Education in Logar makes visible progress

PUL-I-ALAM (PAN sector had achieved visible progress over the past one year.  

Muhammad Shahpur Arab, spokesman for the education department, said the province had 85 schools for girls among a total of 266 schools. He said 68 of them were high while the rest primary and secondary schools.

In a chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, Arab said a total of 48, 126 are girls among the overwhelming 146, 940 strenth of male students. As many as 371 female are among 2, 890 teachers dishcarge their teaching duties in the province.

He went on to enumerate that the province has five vocational institutes including Mines Technical Institute where agriculture, mechanic and business are being taught to 555 students including 40 girls. There are 27 teachers among one is female.

Arab sai that 21 seminaries are also functioning in the province where 3, 538 students are being imparted religious education by 115 teachers.

As many as 1, 282 male including 500 female students are being trained in a Teacher Training Education Institute, which has branches in five districts.

In addition, as many as 603 female are among 2, 551 students who are enrolled in 105 literacy classes in the province. At least 1, 880 students are enrolled in the province’s five private schools.

Problems and development:  

Arab went on to say that the education department enrolled 20, 418 students in schools while 765 pupils in religious seminaries during the current educational year (March 21, 2013).

He held out assurances that the services of 143 new teachers would be hired, pledging that heads and principals for 34 High Schools and seven seminaries would be recruited through open merit. He noted that buildigns of seven new schools would be constructed from the budget of the Education Ministry.

“The education department has established two councils for each school with one council has the responsibility to protect the school while the other will be a students- parents council,” he added.

He admitted that as many as 88 schools have no buildings forcing the students to get education in rented houses. He informed that the new head of education department, Eng. Muhammad Akbar Stanikzai helped addressed many problems and initiated multiple development projects. He said that currently, the Logar education sector faces no barriers for the time being.

He said that new textbooks have been distributed among students of most of the schools, admitting that some schools are facing shortage of textbooks. He promised that schools would get textbooks without further delay.

Faqir Muhammad, head of education department of Muhammad Agha district said that teachers’ town could not be established, causing delay to give teachers residential plots. He recalled that foundation of a township for teachers was laid three years back but problem at local level is the main reason delaying the move.

Teachers and Students:

A resident of Pul-i-Alam and teacher of Dasht-i-Bari school Shah Mahmood said that the main source of concern for teachers this year was the sacking of teaching staff.

He said he was hired by another school when fired from his previous school. He demanded of the government to help control the eternal problem of teachers sacking and transfer.

Naqibullah Akhundzada, head of Pul-i-Alam education association said that the government earlier had pledged to allot residential plots to teachers but the decision has yet to be implemented.

Abdul Basir, a student at Porak  High School told that the leading problem at schools is the absence of textbooks, adding that they do not so far get the textbook despite the fact that the education year is about to expire. He said that most of the students are forced to buy textbooks from the market.

Public:

Haji Zemarak, a tribal elder in Babus area of provincial capital Pul-i-Alam said that the main problem is the shortage of professional teachers being faced by the education sector in Logar province.

He complains that teachers in remote areas are not well educated who could not teach students in a better way.

Aziz Ahmad, a resident of Porak complains that the village girls school has no building forcing the kids to study in tent or open sky in this scorching heat. He said that owing to the problems his daughter stopped going to school.

Dr. Abdul Wali Wakil, head of the Provincial Counicl in Logar said that some times he received complains regarding problems in education sector.

He said majority of the complains are about lack of textbooks and other items, which the people cannot afford to buy of their own from the market.

Intelectuals:

Haji Jan Agha, resident of Pul-i-Alam city and elder of a local council  said that all teachers should be provided with the needed items on time.