EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN KIA/ KIO CONTROL AREA OF MYANMAR

Abstract

As Kachin ethnic education is a key variable of the peace process in Myanmar, this study investigated the effect of prolonged ethnic conflict, created under Burmanization, on the ethnic education system and its students. As a participant in this study, 315 ethnic students from the four educational institutions in Mai Ja Yang, KIO/ KIA territories: Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mai Ja Yang College, Law Academy, and Mai Ja Yang Institute of Education, were randomly selected based on the calculated sample size. As Mai Ja Yang town is the central education area of KIO/ KIA, so the results of this research could be generalized to the study population. Additionally, qualitative analysis was done on the interview with the Higher Education Director of the institutions and KED. ‘Jinghpaw’ as the medium of instruction in the institutions of KIO/ KIA control regions become necessarily helpful for its student to be impervious from the perception of Burmanization, and to preserve ethnic identity. The conflict has retarded the various sector of development, specifically the education sector, and KED is encountering financial issues as well as human resources to provide better education to its students; on the other hand, ethnic students have to endure limited educational fields and career options. Along with those limitations, the IDP students suffer from financial security which leads to relinquishing education so that they become young workers, and some are targeted as the source of political unrest. Based on the limited study area, and confidentiality for security, more research is needed to understand the construction of civil war on ethnic education and its students.