Guwahati: At least 29 children of Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in Mizoram are expected to sit for the Mizoram Board of School Education’s (MBSE) class 10 and 12 board exams from February end.
Mizoram’s education minister, Lalchhandama Ralte, said that 27 Myanmar children who are now seeking asylum in the state had registered for class 10 board exams and another two for class 12 board exams.
He stated that while class 10 board exams will commence on February 28, class 12 board exams will begin on March 1.
He said that the state administration had previously issued an order permitting Myanmar national children to register for the board exams.
“We decided to provide Myanmar nationals’ children in grades 10 and 12 the opportunity to enrol for MBSE board examinations. We don’t want them to lose their job as a result of their relocation. We have to help them at the very least on a humanitarian level,” he stated.
He claimed that the pupils taking the board exams are largely from the Siaha district in south Mizoram and Champhai district in the state’s eastern region, which borders Myanmar.
Over 1,000 youngsters are currently enrolled in Mizoram schools for various classes, according to a school education department official.
The exact number could not be determined because some of them have returned to their Myanmar villages.
According to an MBSE official, a total of 18,357 applicants have enrolled for the next class 10 board exams and 12,301 for the class 12 board examination.
He stated that the exams would be conducted in an offline way.
Thousands of Myanmar nationals have sought refuge in Mizoram since the Myanmar military seized control in February last year, fleeing atrocities.
Myanmar nationals have taken up residence in community halls, schools, NGOs’ and villages’ relief camps, and many have been hosted by local relatives.
The majority of Myanmar people who have migrated to Mizoram are from the Chin ethnic group, which shares ethnic relations with the Mizos.
Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial, and Saitual are six Mizoram districts that share a 510-kilometer international border with Myanmar’s Chin state.