resulting in a deadly trap for the CDM teachers and students.
On the ground, schools run by the NUG and EROs have been repeatedly targeted in attacks. At least 174 schools and universities in Myanmar have been damagedby the airstrikes, shelling, and ground fighting between the military and anti-coup armed forces. This destruction of schools harms a generation during the conflict, without access to education.
Recommendations
1. Build and Strengthen Accreditation: The stakeholders should consider building the current institutions into more transparent recognition frameworks for IUCs, NUG-approved institutions, and ERO-affiliated schools with the help of global networks and international donors.
2. Expand Inclusive Education for all: To bridge the educational gap, all stakeholders should expand education at all levels by supporting necessary training and infrastructure to accompany the innovations to ensure no one is left behind.
3. Provide Holistic Support for CDM students and teachers: the international community should support and protect CDM students and teachers with a holistic approach, not only with physical help but also with a combination of psychosocial and livelihood assistance.
4. Adapt alternative documentation requirements: Hose countries, and universities should consider the alternative verification methods from NUG or third-party attestations instead of requiring certifications from the military junta.
Conclusion
Amid the ruins of Myanmar’s former education system, many innovations show the extraordinary resilience of Myanmar educators and students. The community continues to reclaim education under the NUG and ERO leadership as an act of Defiance against despair without certainty of credibility and accreditation.
However, resilience alone cannot erase the uncertain future of the CDM students. The future of Myanmar depends on inclusive, decentralised, and recognised education. All stakeholders should determine the difficulties and challenges, and how to transform into a reliable and empowered organisation for the future.
- About the author: Aung Thet Paing Hmue is a Junior Research Fellow at the Sustainability Lab of the Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre (SRIc) with over two years of experience in the humanitarian sector. Currently residing in Thailand, he navigates cross-border challenges while building his professional future.
- Source: This article was published at The Sabai Time
Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre
The Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre (SRIc) is a hybrid think tank and consultancy firm committed to advancing sustainable development and promoting sustainability literacy in Myanmar. Through its Sustainability Lab, SRIc conducts public policy research and analysis to promote Sustainable Development in Myanmar and guide the country toward a sustainable future. SRIc also offers consultation, CSR strategy development, and Sustainability roadmaps focused on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). SRIc equips individuals and organizations with actionable strategies for sustainable growth through capacity-building programs, customized training, publications like Sabai Times, and outreach initiatives such as webinars and podcasts. By merging research insights with practical consultancy, SRIc fosters responsible business practices, develops CSR strategies, and creates sustainability roadmaps, contributing to local and global sustainability efforts.
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