Girls left out of school attend online classes

KABUL (Pajhwok): Schools offering online education for girls above sixth grade have won great appreciation from participants who want the ministry concerned to reopen schools forthwith.

After the regime change in the country, all schools were closed for some months. But when they reopened, the government banned girls above sixth grade were not allowed to resume their studies. They were told to wait till the next orders.

The Education Ministry is still undecided about the reopening of secondary schools for girls, prompting some organisations to launch online classes.

One of these initiatives is Shumama Online Classes for Afghan Girls, which started functioning one year ago and is currently educating some 1,500 students above class.

Ehsan Mahdavi, an official at the Shumama Online Classes, told Pajhwok Afghan News after the regime change and the ban on girls’ education, they decided to launch this programme.

The programme has been ongoing over the past year and girls from different provinces of the country have been participating in it.

The official said: “2,500 students applied for joining the programme but due to lack of resources, we could admit only 1.500.”

He said the online education system was voluntarily being run by 40 teachers inside and outside the country.

Participants of the program are offered credit cards to pay internet charges. However, he did not put a figure on the internet fee.

Referring to financial support for the online education initiative, he revealed two individuals living in a foreign country were backing the school.

Besides school studies, he explained, students were being imparted skills development training in tailoring, computer, English and Pashto languages.

Shaista Joya, a student of class 12 from Ghazni’s Jaghori district, said: “Over the past 11 months, I have participated in the Shumama School’s online education. This programme has been very beneficial.”

She said the training was free of cost and students were provided support for internet activation as well.

The student, however, demanded the prompt reopening of secondary schools for girls across the country.

Khatera, a student of 11^{th grade}, said: “I am very happy receiving online education at Shumama School. I have learnt something here. If our school doesn’t reopen, I will feel bad.”

She also asked the government to reopen girls’ schools as soon as possible.

nh/mud

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