SHARAN (Pajhwok): Residents of Tarwa district of southeastern Paktika province say that schools in the district have been closed for the past 20 years and teachers’ salaries in the district ended up in personal pockets.
The routes of Tarwa district, located in the southwestern region of Paktika province, had been blocked due to conflicts since last 20 years and the people there remained deprived of all services including education during the period.
AkhtarWali, a resident of Shabikhel village of the district which shares border with Pakistan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that for the past 20 years, children of the district were totally deprived of education.
“Tarwa is a remote and border district of Paktika. For the last 20 years, all the schools here were closed, but salaries of teachers were paid which went to the pockets of district chiefs, police chiefs and security officials of the former government,” he said.
Walid said the conflicts in the region and closure of roads of the district had paved way for corruption.
He added they have 26 children in his family and thousands of other children in the district were unable to read or write.
He asked the current government to pay attention to services in the district and provide the people with all necessities of life, including education.
Momin Khan, a resident of Haji Khaliqdad village in the district, told Pajhwok that the schools in the district were imaginary in the last 20 years and there was no any practical education service there.
Many children in the area grew illiterate and the money in the name of education went to the pockets of officials of the time, he said.
He says they could not raise their voice at the time because they feared to be targeted by the officials.
Many other residents of the district also told Pajhwok that no education services had been provided in the area in the last 20 years.
Nik Mohammad, former education director of Tarwa district and current deputy education director, acknowledged people’s complaints and said that no school was active in the district a year ago since he took charge of the position.
He said that some schools in the district were reactivated in the district for the first time after he was appointed to the position but were closed once again due to Covid-19 quarantine and later due to political changes in the country.
Mohammad also confirmed that local influential figures and former government officials were taking the salaries of teachers in the district.
Tarwa district chief, MulafiMakhdomQais also acknowledged that education in the district had been inaccessible in the district and people there were discriminated against since the last two decades.
He hoped that all schools in the district would be reopened with the beginning of new academic year.
MulaviMirza Ali Khan Saad, Paktika education director, told Pajhwok that Tarwa district had 11 schools and 52 education personnel.
The salaries of most of teachers were going to personal pockets but with the establishment of the new administration, the salaries of 18 teachers paid while the salaries of others cancelled.
He said that all schools would be reopened in the new academic year and students would be able to attend their classes.
A number of other districts of Paktika are also deprived of education service and local people ask the government to reopen schools for students there.
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