Education Gap Online: Myanmar’s Higher Education Gap Moves to Digital Space

This study explores how students in Myanmar are navigating the shift to online higher education—and how power outages, internet access, gender, and regional inequality shape their experiences.

Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data, the research highlights major barriers: unreliable electricity, limited connectivity, financial strain, and a lack of Burmese-language resources. Students in conflict-affected or unstable regions reported lower satisfaction and more frequent disruptions. Gender-based gaps also emerged, particularly in computer proficiency and concerns over online privacy.

The findings underscore how deep digital divides—by region, gender, and language—are reinforcing educational inequality. The study calls for targeted efforts to improve access, infrastructure, and learning tools for students across Myanmar.

This study is part of the Myanmar Digital Research series published by Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) with support from International Development Research Centre and The SecDev Foundation.