Irrawaddy-June 7
In parts of Myanmar’s northwest and southeast, where anti-regime resistance has rendered the junta’s administration largely ineffective, students are back in class—but not at military government-run schools. They instead go to community schools staffed by former government school teachers—locally known as “CDM teachers” for their participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), which was set up by state employees who refuse to work under the military government. Most of the schools are under the guidance of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), a parallel government set up by lawmakers from the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and its ethnic allies in the wake of the military coup last year. Students from primary to high school age in Sagaing Region, Magwe Region, Chin State, southern Shan State, Kayah State and Karen State are now attending the community schools supported by local well-wishers. The NUG’s Ministry of Education has issued a recognition policy for the public schools while providing teaching guidelines. Textbooks and other teaching materials are provided by local communities and the classes are free. In Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township alone, nearly 4,000 students are attending 27 community schools run by 380 CDM teachers. Ma Tereza, a school administrator for the Myaung Education Network, said the organization had been providing interim education since March 2022 to ensure children are not deprived of their right to education. In a big blow to the regime, 150,000 out of the more than 430,000 teachers in the country joined the CDM, causing a teacher shortage at schools, according to the Basic Education General Strike Committee (BEGSC). Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmars-shadow-govt-operates-network-of-schools-in-resistance-strongholds.html
