Myanmar Earthquake 2025

Educational Sector Impact & Recovery Roadmap

(Data as of May 10, 2025)

Key Event Facts

Date & Magnitude

Date: March 28, 2025

Magnitude: Mw 7.7

Epicenter: Sagaing Fault, near 22.00°N, 95.93°E

Focal Depth: 10 km (USGS)

Aftershocks

>50 aftershocks ≥ M4.5 recorded

Largest: Mw 6.4 on March 29

Geographic Impact

Hardest Hit: Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway, Nay Pyi Taw, Bago regions

Tremors Felt: Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, India

Human Impact (as of April 31)

Fatalities: 1,547

Injured: 8,912

Displaced: 200,000

Sheltering in temp sites: 42,000 in 145 sites

People in humanitarian need: 21.9 million nationwide

Education Sector Damage & Disruption

Schools Damaged/Destroyed

2,311

20% used as displacement centres.

Students Affected

~2.8 Million

Lost access to learning due to closure or relocation.

Teachers Affected

>94,000

10% reported personal loss/injury.

Learning Materials Lost

1.6 Million Textbooks

Warehouse fires, classroom collapse.

Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) Established

386

By UNICEF, JICA, local CSOs.

Recovery & Resilience Recommendations

Aligned with Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF 2022-2030) pillars and local context.

Safe Learning Facilities

Immediate (0-6 mo)

Rapid structural assessment of 100% damaged schools; red, yellow, green tagging. Use UAV & remote sensing.

Medium (6-24 mo)

"Build Back Better" reconstruction using ASEAN School Design Guidelines (typhoon & seismic-resistant), local materials. Fast-track DRR-compliant designs.

Long-term (>24 mo)

National "Safe Schools Code" integrated into building regulations, enforced by subnational governments. Include inclusive/WASH norms & climate adaptation.

School Disaster Management

Immediate (0-6 mo)

Activate/establish School Safety Committees; develop temporary evacuation & learning continuity plans. Target 500 hardest-hit schools first.

Medium (6-24 mo)

Rollout DRR microinsurance pilots for school facilities and assets. Link premiums to compliance.

Long-term (>24 mo)

Integrate community-based early warning systems (people-centered & low tech) with national seismic network; annual multi-hazard drills. Use mobile alerts + indigenous knowledge.

Risk Reduction & Resilience Education

Immediate (0-6 mo)

Develop "Healing Classrooms" psychosocial support modules for students/teachers. Translated into major ethnic languages.

Medium (6-24 mo)

Integrate DRR & climate modules into Grades 3-12 curricula; provide teacher guides & low-tech digital content. Use story-based, culturally-relevant materials.

Long-term (>24 mo)

Establish national "Youth DRR Leadership Network"; embed service-learning & citizen science projects (e.g., school-based seismosensors). Incentivize via scholarships & digital badges.

Cross-Cutting Enablers

Inclusive Governance

Ensure representation from ethnic-language education providers, faith-based groups, and student unions in recovery steering committees.

Financing

Leverage China, India, ASEAN & Global Partnership for Education (GPE) quake-recovery windows; explore debt-for-resilience swaps.

Data & MEL

Deploy Education Management Information System (EMIS) add-on for hazard tracking, geotag recovery investments, and publicly share dashboards.

Conflict Sensitivity

Adopt "Safe Schools Declaration" principles to prevent military use of schools; negotiate humanitarian corridors for material delivery.

Indicative Timeline & Cost (USD)

2025

$120 Million

Main Outputs: Assessments, Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS), Psychosocial Support (PSS) kits, establishment of safety committees.

2026-2027

$480 Million

Main Outputs: 1,200 "Build Back Better" schools, curriculum rollout, EMIS upgrade.

2028-2030

$310 Million

Main Outputs: Safe Schools Code enforcement, insurance scaling, youth DRR network establishment.