Barriers for Accessing Education Spaces in Myanmar
Abstract
With a population of more than 54.5 million, 135 ethnic groups, Myanmar is one of the world's most diverse countries. Despite this rich diversity, decades of political isolation and economic stagnation have slowed progress on all aspects of human development. Large disparities remain in access to basic services and a legacy of conflict, and natural disasters has had a profoundly negative impact on the ability of many children to realize their rights. In 2021-2022, the twin crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the military takeover are driving an acute learning crisis in Myanmar, with millions of children and youth now facing significant challenges in accessing and continuing with their education due to a multitude of complex factor, particularly the most vulnerable children and girls. A significant number of children do not attend school regularly and many children are out of school. The improvements observed in recent years in education outcomes have been reversed and the current situation has resulted in a prolonged learning crisis for Myanmar’s 4.5 million school-aged children, as well as adolescents and youth attending non-formal education, with long-lasting consequences for their cognitive development and their socio-economic futures. In order to promote children's learning independent of political conditions or climate change, the study intends to understand the obstacles that students face while trying to enter educational spaces and how to assist children and the community in overcoming those obstacles.
Keywords:
Barriers to Education, Community Participation, Learning Outcomes, School SafetyReferences
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