Old fashioned education at Afghanistan Universities

KABUL (SW): A number of Kabul University students complained about the old fashioned educational materials and how those were prepared.

These students criticized the so called “commerce of chapter/handouts” saying that they are tired of their professors’ humiliations and their rip-off.  

Farid Hamidi, a student at Kabul University, said that a number of university professors has prepared their materials from internet sites and has published books and handouts from printed online materials under their names, and often forced the students to purchase those handouts and books.

Vida Khateri, another student at Kabul University told Salam Watandar that if they don’t purchase the required handouts and books from the place the professors identify, they will be marked absent and their grades will be reduced.

In this manner the print shops that have agreed with the professors have been making a lot of profits. Yama Noori, the director of a printing press in Kabul, said a number of Kabul University professors have contracts with some printing houses and assured them that the students will buy their handouts and books from these printing houses.

Sayed Talib Ulawi, a university professor, said that with the presence of professors who publish books and handouts without thorough research and force the students to purchase those, we should not hope for a better future for the higher education in Afghanistan.

Nonetheless, Arifa Paikar, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education, told Salam Watandar that they will launch programs to improve the university curriculum in the country.

According to Banu Paikar, students could complain about the non-standard handouts and text books of professors to the Ministry of the Higher Education.

Teaching materials of professors have always been criticized by students. The MoHE has recently announced that next year a new curriculum will be implemented at the universities all over the country.

ENDS