"Education is intimately linked with the concept of identity and plays a key role in any nation-building process. In countries recovering from violent ethno-political conflicts, education can positively contribute to peace-building efforts, but it can also negatively affect peace, when it interacts with the conflict dynamics. Language of instruction, cultural relevance of the curriculum, teaching methods, teacher recruitment and placement - all play a role in how effectively education can contribute to peace-building. Overall, community acceptance of the education system is key to ensuring its conflict sensitivity. The Myanmar situation is particularly complex, as the government is not the only actor in education provision, with different schools widely present in the country, due to the long history of civil war. In Karen State, education services are delivered by ethnic armed groups, religious organizations, communities, as well as refugee camps and migrants schools along the Thai- Myanmar border. Successive Myanmar governments have focused their nationbuilding efforts on the culture of the dominant Burman Buddhist majority. In a country, with some 135 minority groups, this approach was often perceived as an attempt of forced assimilation of ethnic minorities into the majority culture. As part of their self-determination struggle, ethnic armed opposition groups developed and maintained their own education systems, which they perceived as key to preserving their group?s cultural identity. The KNU, the main Karen ethnic armed group, established the Karen Education Department (KED) to oversee education provision. The KED currently provides support to 1,430 schools, paying stipends to almost 7,911 teachers in areas under full or partial administration of Karen armed opposition groups. However, only one third of schools receiving KED support fall under its full administration, with the majority being mixed or government schools..."..... Contents: Acronyms and Glossary... Executive Summary... 1. Introduction: Defining Conflict Sensitivity in Education... 2. Objectives and Methodology... 3. Background: Conflict and Education in Myanmar: Origins of conflict in Myanmar; Conflict, identity and education ; Present situation... 4. Karen State: Socio-Political Context and Local Governance Structures... 5. Education Providers and Systems in Karen State: Typology of providers and administration; Myanmar government schools; Karen education system (KED); Community-based education and mixed schools; Faith-based education providers; Border-based education providers; Concluding remarks... 6. Expansion of Government Education Services in Karen State: Communities lose ownership of schools; Local teachers replaced by government teachers; Lack of consultation with local stakeholders; Teachers? difficulty to integrate into the local context; Concerns about the quality of education; Communities have to contribute to teachers? expenses; Concerns over expansion of government control in contested areas; Analysis: how do local stakeholders react to government expansion?... 7. Education Provision Outside of the Government System... Case Studies: 1. Taw Naw High School; 2. War Ler Mu School; 3. K?Paw Htaw High School; 4. Hto Lwi Wah High School; 5. Government Schools in Myang Gyi Ngu.. 8. Relevant Initiatives and Steps Forward... 9. Recommendations.