In an effort to reopen schools in Kawkareik town in Karen State for the Academic Year 2024-2025, the military council is putting pressure teachers to return to their homes, according to local sources.
Since April, the military council has been inviting residents to return to Kawkareik town, where fighting has calmed down. The military council’s administration of the town has also announced that offices in the town will reopen from 1 May.
In addition, the military council has asked education staff and teachers to return for Academic Year 2024-2025, warning them that failure to comply could lead to their dismissal. Therefore, according to sources in Kawkareik, some teachers have returned to the town.
“They’re trying to reopen the schools and are therefore forcing teachers to return to the town. For schools that aren’t ready yet, teachers are forced to teach at Basic Education High School No.1 or 2. If they don’t return, they’re threatened with dismissal from service. I heard one member of the fire department has already been fired. Those close to retirement don’t really have a choice,” said a source familiar with the matter.
Because of such pressure, the teachers whose houses were burnt down during the conflicts are struggling with housing problems. Since the junta officials no longer dare to live in town, they provide accommodation for the teachers and other staff in the respective departmental housing of the military council, Kawkareik residents said.
“They say there will be punishments if we don’t go to school. If we don’t dare to stay in the town, they give us quarters in the junta’s departmental housing. The staff’s families also live there. In the morning, they go to the office, in the evening they come to sleep there again – both the staff and their families. But mostly it’s just the staff who return alone and without their families,” said one local.
Since late last year, clashes between the military council and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied forces have intensified in Kawkareik, with the military carrying out airstrikes and artillery shelling in urban and rural areas. This has led to widespread displacement in the township and the closure of schools.
Around 30 high, middle and primary schools in Kawkareik were closed during the fighting. Although the military council is trying to reopen them, most parents who were displaced from the town prefer to continue their children’s education in schools in the displacement areas due to the unstable security situation, according to people managing the welfare of displaced Kawkareik locals.
Sent by KIC