This photo set includes 22 still photographs selected from images taken by three community members in Thaton, Toungoo and Hpa-an districts between February 2012 and January 2013. These photographs depict education and barriers to education, including a lack of teachers, lack of financial support, and lack of access to school supplies. In T’Nay Hsah Township, Hpa-an District, a nursery school was established in July 2012. However, in Than Daung Township, Toungoo District, there were schools but no teachers. In M--- village, Than Daung Township, Toungoo District, there is only one teacher who has to teach students of all ages up to grade four. In Billin Township, Thaton District, the school was established by the villagers in 2010 when the villagers returned after being displaced by the DKBA.
Photo Set | Billin Township, Thaton District, Than Daung Township, Toungoo District and T’Nay Hsah Township, Hpa-an District (February 2012 to January 2013)
The following photos were taken by three community members from Thaton, Toungoo and Hpa-an districts who have been trained by KHRG to monitor human rights conditions. They are presented below, censored where necessary for security purposes.[1]The 22 photos below were received along with other information from Thaton, Toungoo and Hpa-an districts, including 371 other photos.
The above photos were taken by a community member trained by KHRG on December 5th 2012 in K--- village, T’Nay Hsah Township, Hpa-an District. The photos depict a school in K--- village, where local villagers have set up a child care and development school, referred to in Burmese as Ka Lay Thu Nge Pyu Su Pyo Htaung Yay. The person who set up the school is a French individual who works together with the Burma government. The school was founded on July 2nd 2012 and there are currently 41 students attending the school. According to villagers in the area, the creation of this school “is very good for our Karen people”.[Photos: KHRG]
The above photos were taken on February 15th 2012 by a community member who has been trained by KHRG. The school is located in N--- village, western Day Loh village tract, Than Daung Township, Toungoo District. The school is a Government school but, according to the community member who spoke with villagers in the area, it does not get enough school materials and other support from the Government. According to local villagers in the area, the teachers who are employed to teach do not come to teach regularly. [Photos: KHRG]
The above photos were taken on February 15th 2012 by a community member in S--- village, A’Htoo Day Tha village tract, Than Daung Township, Toungoo District. These photos show a school in the village that is recognized as a Burma government school, but does not receive sufficient financial support or school materials from the Government. One of the village heads reported that they pay the salary for the teachers every year, but none of the teachers come to their village. Because the teachers did not come to teach in the village, the children cannot go to school. The sign in front of the school is written in Burmese and reads: “Basic Education Primary School, S--- village, Than Daung Township, Karen State.” [Photos: KHRG]
The above photos were taken on February 16th 2012 by a community member in M--- village, Than Duang Township, Toungoo District. The photo depicts a primary school in the village. The school goes up to grade four. This is a Government-run school, but it does not get enough funding, school materials or curriculum support from the Government. The photos depict the teacher teaching her students. There is only one teacher to teach all of the children in the village. She is responsible for teaching four grades on her own. According to the community member who spoke with the teacher, the students do not receive sufficient individual attention, and have trouble understanding what they are taught.[Photos: KHRG]
The above photos were taken on January 23rd 2013 by a community member in T--- village, Billin Township, Thaton District. In the photos above, children can be seen reading from what appear to be grade one reading materials, which are old and in very poor condition. The school is supported by Tharamu P---. T--- School is located in the rural portion of Billin Township of Thaton District. Because the village is outside of the area of Burma government control, the Government does not provide support to this school. The school has more than twenty students and it teaches up to grade three. The school was founded by T--- villagers and there is one female teacher. It relies on villagers for financial and other material support and curriculum support, as well as on some donors from outside the village. According to T--- villagers, the villagers had to flee during DKBA separation. Villagers were only able to return in 2010; at that time they founded the school. [Photos: KHRG]
Footnotes:
[1] KHRG trains villagers in eastern Burma to document individual human rights abuses using a standardised reporting format; conduct interviews with other villagers; and write general updates on the situation in areas with which they are familiar.