Rakhine State Education Office has instructed all the teachers in the region to attend school on February 22.

“As the order from the State education department has come out, we have to attend school and prepare accepting students. There are no students yet and we don’t know the details,” said a female teacher who doesn’t want to be identified.

The order stated that to prepare the students, teachers in basic education schools have to attend schools since yesterday (February 22). The attendance list of teachers had to submit to the State education department daily before 10:00 am.

Chair of Rakhine State Administrative Council Dr. Aung Kyaw Min and commander of Western Command Major-Gen Htin Lin Oo inspected the schools. Normally, it is the summer holiday season and the schools have been closed for nearly one year during COVID-19 pandemic. Criticisms have arisen for the instructions to open the schools this summer holiday.