All Baghlan schools to stay open this year: Governor

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Local officials in northern Baghlan province say all school would stay open this solar year exhibited cooperation in this regard last year, the governor said on Sunday.

Governor Abdul Hai Naimi told a school bell ringing ceremony to mark the new academic year, said the Taliban threatened no school last year in the province, so all schools would be open for students.

“Fortunately, this year Taliban also cooperated a lot in running of schools and educations which is something special,” Naimi added.

Shukria Issakhel, a lawmaker form Baghlan province, at the ceremony said: “In my two terms as lawmaker no one has asked me for building a school in Baghlan.”

She said more budget was allocated to Baghlan compared to other provinces that would be implemented gradually but the local government should fight corruption seriously.

Khadija Yaqeen, women’s affairs director, emphasized on building schools for girls and appointing of women as teachers.

Provincial Education Department director, Paikan Haidari, said there were 566 schools active in Baghlan but 316 of them lacked buildings.

Mohammad Ayub, a teacher, said: “Since two years, Taliban have been noting absence of students and teachers and threaten teacher who stays absent for a long period.”

He said the Taliban had also asked female teachers to come to schools on time and urged all residents to send their children to schools.

President Ashraf Ghani, ringing the new education year bell termed the new solar year as the year of education, stressing the need for more attention to the development of the vital sector.

sa/ma