The number of Myanmar students who took matriculation exams this year fell to one-fifth of the level during the time of the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi before the military seized power in February 2021.
The Ministry of Education held the exam from March 8 to 18, and only 160,000 students took it. In the last exam held before the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2019, more than 910,000 students participated.
The annual exam is taken by students in their final year of high school. It is considered the most important exam for Myanmar students because the results determine which universities or colleges they can enroll in, and even their majors.
After the military takeover, the regime held its first matriculation exam in March 2022, in which 280,000 students participated. The head count further plunged this year.
A teacher at a private school in Yangon explained that one reason behind the sharp decline is the economic situation. "For matriculation students, tuition and additional classes outside the school remain essential to get passes and high scores. That costs have become a burden for many families facing socioeconomic hardships due to COVID-19," the teacher said, adding the military takeover also has been "pushing students away from taking the matriculation exam and giving up."
Some students from middle-income families are also shifting to private or international schools to boycott public education under the military regime.
"I boycotted the school opened by the military government and refused to sit their matriculation exam. Many of my friends do the same," said a student who is now at an international school in Yangon.
Last year, he started studying at a program aligned with the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), an international qualification created by Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. "I want to continue my study with a diploma program in the information technology field in the future," he said.
His mother supports him but for a different reason. "I do not think the public schools are safe for our children anymore to learn," she said, because some people see attending public schools as an act of supporting the military rule, and socially punish those students by naming them on social media. "We do not want to put our children in danger."
However, the military regime has begun restricting even education at private schools. The Ministry of Education has instructed regional offices to prevent private schools from teaching Western democratic systems and other "unnecessary curriculums" in schools, a local media outlet reported in February, citing a leaked document. The document indicated that the ministry plans to enact a new law to enforce the restriction.
University students in Yangon said only around 60% of students had returned to classrooms at universities and colleges. Many face a dilemma over their education. A student at Western Yangon Technology University said she initially refused to attend classes after the regime reopened campuses in 2021 but returned to her studies one year later.
"I don't accept the military regime, but I must graduate for my family and our future. I did not have many choices in my education path," she said. Some of her friends quit school and are pursuing their educations abroad. But due to financial burdens, that was not possible for her.
Many students and children face a lack of proper education. In response, the National Unity Government, the parallel authority formed by elected but ousted lawmakers, has set up alternative education services. In the Sagaing and Magway regions, where fighting has intensified, students study in community-based schools following NUG guidelines. The NUG is also providing interim online basic education for students across the country.
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