School in Myanmar

KG is followed by twelve grades of Basic Education. A Basic Education Primary School (BEPS) normally covers primary grades. A Basic Education Middle School covers middle grades, while a Basic Education High School (BEHS) may combine Middle School and High School or provide only the upper stages. Some schools combine KG with Primary Education or KG, Primary and Middle School. These local stages should not be mapped mechanically to foreign school categories. The Basic Education Law recognizes government, government-sponsored, local-organization, private, monastic, charity, special-education and mobile or emergency schools, along with other types designated by the Ministry of Education. Private schools may follow the national curriculum or an international curriculum. The Private School Supervisory Board and regional supervisory boards handle registration, which may run for two to five years. Myanmar language, history and geography remain required subjects in private Basic Education. Monastic and ethnic schools can be locally significant, but recognition and transfer arrangements depend on the provider and region. For the 2026–27 school year, state enrollment was reported for 25–31 May and the school year began on 1 June. Yangon reported late enrollment during June. Placement tests for Grades 1–9 may be used for children returning after leaving school or transferring from an international curriculum. Reports from Yangon also describe school choice after a passing examination, but no single nationwide catchment-area rule is established. The legal framework provides for free and compulsory education, introduced progressively from Primary Education; current policy refers to KG through Grade 9. Parents have responsibilities under universal enrollment policies, while uniform sanctions and enforcement have not been established. Access is fragmented by conflict, displacement and natural disasters. UNICEF reported in 2024 that about 4.5 million school-age children lacked learning access because of conflict and insecurity. A 2026 estimate placed about 3.5 million children out of school or learning, with around 60% aged 15–17 and approximately two-thirds of children with disabilities outside school. These figures use different dates and methods and should not be treated as a stable national enrollment rate. The 2025 earthquake damaged more than 2,500 learning facilities. The national Basic Education Curriculum includes language, mathematics, science, social sciences, information and communication technology, environmental learning and local culture. Myanmar is the main language of instruction, English begins in Primary Education, and an ethnic language may be taught alongside Myanmar at the Basic Education level. The Ministry of Education publishes curriculum material for the New Curriculum in Grade 10 and the older curriculum in Grade 11. The system uses classroom assessment, level and transfer examinations, stage-completion assessment and internal and external quality assurance. The Myanmar Examinations Department administers the Grade 12 matriculation examination. The Basic Education completion certificate follows the Qualification Assessment Policy. Passing Grade 12 and the matriculation examination can lead to higher education, which is an immediate transition rather than part of the school system. Technical and vocational education may be an alternative after Primary, Middle or High School, but it is not itself a Basic Education school stage. Government schools provide state textbooks, exercise books and stationery. In 2026, the reported package included uniforms for KG and Primary, one set of textbooks, twelve notebooks, four pencils and one uniform for Primary 1, and one set of textbooks, twelve exercise books, two pencils and two pens for Middle and High School. Private-school fees are not covered by the state. School bus routes, libraries, physical education and parent-teacher or school welfare teams are organized locally, and no nationwide school-meal program is established by the available evidence. The legal framework prohibits discrimination and includes disability, ethnic language and culture, and integration of special education. UNICEF-supported programs provide formal and non-formal access, safe spaces, learning materials, educator training, disability support and psychosocial support. Non-Formal Primary Education (NFPE), and in some areas Non-Formal Middle School Education, offer flexible or accelerated re-entry for children affected by interrupted schooling, conflict, displacement, remote locations or disability. A non-formal pathway may lead back to a formal school, but its status should not be assumed to equal a regular school grade or initial vocational education. National responsibilities involve the Union Ministry of Education, the Department of Basic Education, the Basic Education Council, curriculum and textbook committees, and the National Education Standards and Quality Assurance Assessment Committee. Region and State Governments, the Nay Pyi Taw Council, district and township education offices, private-school supervisory bodies and the relevant monastic or private authorities also have roles. The national structure is established, while actual provision remains strongly unequal between regions and institutions.