Myanmar Children Cut Off by School Closures and Attacks
Recent Developments
01July 2024: The military junta’s education ministry said more than 13,700 of Myanmar’s 48,753 public schools were closed nationwide; in Chin State only 38 schools remained open and in Sagaing Region more than 4,200 schools were closed.
02July 2024: Reporting cited 174 reports of serious violence against schools as of that date, with the military involved in 90 of 113 primary-dataset cases.
032024: UNICEF said 3.7 million school-aged children lacked access to learning due to conflict and insecurity, alongside 2.7 million internally displaced people.
Interventions
- UNICEF is supporting community-based education in emergencies and safe learning spaces for crisis-affected children, including internally displaced children.
- Ethnic Education Providers, the National Unity Government, and Ethnic Revolutionary Organisations are operating parallel schooling networks in territories outside junta control.
- Humanitarian and local civil society actors are providing temporary learning spaces, educational supplies, and psychosocial support in conflict-affected areas.
What Works
- Community-based education in emergencies helps maintain access to learning for displaced and conflict-affected children when state schools are closed or unsafe.
- Safe learning spaces and local education delivery through trusted community and ethnic providers can keep children enrolled in highly insecure areas.
- Protecting schools from military use and attack is essential, since school commandeering and direct violence are major drivers of closure and dropout.
How to Help
- Donate to organizations delivering emergency education and child protection in Myanmar, such as UNICEF and local humanitarian partners.
- Support local and international NGOs providing temporary learning spaces, school supplies, and teacher support in conflict-affected townships.
- Advocate for protection of schools and humanitarian access through elected representatives and policy campaigns focused on Myanmar.
Make an Impact
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Verified Organizations
Organizations Helping(9)
World Vision Myanmar says it delivers education programs across 9 states and regions, with a focus on early childhood development, literacy for young learners, parent engagement, teacher support for inclusive education, and strengthening local communities. It also states that it works on quality education for children in conflict zones and partners on emergency education projects, including an ECW-linked response and a UNICEF-supported basic education pathway project for vulnerable children.
LWF supported the project 'Education Assistance to Children in Rakhine State' in Myanmar. Its approach was to provide direct educational assistance to children affected by conflict and disruption, helping restore access to learning for children who were cut off from school. The program was framed as a continuation of donor-backed education support and aimed at children in one of Myanmar’s most affected regions.
UNICEF’s strategy is to combine direct service delivery with system strengthening, using child-focused interventions that can work at scale and in crises. Its public materials emphasize low-cost, high-impact, and sustainable solutions across health, nutrition, education, WASH, and protection, rather than isolated one-off projects.[6][2] A distinctive part of UNICEF’s approach is that it works through governments and local, national, and global partners to build or improve public systems while also reaching children immediately in emergencies. In education, for example, UNICEF both creates temporary learning centers for displaced children and helps strengthen formal education systems; in health, it pairs vaccine procurement and immunization support with disease prevention and primary care.[8][2] UNICEF also uses an equity-centered model, prioritizing children who are out of school, living in conflict zones, affected by poverty, or excluded because of gender or disability. Its programs are designed to protect children’s rights while delivering measurable outcomes such as improved survival, learning, sanitation, and protection in both stable and emergency settings.[8][6]
World Education’s Myanmar-related partnerships include supporting community-based education providers through teacher training, school administration, and access-focused education services. Its partner list shows support for Karen, Kayan, Mon, and refugee education organizations, including teacher training for displaced and migrant communities and improved access to basic and higher education in refugee settings.
