University student population has plunged 90% since coup

Myanmar’s university student population has plummeted by more than 90% since the military’s takeover nearly three years ago, according to statistics published by the junta’s department of education, reports Radio Free Asia-Burmese.

Students and instructors interviewed by RFA Burmese, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing security concerns, said the decline in enrolment numbers reflects their choice to boycott the junta’s education system and join the resistance movement.

On 23 November, the junta re-opened 47 universities across the country and 24,243 students enrolled for the 2023-24 academic years, according to statistics published by the Department of Higher Education. But the Department of Basic Education said that 161,850 students took the university entrance exam during the 2022-23 academic year – 109,851 of whom passed.
The numbers from the two departments show that only around 22% of students who passed the entrance exam ended up enrolling at a university.
Full report on the RFA site