Right to Education of Children under Threat
Speakers - Charles (Karenni State Consultative Council), Teacher May (Federation of Basic Education Worker Unions), Khin Ni (All Burma Federation of Student Unions, ABFSU)
Moderator - Nang Ei Thi
Thought Process Program Season (2)/Episode (5)
Q: Moderator
Ma Khin Ni, how do you personally define education? And what do you believe should be the ultimate purpose of learning?
A: Khin Ni
Education, to me, is what shapes the mindset of our people. That's why it is very important for this revolution that everyone involved, regardless of age or responsibilities, continue learning even if they are no longer students or past student age. It is important for building progressive ideologies. In advanced nations and societies, they establish strong, quality education systems. They also ensure education is accessible to everyone from primary school to higher education. These efforts aren't just about schooling. They are about building sound ideologies and better society as a whole.
On the other hand, you can see in our country that successive military dictators have systematically undermined education. We ourselves grew up under this militarized slavery education system and, even then, not everyone has equal access to this education system. Many people didn’t complete their education, and it’s not just down to the CDM, there were many other factors such as financial constraints and class disparities. People are forced to learned under this poor education system while paying excessive fees. This entire system was deliberately designed to implant militarized slavery mindset, strengthen authoritarian rule, and maintain order under military control.
You might remember the history we were taught as children and the history they hid from us such as oppression and the brutalities against ethnic groups. They fed us chauvinistic, ultra-nationalist policies and ideologies and planted fascist ideas into our minds.
The true purpose of education should be to empower us to develop progressive ideas, to enable us to analyze everything critically and to allow the society as a whole to advance and create better technologies and arts. For so many years, we’ve been robbed of education’s true essence which is a foundational need for our development.
Q: Moderator
How do you view the relationship between education and politics? Do students need to develop political awareness?
A: Khin Ni
Education is essentially a medium that profoundly shapes political ideologies. As I mentioned earlier, education shape the ideologies and mindset of the public. Because of this, education can significantly elevate the political consciousness of an entire society.
However, under the current militarized slavery education system, our political consciousness has been severely suppressed systematically. Despite limited access to information, we gradually managed to advance our political ideologies and even pushed ourselves to start a revolution. So, to answer your question about whether students should be politically aware, absolutely, they should.
Reflecting on this, I remember something that happened before the coup. The Rangoon University Student Union did something in Yangon University compound. I cannot remember exactly if it was putting up posters or conducting interviews but it was something related to the 7 July Memorial Day. The university authorities came and accuse them of engaging in “bad politics” and claimed students shouldn’t be involved in politics. The student countered that even the school was teaching Political Science in the arts and sciences faculties and that how could they say students had to stay out of politics. The authorities would twist their words and said the school was teaching “good politics” and that the 7 July activities were ‘bad politics.’
I mean, 7 July is the day so many students were massacred. If this doesn't concern students, who else should it concern? Yet they still had the audacity to call this 'bad politics'. Students have always been intertwined with politics. They have always been politically cautious/alert. Even during the so-called 'semi-democratic' civilian government era, students were among the firsts to demand the abolition of the military-drafted 2008 constitution. During the early days of the Spring Revolution, when no one else dared saying it, students were the ones who shouted for abolishment of the 2008 constitution.
Moreover, students have led strikes and movements for educational reform. Take the 2015 education strike. The main objective of the movement was to challenge the entire political system by demanding reforms to the militarized education system. This shows how students have always been intertwined with politics.
Students have always participated in politics. They have never withdrawn their involvement in politics. They do not tolerate injustice. They stand against all forms of oppression. They live and stand with the oppressed. It’s not charitable or superficial acts of kindness for temporary fix or consolation that they are doing. They are doing what they are doing with the full understanding that only the complete collapse of this entire system, the total downfall of military dictatorship, will bring progress to people's lives. That's why students and politics cannot be separated.
Q: Moderator
Regarding what is happening in education sector now, what are your thoughts on Non-CDMs? Do punitive measures against Non-CDM staff risk violating the right to education? How do you think we should best deal with this situation?
