Since the outbreak of violence in 2012, accessing education has been an uphill battle for Rohingya students in Sittwe. In the years between 2014 and 2021, some progress was made, thanks to dedicated local Rohingya teachers who worked tirelessly in the face of adversity. These teachers, employed by the government, played a vital role in educating the community’s children, but that success was short-lived. In 2022, citing budget constraints, the government replaced these local teachers with Rakhine teachers, marking the beginning of a steep decline in the quality of education for Rohingya students.
The situation has worsened with the resurgence of conflict in Rakhine State. Teachers are fleeing the region to escape the fighting, leaving schools understaffed. Those who remain often refuse to teach in classrooms attended by Rohingya students, blaming high transportation costs and a lack of support from the government. Even when they do show up, they prefer to sit in lounges and chat rather than engage with the students. “There’s no teacher to teach us in the classroom. They sit in the lounge and talk to each other. If they don’t teach us, why should we sit in a hot classroom?” said a group of students who were spotted in a tea shop during school hours.
International NGOs, including LWF, NRC, and Save the Children, once provided vital support to Rohingya students in the form of free schooling and tuition. However, LWF was forced to halt its educational programs this year due to failed negotiations with the government. This withdrawal has left many students without access to basic education. Restrictions on businesses and NGO operations, linked to the ongoing war, have made matters worse. Even though local Rohingya teachers have opened private tuition centers, most students cannot afford to attend due to financial hardships.
One parent expressed his frustration, saying, “I have no job and no income because of political issues. My children can’t attend private tuition, and in school, they aren’t being taught properly. Their education is suffering, and their future is bleak.”
The situation is equally grim for university-level students. Out of all the universities in Rakhine State, only Sittwe University allows Rohingya students to enroll, and even then, they face harsh restrictions and discrimination. Since the ethnic conflict in 2012, Rohingya students were banned from attending the university for ten years. While they were allowed to return in 2022, the road to higher education remains fraught with barriers.
As the conflict continues to destabilize the region, the future of Rohingya students looks increasingly uncertain. Access to education, a basic human right, has been denied to them for over a decade, threatening the potential and progress of an entire generation.
