1 in 5 children in Myanmar don’t have access to a basic education. The right to education is a promise unfulfilled for millions of children in the country of Myanmar. Regardless of it being acknowledged as a fundamental right, economic hardships and political instability are some of the many reasons why these promises haven’t been fulfilled. Education is a crippling necessity in Myanmar as it struggles to keep up with the rest of it’s neighboring countries and not many of the youth bear hope for the future.

1 in 5 children in Myanmar don’t have access to a basic education.

Reasons For Lack Of Education:

Economic Barriers 

• such as poverty and child labor affect large amounts of families in Myanmar, as the families cannot afford expenses related to education as they need to invest in other necessities like food, shelter, etc. Income in Myanmar for the working class which takes up most of the population is often not high enough so that parents can’t afford education for their children. Child labour is also one of the biggest issues occurring in Myanmar as many children are often required to work as a way to support their families. This limits their ability to attend school and gain the education they ought to receive.

Social & Political Factors

• Ongoing internal conflicts in the country make it extremely difficult for children to focus or even receive an education. This also means there are shortages of schools opening in more conflicted areas. The Burmese government also has a low investment in Education as only 2.2% of the GDP has been spent on education, the usual amount should be around 5.5%. This prevents many Burmese students from having access to education. 

Quality Of Teaching 

• The Quality of Teaching in Myanmar also needs to improve as there are shortages of schools in more rural areas and villages. Access to learning materials is also very rare as resources are hard to come by and the internet isn’t accessible in many areas. Teachers in schools also remain unqualified due to the circle of poverty and they do not have the proper skills to educate students.

Statistics

• Studies estimate that around 10% of Myanmar’s children cannot afford to attend school due to economic barriers. This also means about 2.7 million children in Myanmar are out of school. The Enrollment rate for primary school is 88% but drops to 58% for middle school and 32% for high school. Only about 50% per cent of students finish primary school and do not receive the education they are entitled to, while in other countries, the number should be around 75-80%. These studies show that Myanmar’s education system is falling behind other countries.

2.7 million children in Myanmar are out of school.

Addressing The Issue

• The Government has created programmes to encourage school enrollment and also has aimed to improve the infrastructure.  They have also tried to ensure that school fees may not be expensive so struggling families can enroll their children. These efforts are quite small but can be effective in some areas.
• International aid from organisations such as UNICEF has helped fund educational projects in local areas of Myanmar and has provided resources for these operations. Many people have created fundraisers and donated so that aid can be provided to public schools and increase their efficiency
• Local NGOs have also improved access to education by creating scholarship programmes or initiatives to educate the Burmese youth. They also recruit many qualified volunteers who help teach uneducated youths without taking a fee 

Myanmar’s education system is crippling and efforts to address this situation are crucial. It’s important to break the cycle of poverty and ensure economic stability. But it will only be made possible with the effort of all. 

Livia@ Yoon Yu Ya May
St.Andrews, Bangkok, Thailand

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Citation

Education in Myanmar | Global Partnership for Education. (2018). Global Partnership for Education. https://www.globalpartnership.org/where-we-work/myanmar

Myanmar. (2023, January 20). Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/myanmar