A: Khin Ni
We have already issued clear positions statements regarding Non-CDM participants. We categorically oppose any punishment or retaliation against civilian Non-CDM staff or students. Such actions violate the rights of students. We are not like the military. The junta arrests, imprisons, and restricts CDM participants and dissenters. They target schools that operate in area controlled by resistance forces. They deliberately target civilians in airstrikes.
We are not fascists like them. Fascists want to crush dissents like bitter enemies and they imprison, prosecute, and punishment them. But, as revolutionary forces, our work is to persuade, not to obliterate, and we cannot use our failure to persuade as a justification for repression.
In our struggle to uproot fascism, we cannot use the very same methods used by the fascist military. Civilian like students or government staff are not part of what we call the Sit Thone Sit (military triad) even if they are Non-CDM participants. The military triad we are talking about is comprised of the Junta, the Mmlitary government and military bureaucratic apparatus. Anyone including revolutionary forces and civilians who actively commit and assist arbitrary arrests, torture and killings are considered part of the military triad. Such individuals must face justice for their crimes.
So, one might ask what non-CDM participants are. Are they complicit in the military's killing machine? Are you inherently part of the junta’s murderous system merely for teaching under the military’s education system? These are nuances we need to think about. If they are actively enabling the military triad’s killing machine, then they share liability like anyone else who do the same. And this is regardless of their CDM status because even some CDM participants or revolutionary actors could be collaborators of the junta. We cannot punish someone for merely being a non-CDM participant. Non-CDM status alone cannot make someone a collaborator. It does not equal guilt.
We cannot accept the notion that people are guilty simply for not joining the revolution. As revolutionary forces, if we want more people to participate, we must focus on mobilizing supports and expanding our outreach. Sometimes, we see those claims about deadline for CDM registration and so on. The revolution’s doors must remain open. People should be able to join anytime, without arbitrary deadlines. We must never abandon the persuasive approach. Currently we are seeing many exclusionary practices and punitive measures like blacklisting, CDM cut-off dates, and naming and shaming. Even those in the leadership positions are doing it and issuing decrees to exclude people. They are counterproductive. Our strategy should be mobilization, not gatekeeping.
For us, participating in the CDM or joining the revolution is our revolutionary stance. History will remember our stance. But right now, what we must do to the best of our ability is to figure out how to resolve the difficulties faced by those who are joining and how we can support them.
As you mentioned earlier, we need to continue expanding community education efforts. We must work together and help each other to protect against aerial threats and airstrikes. Additionally, we must consider how to ensure continued access to education and how to make the revolution victorious without dragging on for too long. These are the things we need to think about.
Our job is to provide support and assistance to those participating in this revolution, to ensure their basic needs like food, shelter, and continued education are met in every way possible. That is what we need to do. This revolution is a long journey. At this stage, we are not yet in a position of victory. Now is not the time for questioning some people about their involvement in the revolution or thinking about how to punish them or force them to apologize.
Q: Moderator
What about you Teacher May? What does education mean to you? What does the right to education means?
A: Teacher May
As for me, being a teacher, I believe that every single child—from the moment they are born—must receive an education. I believe that they must be in classroom as soon as they reach school-age. Every child must have equal access to education.
But when it comes to enclosed education, in our country, children have never had that kind of equal opportunity. To me, education isn’t just about passing one grade after another, earning university degrees, or collecting certificates. I don’t consider those things true education. They aren’t genuine knowledge.
For me, I like to consider education as the wisdom and knowledge to distinguish right from wrong, good from bad, cause from effect. Only when a person can critically analyze and understand these things can we truly consider them educated. That is how I like to define true education.
In our country, not every child has full access to education. For example, some children that have turned five still don't have access to education. Then we have a situation where education is only accessible to those who can afford expensive tuition fees. The situation has grown even worse now. Private schools, international schools and even government schools remain out of reach for many children who can't afford it.
Education should be equally accessible to every child. And the purpose of education should be to nurture the ability to distinguish right from wrong, cause from effect and most importantly, it should be to elevate the level of knowledge and wisdom of our children.
The military junta has deliberately denied equal access to education, because they fear educated citizens. They are afraid that knowledgeable young people will rise up and resist their oppression. This reveals their despicable mentality. They systematically deny children of equal educational opportunities. Therefore, we must fight to ensure every child has assess to education.
