Myanmar’s education crisis leaves 6m children out of school

Nearly half of Myanmar’s school‑aged children are missing out on education this year, according to a new report that highlights the devastating impact of poverty, war and political turmoil on the country’s classrooms.

The Institute for Strategy and Policy–Myanmar (ISP‑Myanmar) estimates that 6.3 million children are not attending school in the 2026‑27 academic year, which began on 1 June. That leaves just 6.7 million enrolled, compared with almost 9.7 million before the 2021 coup.

Parents say the costs of books and uniforms are now unaffordable, even in state schools officially free of charge. Others have been forced to withdraw their children because of armed conflict or because they lack the paperwork needed to re‑enrol after displacement.

The parallel National Unity Government (NUG) has set up its own education system in resistance‑held areas, with more than 700,000 students in 6,000 schools last year. But these schools face constant risk from regime airstrikes and artillery. The massacre at O Htein Twin in May 2025, when a fighter jet bombed a school in Sagaing Region killing 22 children and two teachers, has left parents fearful of sending their children back.

Some families now rely on private tuition or home‑based teaching. Others are turning to vocational training, believing there is little future in pursuing higher education under either the junta or the NUG.

The ISP report notes that education spending remains below pre‑coup levels, at just 6.92 per cent of the national budget this year. Coup leader Min Aung Hlaing has blamed lack of education for resistance to his rule, but critics say the regime has failed to provide safe, accessible schooling.

With millions of children out of classrooms and hundreds of schools destroyed or abandoned, Myanmar faces a generation at risk of being permanently denied education. The report warns that without urgent action, the country’s future workforce will be left dangerously unprepared.

-2026-06-30