The Thai government’s sudden closure of six schools in southern Surat Thani province has left nearly 2,000 Myanmar migrant children without access to education, school officials and parents told Radio Free Asia.
The government said the schools were operating illegally with teachers who didn’t have the legal right to live and work in Thailand. Children from the closed schools can enroll in public schools in the province, the government said in an Sept. 8 announcement.
A labor activist working on the issue of migrant workers in Thailand said 24 teachers were being investigated by Thai authorities and may face legal action under Thai law.
Thai officials also apparently don’t want the children singing Myanmar’s national anthem or dressed in different uniforms than at Thai schools, according to the founder of one of the schools who asked to remain anonymous so as not to draw attention from Thai authorities.
“They want the education system to be integrated with the Thai system, where a Thai teacher should lead the school, only the Thai national anthem should be sung, and the image of the King must be properly maintained,” he said.
One of the schools closed in Surat Thani last week served more than 1,000 students, according to Zaw Khaing Myo, the school’s principal. The Myittar Yeik School was established in 2022, he said.
“We have many children, and they are facing many difficulties. Now, parents cannot leave their children at home or take them to work, making it impossible for them to work without constant worry,” he said.
Children have already missed at least two years of education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Thein Aye, the father of two students at Myittar Yeik School.
“It is sad that this is happening just as they were finally able to return to school,” he said.
The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand on Sept. 8 called for a review of the school closures and emphasized the need to ensure that migrant children have access to education.
Aid workers specializing in migrant issues estimate that at least 50,000 Myanmar migrant children are currently studying in Thailand.
The Thai Ministry of Education has instructed local authorities to inspect other schools for Myanmar migrants to verify whether teachers have a permit to work in Thailand.
As a result, migrant schools in other parts of Thailand – such as Mae Sot – are now worried that they will be shut down, according to the Myanmar migrant school founder.
RFA has contacted both the Thai Embassy in Yangon and the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok to inquire about this situation, but no response was immediately received.
Translated by Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Matt Reed.