GHAZNI CITY (SW) – Officials from several private educational centers in Ghazni report a drastic 70% drop in student enrollment.
They attribute this decline to various challenges and restrictions imposed in recent times by the Islamic Emirate.
Hamid Shah Bayat, head of an educational center in Ghazni, told Salam Watandar: “Following the challenges and prohibitions imposed, we have lost approximately 70% of our students. The motivation of the remaining students has also declined, negatively impacting their peers.”
Asma Danish, head of another educational center in the province, pointed to the prohibition on girls’ education by the Islamic Emirate as a major factor in the reduced student numbers.
She explained: “The primary reason for the decrease in student numbers is that in previous years, the number of female students was significantly higher than male students in our centers. Now that girls are not allowed to attend educational centers, their numbers have drastically decreased.”
The decline in student enrollment and the imposition of taxes disproportionate to income have led to economic challenges for some educational centers in Ghazni.
Sayed Timur, head of another educational center in Ghazni, urged the province’s Directorate of Education to consider the fluctuating student numbers when imposing taxes.
He said: “We are heavily taxed. Unfortunately, the number of students in Ghazni is high in winter and low in spring and summer. The assessment teams come in winter and base their assessments on the higher winter student numbers.”
Meanwhile, officials from the Ghazni Directorate of Education highlighted an increase in the number of educational centers over the past two years.
Mia Gul Sediq, director of publications at the Ghazni Directorate of Education, stated: “There are approximately 126 private educational centers in Ghazni. Among these, nine new centers were established in 2022, and 30 new centers were established in 2023.”
In previous years, the students in Ghazni had a significant presence in the nationwide university entrance exams, gaining admission to various government colleges. However, over the past two years, the interest of young people in the province in pursuing education and higher studies has significantly declined compared to the past.
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