Caught between COVID-19, Coup and Conflict—What Future for Myanmar Higher Education Reforms?

Abstract

On 1 February 2021, Myanmar military dictators seized power from the elected government and halted the country’s budding reform process. This article explores how Myanmar’s higher education (HE) sector was affected by the coup and COVID-19 and how this has resulted in societal conflict. The article reviews first the history of military coups, then the education reforms in general and what was done in HE, before discussing the effects of COVID-19 and the coup on the sector. Voices from HE teaching staff show the tension in the role of HE as a vehicle for reform and promulgation of those in power. The article argues that the national vision propagated by Myanmar’s HE sector is juxtaposed to that propagated by the Tatmadaw, both claiming to represent Myanmar’s future. This research highlights the dual forces of the COVID-19 pandemic and military coup at a crucial time for HE reforms in a fragile, conflict-affected state, with the future of the reform goals of equity and equality of the sector at stake.

Accessibility to Education during the “Coup-Vid”: An Overview of Online Learning in Myanmar

“…By voluntarily not going to school or work, their decision aims to undermine the legitimacy of the junta who ordered them to return to school (Nikkei staff writers, 2021). This resulted in the jeopardy of plans for education reform (Htut et al, 2022) and the suspension of more than 125,000 Myanmar teachers, accounting for more than 25% of the Myanmar workforce in teaching and academics (Reuters, 2021). As such, many Myanmar youths have opted for private education while some have emigrated overseas in pursuit of a higher quality of life and education (Harcourt, 2018).…”

“…In addition to the pandemic, the country is now facing the harsh conditions of living under the military regime. Some academics have looked into Myanmar's current state of education since the Covid-19 pandemic and the military coup began, such as Htut, Lall, and Howson (2022) who have interviewed other academics on this topic. Drawing on secondary literature, this paper aims to answer the following question: How have students in Myanmar adopted e-learning since 2020 during the pandemic and political crisis?…”

“…Yet another reason for not studying could be the student's active involvement in the political movement against the junta. As per news 191 reports and the study conducted by Htut et al (2022), Myanmar students have joined the People's Defence Forces (PDFs), to fight the military regime. With conflict likely to ensue in the country in the near future, what lays ahead for Myanmar's education sector is uncertain.…”

Comparative Perspectives on the Role of National Pride, Identity and Belonging in the Curriculum

“…Looking at the effects of the 1 February 2021 Myanmar coup on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and staff, Khaing Phyu Htut, Lall, and Kandiko Howson [1] present the voices of academics and teacher educators who have joined the Civil Disobedience Movement in response to the military takeover. All publicly employed university staff who have set themselves in opposition to the military regime have lost their jobs and, with it, their accommodation.…”

“…However, they can also be isolating and discriminatory. Several papers in this Special Issue also highlight how higher education can be a gathering point for political change and revolution, seen in Khaing Phyu Htut, Lall and Kandiko Howson [1], or a space that governments try to co-opt.…”