Brick and Dhamma: How Monastic Schools Impact Myanmar's Future
Thura views monastic education as a crucial foundation for Myanmar’s educational landscape, particularly for underserved and displaced communities, as he described in a recent episode. He recognizes that monastic schools have historically acted as the primary educators for those unable to access traditional schooling, serving a diverse mix of students from various ethnic and religious backgrounds. He recounts that monasteries and other religious organizations took on the responsibility of teaching when formal education was largely inaccessible for the general population, especially during colonial times and other periods of political turmoil. Even today, monastic schools remain one of the few educational options for vulnerable children, including those displaced by conflict in ethnic regions like Kachin, Karenni, and others. Thura appreciates the inclusivity of these institutions, which welcome children regardless of their backgrounds, and he sees them as crucial providers for marginalized communities. However, he is aware that these schools face significant pressure and are constrained by the current military regime, limiting their ability to remain autonomous from state influence. Thura strongly believes in supporting monastic schools' resilience, given their essential role in providing continuity and stability in education amidst ongoing conflict.
“Nowadays, the monastic schools remain a primary source of education for the most vulnerable demographics in the country.”
If you will look at the history, the monastic institutions in Myanmar have been the backbone of our country’s education system for the longest time, even prior to the British colonization and in our modern system of education. If you look at the previous 1000 years of Myanmar, dating back to the Bagan era and the subsequent regimes and in other ethnic areas, the monastic system (It was not called a monastic school back then; it was monasteries) and other faith-based organizations like churches and mosques, have been the main education providers of the population. Historically, proper education was only available to the noble class and the ruling class, whereas the general public only had access to forms of education offered at the monasteries. At the monasteries, the civilians learn how to read and write. The impact of monastic learning was impactful to the extent that in the years between 1850 and 1900, Myanmar had the highest rate of literacy among the Southeast Asian countries and among the Indian subcontinent, like the British India. I think close to 90% of population, both males and females, had different levels of literacy at that time, which was unusually high. Evidently, it was the positive influence from burden carried on by the monasteries and the monastic institutions to educate the underserved communities in Myanmar history.
Nowadays, the monastic schools remain a primary source of education for the most vulnerable demographics in the country. I have taught at some Burmese monastic schools in Mandalay. In spite of being a Buddhist institution, there were a diverse body of students in the school campus, with students from backgrounds that go way beyond ethnicities and religions. Many students that that had to flee from their villages and ethnic areas (e.g., Kachin, Karen and many other regions) are now studying in those Mandalay monastic schools. It is clear that monastic schools is the backbone that have been serving those underserved communities.
In recognizing the importance of monastic schools in educating underserved communities, we should also include other types of education providers like Karen schools that are Christian institutions run by nuns and priests. These Christian missionaries and their affiliations have been critical in maintaining continuous education for people in displaced communities. Despite being the consistent target of the SAC, especially after the 2021 coup, they have stood strong by building and re-building schools in the ethnic territories more times than they can count.
Meanwhile, the monastic schools located in areas that are controlled by the SAC, with their massive infrastructures and wide campuses, cannot just re-locate simply because they are boycotting the military. So, I think they are in a really tight situation, unlike us because we can set a solid, non-engagement policy with the SAC. We have nothing to do with them. We do not recognize anything they do. But for the monastic schools, even if they wanted to, I think it is extremely hard for them to find other non-military affiliated ways to operate the whole education system that will ensure and maintain education access and safety for the students and children relying on them. There is no guarantee from the military that the monastic schools will not become the targets of violence and attacks by them, especially after everyone witnessed the military’s account of deadly bombing, shelling and using airstrikes on NUG schools and other resistance-led schools in the liberated areas. So, no one can predict what they will do to these monastic schools if one school decided to directly disobey the military’s orders. I understand their situation in the political state. Hopefully, Spring University Myanmar can start engaging with those monastic schools to help each other out in whatever way we can. These monastic schools are serving a very critical population that are not targeted by any other education providers, and I really believe that they need to survive and thrive.