Nearly 1,000 IDP children in Arakan risk losing access to education

By Admin 09 Oct 2025

DMG Newsroom    

9 October 2025, Ann

Nearly 1,000 children displaced by conflict in Arakan State’s Ann and Kyauktaw townships who have been attending free community schools are now at risk of losing their opportunity to continue studying, according to school administrators.

The Tan Khone Sayar Htun Education Center has opened free schools for displaced children, with two schools operating in Ann Township and three in Kyauktaw Township.

These schools currently serve close to 1,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 8. However, due to worsening financial constraints, the schools may be forced to shut down by the end of this month if no assistance arrives, a school official said.

“For now, we are still continuing classes, but from next month, we might not be able to keep the schools open. We haven’t been able to pay teachers’ stipends, and there are no new donations coming in. We simply can’t cover operating costs anymore,” the official explained.

Operating the schools costs around 7 million kyats per month, and even in previous months it was difficult to sustain them. The official said financial support has now dwindled to almost nothing, putting the schools on the brink of closure.

Parents of displaced students said they are deeply worried that the shutdown of these free schools will further worsen their hardships, as they already struggle with unemployment and soaring prices in the region.

“It’s not easy to send our kids to school when we don’t even have stable jobs. Many children have had to drop out because we can’t afford meals or school fees. The cost of everything has gone up, and we often end up in debt,” said a displaced woman from Ann Township.

While schools have reopened in areas under Arakan Army (AA) control and children are attending classes, displaced and impoverished children still face serious barriers to education.

As a result, the free community schools established by local organizations remain the only option for many displaced families seeking education for their children and a glimmer of hope for the future.

A local man from Kyauktaw remarked: “If these free schools have to close, it’s not only a loss for the students but also for the future of Arakan as a whole. The AA or the relevant authorities should help support these groups that are providing such vital services. At a time when children can’t fully access education, we need more of these free schools, not fewer.”

The ongoing conflict in Arakan has lasted nearly two years, forcing around 600,000 people to flee their homes. Many continue to face immense challenges across all sectors — food, shelter, healthcare, and education among them.