Myanmar Orders 63,000 Students to Retake Exams After Earthquake

 CINCDS

Tens of thousands of high school students in Myanmar have been told they must retake their national exams, after their answer papers were destroyed in a fire triggered by the March 28 earthquake.

The blaze at Mandalay University incinerated nearly 380,000 exam scripts belonging to around 63,000 students from Mandalay, Sagaing and Kachin State, the junta’s Education Ministry confirmed on Tuesday. Retests are scheduled for June in Mandalay, Sagaing, and the capital, Naypyitaw.

Students and families have expressed outrage over the decision, calling it deeply unfair in the wake of widespread devastation. Many lost homes, loved ones and access to basic resources during the 6.8 magnitude quake, which left over 3,700 dead, more than 5,000 injured and 120 still missing—most of them in Mandalay.

“How can anyone prepare for the exam in such a short time?” wrote one Facebook user, echoing the views of many who are still struggling to recover. “It’s not the right time to retake the exam.”

Critics say the regime is prioritising bureaucracy over compassion. Calls are growing for the junta to focus on humanitarian relief rather than exam logistics. Earthquake survivors in hard-hit areas like Mandalay and Sagaing report receiving electricity bills even as they sleep in makeshift shelters.

The Education Ministry stated that regional offices will release official lists of affected students, with 46,944 in Mandalay, 7,311 in Sagaing, and 8,699 in Kachin State facing the mandatory retest.

While the regime insists the re-exams are necessary for fairness and academic integrity, many argue the move adds psychological pressure to communities already overwhelmed by grief and loss.

As Myanmar reels from one of its deadliest natural disasters in recent history, students are left to choose between survival and studies—raising fresh questions about the junta’s priorities in a country still grappling with conflict and crisis.

-2025-05-13