KABUL (SW) – The Ministry of Education of the Islamic Emirate has announced that schools across the country will reopen this month.
Aziz Ahmad Reyan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told Salam Watandar that books were being distributed in Kabul and a number of provinces. According to Reyan, the transfer of books to all schools in the country will be completed by the third month.
He mentioned a plan according to which in the new academic year, first to third grade students in villages will attend the ‘madrasa’ i.e. religious schools. He added the regular syllabus would be followed in these ‘madrasas’.
The spokesman said there was a shortage of teachers, buildings and materials. According to him, the government has a new program in place to address the challenges.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Education emphasized that with the help of UNICEF, some 8,000 local classrooms have been set up in those local schools that have not had enough buildings for the past 20 years due to war or any other reason, and another 5,250 classrooms are to be set up.
The spokesman said that to address the shortage of female teachers in rural areas, older male/ adult teachers will be hired to teach to the female students. “The Ministry of Education has a plan according to which older teachers can be hired to fill for the female teachers, and we will control this problem.”
The announcement of the reopening of schools by the Islamic Emirate has created optimism among the students of the schools. They hope that the gates of the schools will no longer be closed to them and that they will be able to resume their education. Students ask the Islamic Emirate to pay more attention to the quality of education.
“We are really happy that our lessons are restarting,” said Niloufar, one of the students. “Students can come to their classes in the same way as before, and much attention must be paid to lessons, education and school.”
The announcement of the reopening of girls’ schools by the Islamic Emirate has also provoked positive reactions abroad. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Ministry of Education’s decision and called on the Islamic Emirate to provide education for all girls and boys equally.
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