An urgent 50 million THB fund is required to support over 10,000 teachers in the Kawthoolei region. Karen education organizations said that funding is needed to support teachers in the Kawthoolei region of Karen State for the 2025–26 academic year.
“These teachers are educating nearly 150,000 students across 1,738 schools in the Kawthoolei region. So far, we’ve managed to raise about 81 million THB for them this academic year, but we still need another 50 million THB—that’s about 41 percent more,” said Naw Phaw Shi Wah, Communication and Advocacy officer of the Karen Teacher Working Group (KTWG).
KTWG is collaborating with the Karen Education and Culture Department (KECD) on this fundraising initiative. The two organizations aim to provide 12,000 baht per teacher for 10,880 teachers across 1,738 schools in the Kawthoolei region but are currently facing a funding shortfall. Covering all teachers’ funding needs would require about 130 million THB per year. So far, 59 percent has been secured, leaving a 41 percent shortfall.
If the required funds are not raised in time, the grants provided to teachers will have to be significantly reduced.
“If we have to cut support for teachers, it will seriously affect their motivation. When they’re worried about providing for their families, it’s hard for them to focus fully on their work. It also makes it harder for us to keep teachers in the long run, and in the end, our children’s education will suffer,” said Naw Phaw Shi Wah.
Teachers in the Kawthoolei region depend entirely on this subsidy for food, healthcare, and their children’s education. Local teachers are struggling not only with economic hardship and rising prices, but also with frequent displacement caused by the junta’s airstrikes on schools, healthcare facilities, and civilian areas.
Last year also saw a funding shortfall, but township- and district-level departments stepped in with food and travel allowances, which helped keep the situation manageable, Naw Phaw Shi Wah added.
KECD and KTWG are calling on donors to step forward with the needed support to sustain a quality education system, secure adequate teaching materials, and provide proper annual assistance for teachers.
