Mizoram welcomes over 6000 Myanmarese children in state's school

More than 6,000 Myanmarese children, who have taken refuge in Mizoram with their parents following a military takeover in Myanmar last year, have been enrolled in various schools accros the state.

There is no specific rule prohibiting Myanmarese children from enrolling in Mizoram schools, but they cannot be recognized as 'refugee students' because the Centre has granted them refugee status, reports quoted official as saying.

Of the 6,195 such children, 5,221 attended government schools, 184 attended government-aided institutions, and 790 went to private schools.

School Education Department Director Dr H Lalthlangliana said that Myanmar children face no linguistic barriers because the majority of them are Chin adding, ''They are descended from the same people as the Mizos of Mizoram and speak the same language''.

Lalthlangliana further stated that 68 Myanmarese national students had registered for the Mizoram Board of School Education's class 10 board examinations for the 2021-22 academic session. 

The course will be offered by MZU jointly with International Development Research Centre (IDRC) from next month, Prof Lalnilawma, head of extension education and rural development department of MZU said.

The course will initially be run for a period of 10 months (Semester I & II) beginning in October.

According to the reports, around 30,000 Myanmar refugees have sought safety in various regions of Mizoram since the military takeover in February last year.

The bulk of them are residing in relief camps, some in leased houses on their own, and some with local relatives.

The government, in partnership with local officials and non-governmental organizations, has established more than 150 relief camps for them around the state. Mizoram and Myanmar share a 510-kilometer international boundary.