Due to the worsening of the military conflict in Ye township in southern Mon State, there are less numbers of students attending the government basic education schools in the township, according to local residents and some parents of students.
According to a parent of a student, there are frequent shootings between the Military Council Army and the Local Defense Forces in Ye Township, as well as government offices being attacked, and fearing for their children’s safety, they do not send their children to school.
“It’s been a long time since I was worried about the children. There are almost no teachers in the school,” said the parent.
The number of teachers decreased due to the fact that during the previous protest, many teachers joined the CDM movement against the military council, and later retired due to the security situation.
According to some of the students’ parents, there are only a few children from military families who are currently attending school under full security.
In addition, the People’s Defense Forces in the region issued a warning last month to ask teachers teaching in schools to do CDM and return home.
“Once the warning was issued, teachers did not dare to go to school anymore. Parents don’t send their children to school anymore,” said a resident.
The People’s Defense Forces operating in the region have also announced that they will increase the military intensity during the open season.
There are about 280 schools in Ye township and there are more than 30,000 students attending the school.
There are many Mon villages in Ye township, and some Mon villages have Mon national schools. Children attend regular school only in Mon National School, and students from government schools transfer to Mon National School.
