Education in Emergencies - Myanmar
Above: Temporary Learning Centres mean children like Showkat* (pictured here with her mother) now have access to education. Image: Shin Thander, LWF.
Myanmar faces substantial humanitarian challenges, with large numbers of displaced people and significant humanitarian needs. Currently there are over 144,477 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Central Rakhine State, approximately 20 percent of whom are school-aged children but are not accessing a formal education. A further 228,000 people are identified as non-displaced stateless populations, representing an approximate 45,600 additional children who face challenges accessing education.
The Australian Government launched the Myanmar Humanitarian Package (2020-2022) in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, complementing Australia’s Rohingya and Host Community Humanitarian Package (2020-2022) for Bangladesh (Information on the AHP’s Rohingya Response in Bangladesh can be found here).
The Myanmar humanitarian package includes an AUD 5 million Myanmar Education in Emergencies component to be implemented through the AHP.
The AHP Response
Between June 2020 and December 2022, the AHP Myanmar Education in Emergencies Response aims to reach more than 23,000 people, including more than 19,000 children living in IDP camps in Central Rakhine State (Sittwe and Pauktaw townships). AHP partners will provide primary education to displaced children and improve the overall quality of education within the IDP camps through professional development for teachers and school community engagement. Ensuring girls, children with disabilities and adolescents are included in education activities is a specific focus.
AHP partners involved in the response include Save the Children Australia, Plan International Australia, Lutheran World Federation and Humanity and Inclusion. The AHP consortium has also linked with Muslim Aid to ensure all agencies focussing on education are working toward the same outcomes.
Early Response Highlights
AHP partners adapted programming to promote awareness and prevention of COVID-19 whilst maintaining continuity of education for children in Sittwe and Pauktaw IDP camps.
Home-based learning sessions with groups of 5-6 children have been established to promote literacy and numeracy skills.
Camp-based staff and volunteer teachers are using mobile apps to share audio translations of key education and COVID-19 awareness messaging with communities in the camps and villages.
COVID-19 information posters and other materials distributed to all Temporary Learning Classrooms and Non-Formal Primary Education centres in Sittwe and Pauktaw camps.
* Names have been changed.
Field Stories
Increasing the number of girls and women in the classroom, both among students and as teachers, has been one of the aims of the AHP Education in Emergencies response in Myanmar. 19-year-old Yamin Khin now has the opportunity to work as an Assistant Volunteer Teacher at the same learning centre where she studied.