Refugee students can attend school near camps, education department says

By Min Tun 21 Apr 2019

Min Tun / DMG

April 21, Sittwe

The Education Department has arranged for students who have to take shelter in IDP camps to attend schools near their camps if they cannot return home when the new academic year will commence in June, according to the head office of Education Department in Rakhine State.

Due to ongoing battles in Rakhine State over the last five months, and the number of IDPs exceeding over 30,000 the Education Department does not know the number of students now residing in IDP camps, said U Sein Tun Hla, deputy director of the head office of Education Department in Rakhine State.

“Our first plan is that we let students to attend basic education high schools near their camps. If there is no school near their camps, we will build temporary classrooms for them. We reported this plan to relevant authorities,” he said.

U Than Tun, who is a retired teacher and a volunteer for IDPs, said that temporary primary schools should also be open in refugee camps with a higher population of refugees, the number of students in the camps might be about 3000.

“I think, CSOs should arrange for high school students to attend in proper high schools,” he said.

Most IDPs are now taking shelter in monasteries or schools and most of them are from Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Mrauk-U, Ponnagyun and Buthidaung Townships.