<p>GARDEZ (Pajhwok): Some improvement has been made but more work is needed to be done to promote <a href="/en/education" class="glossify-link">education</a> in southeastern Paktia province, says an official,</p>
<p>Education Director <a href="/en/kuchi" class="glossify-link">Kuchi</a> Zazai, during a meeting with employees of the department, said the ministry had set them a target of 27,000 children to be enrolled this academic year.</p>
<p>But they were able to enroll 31,000 children in government-tin schools across the province, the director told the participants.</p>
<p>Zazai acknowledged the quality of education was low, saying efforts were underway to take advantage of available facilities. He sought cooperation from the central government.</p>
<p>“In order to improve the quality of education, providing training to teachers from different organizations, second step they should be seriously evaluated and monitor their teaching methods and quality,” these are the ways he pointed for solving the issue.</p>
<p>Abdul Basir, a resident of Gardez, linked the poor quality of education to lack of school buildings, shortage of trained female teachers, remote location of schools, non-existence of laboratories and computer classes.</p>
<p>“Provincial authorities should play a proactive role in improving education quality,” Basir told Pajhwok.</p>
<p>Shazia, a civil activist, complained many of school graduates could not find their way to higher studies because of poor-quality education in the province.</p>
<p>“Provincial authorities have been paying more attention to quality rather than quantity. When students graduate, 50 percent of them are literate and the remaining half illiterate,” she claimed.</p>
<p>But the director said they had appointed dozens of new teachers to overcome the issue. Zazai explained two schools had been approved for the illiterate.</p>
<p>He termed lack of textbooks another problem, but said the Ministry of Education had printed 50 million textbooks that would be distributed soon.</p>
<p>In 405 schools in Paktia, 261,246 students, including 67,000 girls, are studying. They are being taught by 5,599 teachers.</p>
<p>sa/mud</p>
