Collecting money for school teachers in Maungdaw

Maungdaw High School's photos

By KPN

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Village administration officer of Gora Khali of Maungdaw south has been collecting money from the local villagers to support schoolteachers since November 3, said Hassan (not real name) from the locality.

On November 2, Abdu Rahim, the village Administration officer invited some local elders and held a meeting and discussed, regarding the collection of money. In the meeting, they decided to collect money from the villagers to support the schoolteachers; otherwise, the lives of students will be destroyed, said Hassan.

Government gives salaries to the teachers and is taking responsibility by government to run the schools. Why do we have to pay money again?, said Jalal (not real name), a local from the village. “We have no money, no jobs to support the teacher.” 

The government doesn’t support the schoolteachers of Rohingya who are appointed by local villagers. The government only supports the Rakhine teachers who had been appointed by government, said the Administration officer. 

There are 14 Rohingya schoolteachers, all are appointed by villagers and Win Hlaing- headmaster who is Rakhine community and appointed by government in Primary school and Middle school of Gorakhali village, the Rahim said.

Before violence, there are 14 teacher – 6 for Primary and 8 for Middle school- but this all teachers are Rakhine and didn’t attend the school for teaching except Win Hlaing. So the villagers try to support Rohingya teacher who are teaching the students, said Kalam (not real name) from the village.  

According to villagers, the village Administration officer has been collecting money Kyat -- 3,000 to 5,000, and 7,000 to 10,000 - from the villagers per month according to the family status. 

A poor man from the village told the Kaladan Press Network on condition of anonymity, “I am a daily worker, how I will pay Kyat 3,000 per month.  

According to different sources, the villagers of Khonza Bill, Udaung village and other villages of Maungdaw Township are also supporting money to Rohingya volunteers teachers who teach in the schools, but the government pays less intention for the education where Rohingya community are living