The Myanmar Military Council has announced that more than 5 million students enrolled for the 2022-2023 academic year in the Basic Education schools across Myanmar. However, the junta has repeatedly called for Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) teachers to return the work due to the lack of teachers.

“The Information Team Committee of the State Administration Council invited teachers and education staff who have been absent due to intimidation, participation in protests, and travel difficulties and concerns to report to the nearest Township Education Offices before 31-5-2022 so as to resume their teaching duties. For teachers who wish to report but are unable to report within the deadline due to transport and other difficulties, the reporting deadline has been extended to 7-6-2022,” The Information Team, Committee of the State Administration Council stated on 8 June.

As a result of the Myanmar military coup, there is a serious loss of confidence in state-run entities, including the education system.

A CDM teacher told Mizzima that despite of the extension of the deadline, she would not contact the authorities because she lacks trust in the Military Council’s education system.

'We have abandoned our schools already because we do not like the military dictatorship, so we will not go back to school,' the CDM teacher in Mon State said.

The military regime earlier announced on 16 May that if a CDM teacher resumes their teaching duties before the school reopened in June, the teacher would be given their original titles.

However, at the end of May, only 2,482 people had contacted the Military Council’s Ministry of Education, so the registration deadline was extended to 7 June.

About 50 out of 2482 who have contacted the Ministry of Education were investigated and reappointed to their original post, according to the ministry on 1 June.

After having extended the reporting deadline to 7 June, military regime announced through its media that 2,960 teachers contacted their Ministry of Education and this indicated just only 400 teachers contacted them per week.

Therefore, the military regime has announced on 9 June that the reporting deadline has been extended again to 14-6-2022.

'The military council called back CDM teachers but the military regime is investigating, monitoring and inquiring teachers. I assume that they are trying to get the information from CDM teachers,” Naung Cho, the central executive of the Basic Education labour Unions Steering Committee told Mizzima.