No education for Rohingya children in Maungdaw

There are schools, teachers and students in Maungdaw, but no education system there, no teaching by teachers to Rohingya children in schools in rural areas since 2012 – occurred conflict between Rohingyas and Rakhine community, said Hamidul Rahaman, father of four students from Maungdaw. Mostly in the education department, the teachers are Rakhine community and didn’t go to schools for fearing of their security and getting their salary on time. Noone object for these. If the Rakhine teachers come to school in the morning, leaving in the noon, without teaching, only gossiping, making sweater, said Hamidul Rahaman. “The Rohingya community was not allow to join for job of teacher.” 

For instance, there are nearly 400-Rohingya children and appointed 9- teacher in the primary school of Khonzabill village, but all the teachers are Raknines and they do not teach the Rohingya children in appropriate way, according to Mohin, a well-wisher of Rohingya from Maungdaw.

Since 2012, after clashes between Rakhine and Rohingya, Rakhine teachers do not go to school in Rohingya village as they give reason that there is no security for them. But the authority concerned did not take any action to the teachers and they get their salary in time.

Everywhere, there are police, earlier Nasaka (present- BGP), army, Hloon Tin camps for security. Why did they say, there is no security for them? said Rakib, a businessman from the locality.

Nur Fiasel, a local village elder said, the Rakhine teachers attend at the school at 9:00 am and gossiping each other in the school and 2:00 pm, they leave school without giving any activites to the students.

In similar way, in other parts of Maungdaw and Buthidaung Townships, Rakhine teachers (males and females) do not go to schools in rural areas, especially in Rohingya villages and Rohingya students are deprived of education, he more added.

As a result, Rohingya villagers have to appoint two or three local teachers ( Rohingya who pass class ten) to the school (each one) to teach their children and all the expenses have been borne by the villagers.

Nearby towns, in schools of mixed students (Rakhine and Rohingya), Rekhine teachers regularly go to school and teach lessons to the students, a youth Petan Ali from Buthidaung said.

However, Rohingya villagers of Khonzabill village of Maungdaw Township appointed two local Rohingya teachers in their school to give lessons to their children, after holding a meeting on June 24.  They will collect money from the villagers, villagers said.

The education system, under the present NLD government is the same like ex-government. In short --- “the new bottle with old wine,” said an elder.