42 schools remain closed in Herat districts

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Local education officials on Sunday said more than 40 schools have been shut in western Herat province for several reasons, depriving thousands of children of education.

Education director, Abdur Raziq Ahmadi, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 42 schools remained closed in Shindand, Guzra, Gulran, Kahsan, Zinda Jan and Oba districts.

He said 30 of the schools were shut in Shindand, three in Guzra, one in Gulran, one in Kahsan, five in Zinda Jan and two in Oba districts.

“Insecurity, displacement of people and lack of teachers are reasons of the schools’ closure, teachers do not show interest to be appointed in these schools against little privileges,” he said.

Most of the closed schools were primary and depriving thousands of children of education, Ahmadi said, adding that teachers should be offered attractive package so they show interest and the schools could be reactivated.

Meanwhile, a number of girl students in Shindand district told Pajhwok their schools had been shut due to insecurity and Taliban threats.

Frozan Ahmadi, a student of Naswan High School in Shindand, said: “The Taliban were threatening us every day on our way to school. One day the Taliban told us that tell our principle the Taliban would color the school with our blood.”

She asked the government to improve security in Shindand in order to allow the students to continue their education.

Manija Darwishi, the principle of Sabza Naswan Girls High School in Shindand, said: “We were threatened every moment and forced to ignore exams and close the school. The security situation is very bad in the district, we have no choice but to stay at home.”

Dr. Mahdi Hadid, a provincial council member, confirmed the problem and said that 80 percent of 117 schools in Shindand district had been shut.

 “Except Shindand, Gulran and Kashk Kuhna districts, 90 percent of schools in other districts of Herat are open,” he said.

He linked closure of schools to insecurity and said the problem would not be resolved untill security was improved in the areas.

Meanwhile, governor’s spokesman, Jailani Farhad, confirmed a number of schools remained closed in Herat and said efforts were underway to reopen them.

“Unfortunately there are various reasons that a number of schools are closed in some districts particularly in Shindand, Gulran and Kashk Kuhna, local officials are trying to reactivate them and let the children continue their education,” he said.

Like Herat, insecurity has been keeping a large number of children out of classes in other provinces.

mds/ma