FOR the 2025–2026 academic year, schools are scheduled to reopen in early June this year. Due to the powerful Mandalay earthquake, there has been extensive damage, affecting 2,514 schools. Some schools were formed with more than one building, and some were constituted with multi-storey structures to accommodate the learning of students.

Depending on the condition of each school, repairs will be carried out – ranging from minor to major renovations – and buildings that are beyond repair will be demolished and rebuilt. In these efforts, everyone must work together to ensure that all school-age children can continue their learning without interruption. Despite loss and damage due to the earthquake, it is necessary to emphasize the safety of students in the demolition and reconstruction of school buildings.

It is necessary to focus on the need to systematically ensure the structural strength and stability of buildings during renovation works carried out at schools that require repairs. In this regard, for schools that were damaged by the earth­quake, those buildings that can be repaired in time must be restored before the school re­opening period. Furthermore, efforts must be carried out systematically with priority given to ensuring safety and structural soundness.

In Myanmar, there are over 46,000 basic education schools ranging from prima­ry to middle and high school levels, with millions of school-age children attending classes each year. It was extremely for­tunate that the powerful Man­dalay earthquake occurred during a period when schools were closed. Had it happened while classrooms were filled with students, only schools with strong and resilient in­frastructure would have been able to protect the children.

Myanmar needs to prioritize preparedness, training, and aware­ness-raising activities to protect school buildings and students from various natural hazards. Currently, priority must be given to the repair and reconstruction of over 2,500 schools that were damaged by the recent earthquake. In the long term, all schools must be upgraded and built to withstand threats of natural disasters such as fire, floods, storms, and earthquakes, ensuring the safety of children at all times.

Although the recent powerful earthquake struck, buildings, which had been constructed under the strict supervision of engi­neers and in accordance with established standards, were able to withstand the impacts of the quake, resulting in no casualties. This serves as an example that all buildings to be renovated or construct­ed – including schools – must be built to standard. In particular, schools, which play a vital role in nurturing the human resources for the country’s future, must be proactively designed and built to withstand various natural disasters.