Surge in Student Numbers at Border Refugee Camps Highlights Urgent Need for Aid

Saw Hay Soe, the KRC education officer, stated that the 7 Karen refugee camps including Mae La, Umpiem, Nu Po, Ma La Oon, Mae Ra Ma Luang, Ban Dong Yang, and Tham Hin, situated along the Thai-Myanmar border, are experiencing an increase in student enrollment this year. There is a shortage of school books and a lack of support for expanding the school buildings to accommodate the growing numbers.

“This year, there has been a significant increase in the number of students. The teachers are also in need of assistance.

There is a shortage of textbooks for the students. Even the existing schools are struggling to secure resources for building repairs, which are urgently required. Unfortunately we currently lack the capacity to construct additional schools,” he explained to KIC.

Based on KRC records, the student population in the 49 schools ranging from elementary to high school within the 7 refugee camps during the previous academic year 2022-2023 was just over 16,000 students. However in the current academic year of 2023-2024, the student count has increased to 21,267, with 834 teachers.

KRC also reported that there are 1,087 students enrolled in Post-Ten 9 schools, which have been established for students who have completed their high school education within the refugee camp, and wish to pursue further studies.

Since 2018, education funding for border refugee camps has experienced a significant reduction. As per the records of the Karen Refugee Committee Education Entity (KRCEE), only 465 teachers receive a monthly assistance of one thousand baht per person.

The 47 pre-schools within the refugee camps received minimal assistance, leaving the responsibility of providing support to community-based organizations in the area.

Nan Mu, a parent of a student in a conversation with KIC explained, “Although a school has started operating in our village, we are constantly monitoring the situation. The frequent firing of artillery shells has made it unsafe for us to send our children to school. We had been residing in the refugee camp before and had returned to the village, thinking it was a suitable time. However, due to the circumstances, we find ourselves returning to the refugee camp once more.”

In the wake of the 2021 military coup, the resurgence of intense fighting within the KNU-controlled regions in southern Myanmar resulted in the closure of many schools. As a result, a large portion of the student population had to flee to refugee camps near the border to ensure the continuity of their education.