6k Myanmar refugee kids enrol in Mizoram schools

In August 2021, the Mizoram government started enrolling children of Myanmarese nationals in schools across the state.

Aizawl: A 16-year-old girl from Myanmar saw her hopes of receiving quality education and becoming a pilot shattering before her eyes when her family had to flee their country last year in the aftermath of February 1 military coup that seized the power from the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi-led government.

Mizoram education director Dr H Lalthlangliana told HT that thousands of Myanmarese children are enrolled in government and private schools across the state

Over a year later, Sarah Bawihlenpar’s dreams got a new life of life in neighbouring Mizoram, where she is now a student of class 9 at a government-run school.

Fleeing her country in April last year following the coup d’etat by Tatmadaw (Myanmar military), the 16-year-old, along with her three family members, settled in Khawbung town in the eastern part of the northeastern state. They live in a rented home, with her carpenter father meeting the family’s needs through labour.

“Once we came to Mizoram, my hope was shattered as I thought I wouldn’t be able to receive education anymore,” she told HT. “But luckily the Mizoram government allowed us to be enrolled in school here.”

In August 2021, the Mizoram government started enrolling children of Myanmarese nationals in schools across the state. While Sarah is enrolled in Khawbung high school, a government-run institution, her 12-year-old sister is a class 5 student in a private school in the same town.

Sarah said she is happy with the education system in Mizoram and finds no difficulties in following the local language. Counting Mizo and mathematics as her toughest subjects, she said she somehow managed to clear both the papers in her class 8 exams.

“I want to become a pilot and hope that my dream will come true someday,” she said. “I have no intention of returning to our country as Mizoram is the place for me to live in.”

Mizoram education director Dr H Lalthlangliana told HT that thousands of Myanmarese children are enrolled in government and private schools across the state. “It is difficult to give an exact figure of the number of Myanmarese students enrolled here,” he said.

He, however, added that 6,195 children from Myanmar were enrolled in Mizoram schools in 2021. “Of these, 5,221 are enrolled in government schools, 184 in government-aided and 790 in private schools,” he said.

Though there is no law prohibiting Myanmarese children from enrolling in Mizoram schools, they cannot be officially treated as “refugee students” because the Centre is yet to grant them that status, he said.

Myanmarese children are being provided with free school uniforms, text books and other academic benefits on special arrangement. “No official allotment of such benefits can be made to the Myanmar children. So they are provided with free text books and school uniforms, among others, as per convenient,” he said.

Lalthlangliana said the state government is making efforts to provide best education to all students irrespective of their origin. “Like the local students, children of Myanmar nationals are also given good education.”

“Generally, the Myanmar children have no language barrier as most of them belong to the Chin community, who share ethnic ties with Mizos and also speak Mizo language,” he said. “In some cases, the children hired teachers on their own.”

A total of 68 Myanmarese students enrolled for class 10 board examinations under the Mizoram Board of School Education (MBSE) in 2021-22 session, of which 31 appeared in the tests and 28 passed, he said.

India shares a 1,600-km border with Myanmar, including 510 km in Mizoram. Both countries share a rich heritage of linguistic, ethnic and religious ties.

Recently, Mizoram University (MZU) and Institute of Chin Affairs (ICA) announced introduction of a diploma course in Burmese language and communication skill at MZU. The 10-month course will be offered jointly by MZU and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) from October, said Prof Lalnilawma, head of extension education and rural development department of MZU.

The main objective of the course, Lalnilawma said, is to familiarise students of MZU with the Burmese language and culture of Myanmar in view of the border trade, which will be facilitated in near future after the bilateral Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) is completed.

“This course is recommended to students who wish to study Myanmar’s complex, multi-layered society, and work with the many local and international agencies in Myanmar and on the border,” said a joint statement by MZU and ICA. “NGOs, religious organisations, civil society groups and foreign government bodies have a strong presence in Myanmar research and programming, and knowledge of Burmese language is a clear asset in joining these agencies to provide support.”

As per official records, over 30,000 people from Myanmar have taken shelter in different parts of Mizoram since the military coup in February last year. Majority of these people live in relief camps, some have rented houses while others are accommodated by their local relatives.

The government, in collaboration with village authorities and NGOs, has set up more than 150 relief camps across the state. People living there are provided with food and other reliefs by the state government, NGOs, churches, student bodies and village authorities.

The state government has been conducting profiling of the Myanmar nationals and issuing identity cards to them since February this year in order to maintain their proper identification.

People from Myanmar continue to trickle into the state due to armed clashes between the military and anti-coup protesters and underground outfits, officials said.

During his recent visit to Delhi, Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah that India should broker peace in the neighbouring country.