Karenni Children Brave Airstrikes and Supply Shortages to Continue Education

Students in Myanmar’s Karenni State face severe challenges in accessing their fundamental right to education. Amid ongoing armed conflict, children lack necessities and struggle with constant security threats.

Many children now attend makeshift schools in forests and mountainous areas to avoid military airstrikes. Parents often must prioritize basic survival over education. Meanwhile, the few remaining open schools struggle with severe shortages of teaching materials and stationery.

“From textbooks to pencils and pens, we don’t have enough supplies,” said the education officer for eastern Demoso Township. “When children cannot access these materials, many eventually drop out as they grow older.”

Constant security threats leave parents terrified to send their children to school.

“Classes are frequently suspended because military drones fly over the school,” one parent said. “As a parent, I worry constantly about whether aircraft might arrive and attack.”

Education has suffered heavily since the 2021 military coup. Displaced students rely on whatever resources are available in the jungle.

Furthermore, the military junta routinely targets school buildings.

The Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG) reported that military drone bombings damaged three basic education schools in August alone. According to the Progressive Karenni People’s Force (PKPF), the regime conducted nearly 2,200 airstrikes across Karenni State between the 2021 coup and August 2026.

These constant threats severely impact students' ability to learn. “Children cannot fully concentrate on learning when they have to fear for their lives,” a volunteer teacher explained.

Despite these extreme challenges, volunteer educators and teachers from the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) continue to teach the next generation.

Karenni State now has over 460 makeshift schools. Local educators urge everyone to keep supporting these vulnerable children.

“I appeal to donors to provide more educational support, and I hope parents will make every effort to keep their children in school,” the volunteer teacher said. “Teachers must continue to teach with dedication and keep the children's future in mind.”