Amid escalating conflict and oppression in Arakan State, only 2,097 students from the junta-controlled townships of Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Manaung will sit for the 2025 Matriculation Examination. This is a stark decline from previous years, exposing the dire impact of the ongoing violence on students’ right to education.
According to a junta-supervised newspaper released on March 7, of the 2,097 students registered, 1,492 are regular attendees while 605 are external candidates. The junta has established just eight testing centers—four in Sittwe, two in Kyaukphyu, and two in Manaung—to facilitate the examinations, a dramatic drop from the more than 120 centers typically set up in Arakan State.
A teacher from Kyaukphyu Township, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, expressed fears that the actual number of students taking the exam might be lower than anticipated. “The students sitting for the exam mainly come from city areas. Rural students are hesitant to travel due to transportation blockades and the risk of being trapped in cities. Some students, fearing arrests, have chosen not to sit for the exam at all,” the teacher stated.
With the education sector in turmoil, only students from urban areas and nearby villages have been able to attend school in Sittwe and Kyaukphyu during the 2024-2025 academic year. Those from conflict-ridden rural regions have largely been deprived of access to education, exacerbating the crisis for the younger generation.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, 8,534 students took the matriculation exam in Arakan State, with 5,253 successfully passing. The drastic reduction in numbers this year underscores the devastating impact of ongoing clashes between the junta and the Arakan Army (AA), which has controlled 14 out of 17 townships since November 2023.
The junta’s continued repression has driven thousands of residents to flee their homes, forcing many students to abandon their education. As families escape the violence, displaced students are left without schools, teachers, or the means to continue their studies. The resulting loss of educational opportunities threatens to cripple an entire generation, leaving them without the qualifications necessary for future prospects.
The 2025 Matriculation Examination is set to take place from March 17 to 22, but under the current circumstances, the chances of students successfully completing their exams remain grim. With conflict showing no signs of abating, the future of Arakan’s youth hangs in the balance, raising urgent concerns over their right to education and the broader impact on the region’s long-term development.
As the world watches, the suppression of education in Arakan State stands as a harrowing reminder of the deepening humanitarian crisis under military rule.
BOB Post
