3 - Studying through "Exceptional Space": Migrants Learning Centres in Thailand-Myanmar Border

Borderlands are "contested zones of power" where various actors, from international organisations to local governments, negotiate for control over the people in the area. Education has been regarded as the state's primary responsibility for effective population control and assimilation. This is not the case for the Thailand-Myanmar border. Education in this area does not simply depend on central and local government policies. Based on an ongoing development project for migrant students along the border, this research examines the historical development of educational space and the roles of schools in the Karen community. It argues that unlike the typical education provided by a nation-state, the educational space along the border is independent of state control, as exemplified by the Migrant Learning Centres (MLCs). 
The researcher’s baseline survey shows that migrant schools adopt different curricula based on their geographical and environmental specificities. Many students have preferred studying at MLCs which cost lower tuition fees and provide dormitory facilities. Moreover, their education strengthens a sense of belonging to the community. The curriculum at MLCs operates independently from the central administration as the system involves a variety of actors, including the Karen National Union (KNU) and its education ministry, the Karen Education and Culture Department (KECD), international organisations, and local governments. The education space on the border presents a mixture of Karen nationalist perspectives and international influences, implying that the educational needs are diversifying. This change broadly reflects evolving perceptions of migrant identity and status in the Thailand-Myanmar border areas.