by Hafizur Rahman
Maungdaw, Arakan State | August 12, 2026
Rohingya parents in Maungdaw have raised concerns over monthly payments collected from students and allegations that some teachers are pressuring children to attend paid private tuition classes.
The complaints concern No. 2 Basic Education High School in Ward 2 of Maungdaw.
Parents told Rohingya Khobor that students are required to make monthly payments based on their grade level.
According to several parents, Kindergarten and Grade 1 students are charged 10,000 kyats per month, while students in Grades 2 and 3 pay 15,000 kyats. Those in Grades 4 and 5 are reportedly charged 20,000 kyats, students in Grades 6 to 9 pay 25,000 kyats, and Grades 10 to 12 are charged 30,000 kyats.
Rohingya Khobor could not independently confirm the fee structure or establish which education authority authorised the payments.
Parents said the monthly school payments are only part of the financial burden.
They alleged that some class teachers are also encouraging or pressuring students to attend private tuition classes run by the same teachers.
According to parents interviewed by Rohingya Khobor, private tuition for primary-level students can cost around 50,000 kyats per month, while fees for some middle-school students can reach approximately 80,000 kyats.
For families already struggling with rising living costs and limited livelihood opportunities, parents said the combined expense is increasingly difficult to afford.
“Fifty thousand kyats every month is not a small amount for a family with a young child,” one Rohingya parent said. “We already have to pay the school fees, and adding tuition fees makes things much harder.”
More seriously, several parents alleged that children who do not attend private tuition have been warned that their academic performance or examination results could suffer.
Rohingya Khobor has not independently verified those allegations and was unable to establish whether such practices are sanctioned by the school administration.
One guardian, who asked to be identified as Maung Maung, said his daughter in Grade 3 recently failed an examination.
When he approached her class teacher to ask about the result, he said the teacher told him that the student had repeatedly been asked to attend private tuition but had not done so.
“My child should be judged by her schoolwork and examination, not by whether we can pay for private tuition,” he told Rohingya Khobor.
Another parent said their Grade 2 daughter had become reluctant to attend school after repeatedly being scolded and encouraged to join paid tuition classes.
“My daughter used to enjoy going to school, but now she says she does not want to go,” the parent said. “She is afraid of being scolded and being pressured to take tuition.”
Parents said the situation risks creating unequal treatment between children whose families can afford additional classes and those who cannot.
They called on school authorities to clarify which payments are officially required, ensure transparency over how money collected from students is used, and prevent teachers from linking academic assessment to participation in private tuition.
Parents also urged teachers not to threaten, shame or disadvantage children whose families cannot afford additional classes.
Rohingya Khobor has not received a response from the school administration or the relevant education authorities regarding the allegations.
The complaints come at a time when Rohingya families in Maungdaw are facing wider economic pressures and limited livelihood opportunities following years of conflict and displacement. Residents in northern Maungdaw have also recently alleged that additional household fees have been introduced in areas administered by the United League of Arakan and Arakan Army.
For parents, however, the immediate concern is straightforward: access to basic education should not depend on whether a family can afford additional payments outside the classroom.
