Lay Waddy FM

September 2, 2026

The Arakan Education Department has set a standard monthly salary of 200,000 Myanmar kyats for all education workers serving in areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), according to education workers and local officials.

The standardized salary will apply to primary, middle and high school teachers, school principals, and volunteer teachers working in villages where there are insufficient teaching staff.

The new salary rate is expected to take effect from late October.

An education worker told Lay Waddy FM that the salaries will be paid using school fees collected from students.

“The Education Department manages the school fees collected from students and distributes the funds equally among all education staff, including school principals,” the worker said.

The Arakan administration currently does not have the capacity to directly fund salaries for education workers. School fees therefore remain the main source of funding for teachers’ salaries and other education-related expenses, according to sources.

While the standardized salary is expected to provide education workers with a more regular income, the policy also means that parents will continue to bear the cost of funding teachers’ salaries through school fees.

A responsible official from Maungdaw District confirmed that all teachers will receive the same monthly salary of 200,000 kyats.

“This includes primary and high school teachers, school principals, and volunteer teachers who have been filling teaching positions because of staff shortages,” the official told Lay Waddy FM.

However, an education worker said the salary restructuring has also led to staff reductions. Some volunteer teachers who joined schools during the 2026–2027 academic year to help address teacher shortages have reportedly been included in staff-reduction lists.