After the military coup, the areas controlled by the military council have been attacked by ethnic revolutionary forces and allied groups, and more and more towns and villages are being controlled. In those controlled areas, ethnic armed groups, The governing bodies have opened more higher education schools, including basic schools, this year.
In the areas controlled by the Kachin Liberation Organization/Kachin Liberation Army (KIO/KIA), more than five hundred schools have been opened for the 2024-2025 academic year, according to Colonel Nobu, in charge of KIA news and information.
"Among the schools to be opened in the towns and villages that we have seized, there are more than two hundred high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. If we add up all the schools, the Department of Education is trying to open schools in June as soon as possible. There are about 265 of them. The new ones are the schools in the towns and villages that we have seized. There are also more than two hundred schools that KIO has opened before. If we put all together, the number of schools that our KIO Education Department will be responsible for opening is about five hundred."
In Kachin State, in addition to basic education schools, higher education schools include Teacher Training College, Federal College and Kachin State Polytechnic University (KSCU) are also opened by KIA.
Taang Education Council (TLEC), which is working with the National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Education, is also preparing to open nearly five hundred schools in northern Shan State for the 2024 academic year, TLEC told RFA.
Within Kayah State, the Karenni Interim Administrative Council (IEC) has opened 456 schools for the 2024-25 academic year, the official said.
IEC Secretary (1) Mazuppadum said that schools have been opened in eight townships in the control area of Karenni.
"Here, our Administrative Council has opened schools in areas that can be controlled militarily. From the Internal Affairs Department of the Karenni State Interim Administrative Council, when I was in charge of township administration, eight townships had already been formed in my short time. In all these eight townships, there are around 450 schools that have been opened with the policies of the IEC."
Six college-level schools have been opened as higher education in Karenni. There are a total of more than three thousand teachers, including those involved in the Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). He also said that more than seven hundred teachers are involved.
teaching aids, reading books teacher, There is also a need to pay teachers enough wages and IEC is doing as much as they can.
There are also schools opening in areas controlled by other ethnic armed groups, and in areas controlled by the Rakhine Army (AA), the military council is firing large weapons. AA spokesperson U Khaing Thukha said at a press conference held on June 8 that schools could not open due to aerial bombardment. I contacted RFA for details, but there was no response.
Last February 5th, in the western part of Di Mosso Township, Kayah State. Four children were killed and at least ten were injured when the Military Council air bombed a school in Dosei village.
Similarly, Sagaing On June 15, the NUG-affiliated school in the village of Gonegyi, Kyun Hla Township was attacked by the Military Council Air Force, and all the school dormitories were destroyed, the residents said.
The military council has also targeted schools with aerial bombardment, but schools are open, but there are fears that children will be attacked.
IEC Secretary (1) Mazuppadummar said that they are worried because the Military Council has bombed schools to prevent them from doing educational work.
"Many of the schools are mobile (mobile) schools. They go around and teach in the jungles in places where there is no war. There are also models where the former school buildings are used and taught in places where the military council cannot enter. They have information on such buildings. When they know the exact locations, they do not want to continue the education activities, and because they want to suppress the politics, they mainly target the schools "
Colonel Norbu, who is in charge of KIA news and information, also said that the military council often bombs everywhere if they don't think so.
"I'm worried about that, because it doesn't matter if there are enemies or not, they drop bombs wherever they like, shoot them with airplanes, and that's it. But we only open schools where it's safe. We avoid going to places close to the battle as much as possible."
RFA contacted Major General Zaw Min Tun about the military council's targeted bombing of schools, but he did not receive an answer.
The ethnic education departments say that they have opened the most accessible schools in areas far from the fighting and air danger.
According to the military council's statement on June 2, 6.39 million (6,393,528 students) enrolled in school in the 2024-2025 academic year, a decrease from last year.
Distressing!
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