Half of public schools in Arakan State as yet unable to reopen

29 Jul 2020

Hnin Nwe | DMG
29 July, Sittwe

Just over half of all basic education high schools in Arakan State have been unable to reopen to date, according to state education officials, while high schools elsewhere across Myanmar largely resumed classes on July 21.

There are about 440 basic education high schools in Arakan State, and a total of 230 high schools in the state’s five districts have reopened. The remaining schools have yet to ring in the new academic year.

“Some schools cannot reopen,” U Tin Thein, an Arakan State education officer, told DMG.

Only 45 out of 95 basic education high schools in Sittwe District have been able to reopen, according to the Sittwe District Education Officer’s office. Eight of the reopened schools are in Sittwe Township; 16 are in Ponnagyun Township; four are in Pauktaw Township; and 17 are in Rathedaung Township.

In Mrauk-U District, six schools have reopened across Mrauk-U Township; nine in Minbya Township; and seven in Kyauktaw Township. The remaining 28 schools in the district did not meet the required standards, said U Maung Thein Shwe, the Mrauk-U District education officer.

“We are working to enable the remaining schools to meet the Grade-A [standard],” he said, referring to COVID-19 benchmarks for prevention and mitigation of the deadly virus. “The department is inspecting other schools, in cooperation with officials from the Department of Public Health.”

Out of 27 basic education high schools in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, which comprise Maungdaw District, only 11 schools meet the standards required for coronavirus preventive measures. The remaining 16 schools have not met those standards.

“We are still conducting inspections of other schools for the virus preventive measures,” said U Soe Tint, the Maungdaw District education officer: “The schools reopen after the approval of the department. Efforts are being made to reopen the schools with Grade-B and Grade-C standard.”

U Khin Maung Oo, assistant director of the Kyaukphyu District Education Officer’s office, said: “There are 129 basic education high schools throughout Kyaukphyu District. Of them, 107 schools have reopened. The remaining 22 schools cannot reopen as they don’t meet the required standards for Grade-A.”

Southern Arakan State has been a bright spot as the state’s education system struggles to cope with the requirements of the COVID-19 era. There are 15 schools in Thandwe Township, 24 schools in Taungup Township and 12 schools in Gwa Township, which together make up Thandwe District. Apart from 50% of schools in Gwa Township, all of the schools in the other two townships have reopened, said Daw Sandar Oo, the Thandwe District education officer.

The Ministry of Education has said it will allow the opening of schools that meet the COVID-19 Grade-A standard.

The scrutiny process for coronavirus preventive measures at the nation’s schools has been widely panned, with critics saying the readying of schools was addressed in a serious way only as the opening day of the 2020-2021 academic year approached.

High schools began more than one month late this year due to the global pandemic, and middle and elementary schools have yet to return to the classroom but are scheduled to do so in the coming weeks.