Q: Moderator
The military has been deliberately targeting schools and religious buildings in airstrikes. Why do you think they do that? What do you think are the best ways for us to respond to these attacks?
A: Teacher May
Everyone in their right mind know that schools, religious buildings, and hospitals are not targets for aerial bombardment. So, I must say they are out of their mind to be doing that. The truth is, these structures are intentionally designed to be recognizable from the air. Their architecture clearly identifies them as places of learning, worship and healing. These places are meant to be supported and protected not targeted by bombing. Yet they deliberately and delightedly attack these protected spaces with complete moral bankruptcy. Everyone knows this is unacceptable.
So, to protect from these attacks, as I mentioned earlier, we must work closely with local communities and coordinate with administrative bodies and build strong and safe bomb shelters. Furthermore, we must connect with air defense systems and educate the public. Another crucial step is to prepare for home-based Learning depending on the situation. On May 25, 2025, our Ministry had to issue orders suspending schools and interim education programs.
We cannot let the bombings stop our right to education. While it is true that we need to temporarily close schools due to the military junta’s airstrikes, we cannot stop teaching programs. Since education must continue, we must adapt to the situation and prepare for home-based learning. Additionally, we must avoid large gatherings in schools, hospitals, and religious buildings as much as possible. So, whether it is for community meetings or religious ceremonies when gatherings are unavoidable, we must prevent information leakage and ensure that no military informants can infiltrate us. For that I believe we must thoroughly vet everyone involved. But overall, during these critical times, whether at schools, hospitals, or religious buildings, we should avoid large gatherings and celebratory events as much as possible.
Q: Moderator
Teacher May, given that this is a revolutionary period, how should we implement free education initiatives in different regions? For instance, how can we conduct teaching while protecting against airstrikes? How can we adapt the education programs to function smoothly in warzones?
A: Teacher May
Your question reminds me of Che Guevara's words. Che said the first duty of a revolutionary is to be educated. That is very true. School-age children must be in school and they must have access to education. The right to education must be secured by all means necessary no matter the circumstances.
But after the military junta has illegally seized power, we decided to join the CDM because we refused to work under their rule. Similarly, countless students have joined the CDM, rejecting education under the junta's control. Now that we're in a revolutionary period, some might think that we should focus only on the revolution first and prioritize armed struggle and pause education. But this is wrong. We cannot tell children that their education must wait because this is a revolution time. That should never happen.
Moreover, due to the terrorist military junta's bombings, we have already lost hundreds of lives as well as access to education. This should never be happening. Teachers must continue teaching anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances to ensure all the school-age children can receive education. This is our collective responsibility.
In terms of protecting children’s right to education, I think we need to do two things. First, we must reopen community schools and resume teaching. But to do this safely, we need to construct strong bomb shelters first. This is essential. Now, we cannot just ask teachers to build these bomb shelters. It’s impossible. This requires collaboration between teachers, students, parents, and the entire community, including local administrative bodies in areas under our control. We should implement this as a dedicated project to ensure safe, uninterrupted education.
But, simply having bomb shelters isn't enough. They must be integrated with an efficient air raid warning system to be effective. We cannot have students scramble for cover only when they hear jets flying over their heads. Therefore, we also need early warning system. Then we need to train people how the whole system/process work. Internet access is very important for real-time alert systems. So, those with internet access can alert offline communities via mobile phones or walkie-talkies. If we can do that, we can help keep the education programs alive.
Moreover, we can continue providing education through online platforms while simultaneously running physical schools with all the safety measures I just mentioned. If everyone comes together and collaborates to ensure secure learning environments, I firmly believe we can safeguard our right to education and keep learning process going despite all these challenges.
Moderator
How do you define education? What is the purpose of learning and acquiring knowledge?
A: Charles
Everyone has their own definition of education. To me, education fundamentally means loving-kindness. Without this foundation of love and compassion in our society, knowledge becomes meaningless. And when I speak of this love and compassion, I mean affection for those close to us as well as care for our communities. This, I believe, is the very soul of true education.
Everyone say we need to pursue education and the education is a fundamental right. But to me, the true purpose of education is to enable us to give back to our communities. Education isn't just about earning degrees. We must use the knowledge we have acquired through our studies for the right purpose such as for building a better and more progressive society. Each of us has a responsibility to build a mutually supportive society where people help each other. And improving our surroundings and making our society a better place requires, at its foundation, the principle of loving-kindness.
