Burma Issues - Education

Since the military coup in 1988, the education system in Burma has gradually deteriorated. Virtually all universities and colleges remain closed, with only some short term openings, which have served to obstruct the emergence of new student movements. Government expenditure on education continues to decline, while military spending increases.

This also means an increase in financial burden for families that want their children to have access to education, thus making poverty more and more a limiting factor. The education situation is even more dire for ethnic minority communities and children living in Burma's many conflict areas, where survival is the number one priority. As part of the military junta's 'burmanization' campaign, small community-managed schools run by ethnic minorities are routinely closed down, making it all the more difficult for them to preserve their language and culture.