8
Teachers & Students
Rohingya in Burma’s Academic Life
“In 1920, Zain Uddin opened the National High School in Akyab. During the colonial period, the colonial system was given priority. The first person who did not give priority to the colonial system of education in Arakan but gave priority to the Burmese national education system was Zain Uddin, who was a Rohingya. He opened the eyes for Rakhine, Burmese and Muslim students. He should be called Burma's Father of Education.”
Mohammed Hussein, Rohingya elder (60), 2018
For many decades, Burma had one of the best education systems in Southeast Asia. After Independence, Burma had some of the most prestigious universities in the region. Rohingya contributed to the development of the national educational curriculum during the 1920s and helped develop some of Arakan’s first private high schools. They were influential and respected teachers, headmasters and administrators. As students, Rohingya attended Burma’s top universities and technical colleges with peers from other ethnic communities throughout the country, especially from the 1950s to the 1980s.
When government discrimination and restrictions on travel intensified toward the Rohingya, it became increasingly difficult for Rohingya to study in Yangon. Rohingya students continued to pursue degrees at Sittwe University in the provincial capitol of Rakhine State. After the violence in Rakhine State in 2012, the government banned Rohingya from access to higher education. For the next ten years (until May 2022) Rohingya youth were not permitted to attend Sittwe University.
Rare and never-before-seen photographs of graduation ceremonies, university clubs, student unions, teacher and student trainings, yearbooks as well as other documents, show Rohingya deeply engaged alongside peers and colleagues from other communities in the academic life of Burma over the decades.
1956
1962
1970
1963
1954
“The one sitting in the middle is Mr. Faiz. He was a headmaster of State High School in Maungdaw. Young students respected him and always tried to follow his instructions. He gave us an education, but he also built us in a way to become leaders with good leadership skills.
“I studied kindergarten and first grade under his supervision. Those who studied before us still cannot forget him. He passed away in 1958 in Mawlamyine. I still remember the prayer we did in Maungdaw for him when he passed away.”
Aman Ullah, Rohingya elder (2023)
A group photograph of professors and lecturers at Rangoon University in 1954, including Mr. Faiz (center) from the Rohingya community. Mr. Faiz was born in Maungdaw and became one of the most revered teachers and headmasters from the Rohingya community. He was the inspector of Schools in North Arakan from the 1920s until the Japanese occupation in 1942. He was headmaster at the State High School in Maungdaw and then became the District Education Officer. He passed away in 1958.
1972
1954-55
1979
1961-62
“My father attended teacher training at Kyauk Phyu Education College. His father was also a teacher. Teachers from Rakhine State of different ethnic groups are represented here. Not just Rohingya, but many ethnic groups. My father was a teacher for 30 years before he retired.”
Ershat H (57), 2023
Future teachers from all ethnic communities, including Rohingya, attended Kyauk Phyu Educational College, which is located in Rakhine State. The school opened in 1953. This publication, like a yearbook, displays the portraits of students attending the college in 1965.
“This one is me. I was a first year student. I remember. We went to a photo studio in Rangoon. This man was an engineer. This man became a Parliament Member. This man studied Medicine 1. This man was an engineer. I studied law. I don’t remember this man. This man was a BSc in Botany. This man was a Bachelor in the Arts. Another engineer. Law. This is an engineer. This man was like me. He was also fond of singing. We competed against each other. This man was a BSc in Mathematics. Botany. A doctor. Another doctor. A lawyer. A teacher. This man here got top marks in 1967. He was one year senior from me. When he passed matriculation, he was top of the class. When there was a function for Independence Day, they gave him a gold medal.”
Zaw Min, Rohingya elder (2022)
1968
1970s
1981
1976
1970s
1979
“One of these photos was taken in Bogyoke Aung San Park in downtown Yangon. This other photo is a photograph of students of the same major. All of us went to Pathein College. I majored in botany. And this other photo is a group photo of the Rohingya Students Association. But, we were students of all ethnicities. At that time, we had unity and we enjoyed being with each other. There were no problems.”
Mohammed Ali (70), Rohingya elder, 2023
Mohammed Ali (70) attended Bassein (Pathein) College in the mid-1970s. He majored in Botany. He became a Sr. High School Teacher. He taught for over 30 years and retired in 2013. Included here: group photo of the Pathein University Rohingya Student Association, photo of Botany majors (which included students from several ethnic groups), other photos with other students and friends.
1980
1994
“Buddhists and we, Rohingya, we studied together in the past. I am the first person to graduate in my family. That’s why I am very happy. There are a lot of people who couldn’t study like me during our time due to restrictions from the government. But, after getting a degree…the majority didn’t have any opportunities to work. We pursued an education and got a degree then had to sit at home with it. The world doesn’t know there are educated people in the Rohingya community and that Rohingya are not getting the chance to show their skills.”
Mohammed T (42), 2023
Mohammed T attended Sittwe University and graduated in 2004 with a degree in Chemistry. Included here: student ID cards, graduation photographs, graduation certificate and program of graduation day events.