After acquiring an education, most people choose to go abroad or focus solely on improving their personal and family status. This is why our country currently finds itself in this situation. We have many educated people, but very few return to work to develop and safeguard their communities.
That’s why I believe education must be rooted in metta or loving-kindness. If we base our actions on this principle and if we commit to developing our communities with compassion, then the true purpose of education will be fulfilled in a much better way.
Q: Moderator
What does freedom of education for all truly mean? Should we consider factors like the system under which one acquire their education? Or should we accept that all people have freedom of education regardless of the type of knowledge they are acquiring or the source of it?
A: Charles
Regarding the question of under whose system one learns, this reflects our current reality. Since the military coup in Myanmar, education has become a challenge and a dilemma, posing difficult choices. Some lack the alternatives, so they learn wherever they can. As a result, we have two different groups of students – one that study in the junta’s schools versus those in revolutionary territories. Then we have home-based learning which is also officially recognized by the National Unity Government’s Ministry of Education and then there are those who are doing self-study. For example, in Karenni State’s revolutionary areas, our policies explicitly endorse home-based learning as a valid alternative. These are the channels and options we have at the moment.
In Karenni State's education system, our policy formally recognizes home-based education, community learning centers, and other alternative education programs and methods. We've institutionalized these diverse approaches and made it flexible for the student. Yet the reality remains challenging. Many parents and students still view only the mainstream education system as legitimate. Some parents insist on sending their children to junta-controlled schools, believing only Grade 12 completion under the military's system counts as 'real' education. This mindset persists despite the alternatives. Therefore, my recommendation is to educate parents that learning isn't confined to mainstream systems and that education can be accessed and achieved in many different ways through different channels and platforms.
Q: Moderator
For parents and students who cannot join CDM, they return to junta’s schools and this has caused heated debates within revolutionary communities. Some even label them as 'enemies' aiding the military. What are your thoughts on this?
A: Charles
I remember recently CRPH issued its policy on CDM on the 13th, I think. It drew both criticisms as well as supports. Here in our state, we too have different views on this matter. Some people empathize with them referencing the hardship they are facing such as financial problems and livelihood challenges. Then there are others who maintain that it is unacceptable claiming such compromises slow down the revolution. They even accused non-CDM participants of propping up the military junta. So, there are definitely opposing perspectives, especially concerning education-sector CDM.
To be honest, this issue is not straight forward. It’s hard to speak about it in a decisive manner. We often speak of three types of education-sector CDM – student CDM, parent CDM, and teacher CDM. If parents have no choice but to remain in junta-controlled areas, their children may have to attend military-run schools. Similarly, some teachers might still work under the regime for the same reasons and challenges we mentioned earlier.
But for the teachers, I really would like to encourage them and invite them to join CDM. Revolutionary territories need a lot of educators. There is a big gap. Their participation would significantly strengthen our resistance education system. With their support, our revolutionary education system can become far more robust.
Q: Moderator
Regarding education, what kind of principles and policies are being developed for both the revolutionary period and post-revolution era?
A: Charles
I've been consistently involved in policy development, including development the Federal Democratic Education Policy (FDEP). As the KSCC representative in the JCC, I participated in its drafting. Additionally, I led the development of Karenni State's interim education policy which was approved on November 2, 2024. As for FDEP, it was adopted on May 8, 2023. Our foundational principle is that education must be rooted in human rights and federal democracy.
Furthermore, we have embedded core principles in our policy to preserve and advance the languages, literature, cultures, and histories of all ethnic groups for their sustainability. It is one of our policy commitments.
Our foundational framework also prioritizes all-inclusive, quality education system that can guarantee livelihood security for all. We also aim to build an education system that can nurture a society that fosters continuous education and life-long learning. This is our plan for both the interim revolutionary period as well as post-revolution era.
We are also committed to implementing an all-inclusive education that ensure access for all the marginalized groups including persons with disabilities, the economically disadvantaged, geographically isolated communities, and those with learning difficulties.
Another commitment is academic freedom. We want to promote academic freedom as a fundamental value. These principles guide our current interim federal democratic education system and will continue to shape our education system after the revolution.