Karen National School Re-opens in Rangoon’s Taigyi Township

The National Karen School has re-opened under a new name, the Karen Affairs School by the Karen Literature and Cultural Committee. The school is located in Yetakalay village in Rangoon Region.

With aim of reviving Karen national schools, the Taigyi Township Karen Literature and Cultural Committee reopened the school with support from local villagers.

Naw Hser Hser Htoo, the director of the Taigyi Karen Literature and Culture Committee told Karen News that she wants the school to be a model for other areas.

“There were Karen national schools in Taigyi or Oakan. This is the first revived Karen national schools in this area. And we want similar schools to be opened in other places as Karen people can manage to reopen the schools by themselves.”

At the school reopening ceremony held on June 10, 120 people, including Naw Panthinzar Myo, the Minister of Karen ethnic affairs and chairperson of Rangoon Region Karen Literature and Culture Committee, Chairman of Yangon northern district Karen Literature and Culture committee members, Karen teachers and locals attended.

Naw Panthinzar Myo, the Minister of the Karen ethnic affairs and chairperson of Yangon region Karen Literature and Culture Committee acknowledged the effort by the Township committee.

“Taigyi Karen Literature and Culture Committee has been working hard. A donor donated this school for study. It is important to get the support of teachers, community and Karen Literature and Culture committee in order to run this in a sustainable way.”

Naw Arr Naw, the donor of the land that the school is built on said that she wanted Karen to learn about their literacy and culture.

“I donated this plot of land for the school so that a new generation of Karen youth can learn Karen literature, Karen affairs and other modern fields of study.”

Initially, the school plans to start with primary students to be taught Karen language in the morning before school hours.

Before 1962, there were many Karen national schools in Konemane, Oatpone, Gyotgone and other villages in Taigyi Township, Rangoon Region, but they were all nationalized and this is the first school to be re-opened as a Karen Affair School.