No education beyond class 9th in Kunar’s Krangal Valley: Residents

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): The residents of Krangal valley in the Manogai district of eastern Kunar province said education beyond class 9^th was not available for their children.

Around 30,000 people live in the Krangal valley but children in this valley had access to limited education.

Haji Abdul Rahman, a tribal elder of Bedyal village of Krangal district told Pajhwok Afghan News, Krangal valley was situated 20 kilometers away from the district centre.

Only one intermediate school was functioning in Krangal valley, as there is not high school in this valley, the students have no future plan after they complete class 9^th, He said.

Abdul Rahman added: “We live in a mountainous valley, 20 kilometers away from the district center, there is only one intermediate school which is also partially damaged because of the previous wars”.

The residents were interested to send their children beyond 9^th class for more education, as there are no more facilities for further education, their children cannot follow their education beyond 9^th class, He continued.

Haji Esmatullah, another tribal elder, said the demand for the construction of a high school was several times conveyed to the officials of the previous government, but this hope was never fulfilled.

“When the students graduate from ninth grade, they cannot follow their education, because we do not have high school and the students cannot risk the five hours walk to another school” Haji Esmatullah said.

He urged the government to establish a high school in their area, if it is not done, the children will be left away from education, he said.

Barakatullah, a student of ninth grade of the elementary school said: “I love to be

a doctor in the future, but the problem is that there are no facilities of education above class 9^th, I am worried that I will not be able follow my education”.

There is a high school in the capital of Manogai district, but the daily travel to that school was not bearable, he said.

He added, many students graduated from ninth grade in the past, they are jobless now, because they could not follow up their educations.

Shakirullah, a student who was graduated from 9^th class two years ago, told Pajhwok: “The people are not economically in a good condition, the roads are not asphalted, I was graduated two years ago, as there is no high school in our area, I cannot continue my studies”.

He asked the government to consider the population of that area and build a high school.

Abdul Khaliq, the principal of Karengal intermediate school said, there was only one elementary school where over 300 students study.

He said, this intermediate school cannot respond to the needs of the population, it must be upgraded to a high school.

He added: “There are dozens of small and big villages, the number of their residents reaches to about 30,000 people, an elementary school is not enough”.

Sadiqullah Sayar, a university professor and a civil activist said, there many other areas like Krangal valley in Kunar province where people do not have access to higher educations.

He said: “Kunar is a mountainous province, majority of its people live in remote and mountainous areas, they did not have access to necessary facilities about education”.

He asked the government to provide the necessary education facilities in accordance to the needs of the residents.

Maulavi Muneeb, a religious scholar, has also said access to education the legitimate right of human.

Muneeb stressed, the government must provide the facilities of education in areas where there are no such facilities for education.

But the provincial Education Department officials said that they would struggle for the establishment of a high school in Korengal valley.

Deputy Education Director Qari Ehsanullah Mahmood said there was need for the establishment of a high school in Krangal valley of Manogai district.

Mahmood expressed hope that the elementary schools of Krangal valley and where needed will be upgraded to high schools soon.

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