100 Khost schools sans buildings, students study under open skies

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): One hundred schools in southeastern Khost province have no building and their students attend classes under the open sky, an official said on Monday.

One of these schools is Parkhai boys’ high school in SabarioYabubaio district that remains closed during rains and windstorms.

Students of this school consider themselves lucky to sit on a plastic made carpet and have the opportunity to study.

A wood made board has been erected in the ground in front of the class with support of stones. Teacher holds the board with one hand and writes.

Rahmatullah, 12, is a class 4^th student in Parkhi School. He told Pajhwok Afghan News that their school was without building and they sat on plastic made carpet and study.

He asked the government and other relevant institutions to provide them with shelter, building and other important facilities.

Azizullah, a 10^th class student of the school, also asked authorities to construct a building for their school so they would be able to normally continue their lessons.

“Our school is without a building so when there is rain for one day or five days, the school remains off. Now the weather is norma,l when there is cold the school is closed,” he said.

Principle of the school, Abdul Ghafar, said 521 students studied in the school, who were deprived of shelter and other important facilities.

He said if they were provided with tents, it would be helpful in the current situation.

“Conditions should be suitable for teaching and facilities like books, board, desks, chairs, carpets are essentially needed and we have nothing of these facilities,” he said.

Syed KabirSangin, media in-charge of the Education Department, said a total of 373 girls and boys schools were functional in the centre and districts and 100 of these schools lacked buildings and their students attended classes under the open sky.

He said the schools which were without building were in Khost City, Alisher and Sabari districts.

He added most of the schools which had buildings needed more rooms and expansion.

Sangin added: “Twenty-three schools in the centre, 12 in Alisher district and 10 schools in Sabari district are without buildings. Our engineering team has conducted a survey of these schools and has shared it with the Education Ministry.”

He said some NGOs had been also contacted besides the Education Ministry to help in construction of school buildings.

nh/ma

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