Karen civil society organizations are calling on the Thai government to lift education restrictions after authorities barred a group of Myanmar refugee children from attending local public schools in border areas.

The appeal follows an audit by Thailand's Ministry of Interior in early August 2026, which ordered 13 refugee children from the Mae La camp in Tak Province to stop attending nearby Thai government schools.

The children were among 46 camp residents enrolled for the 2026–2027 academic year; authorities are currently verifying the documentation of the remaining 33 students.

Under long-standing Thai policy, refugees residing in border camps are barred from leaving camp grounds, which effectively prevents children from enrolling in state schools outside the perimeter.

"Education should have no borders," said Saw Albert, spokesperson for the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG). "In this recent case, the children were accepted and enrolled by the schools, only to be suspended months into the term. It makes the impact on them even worse, as it is now nearly impossible for them to transfer elsewhere."

Civil society groups, including the Karen Refugee Committee Education Entity (KRCEE), are advocating for policy shifts that would allow refugee students to access basic and higher education in Thailand up to the university level.

They are also urging Thai authorities to extend school enrollment rights to the children of refugees granted legal permission to work outside the camps.

Parents have already submitted formal petitions to Thailand’s Ministry of Education seeking the reinstatement of the suspended students.