Online tuitions students demand reopening of girls schools, universities

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): After the ban on girls schools and universities in the country many, students have switched to online studies which according to them was not a bad option but they still demanded the reopening of universities and schools nation-wide.

Girls’ schools above class sixth were not allowed to be resumed last year while female were stopped from attending their universities last year in fall.

Acting Higher Education Minister Nida Mohammad Nadim said the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) had no problem with the women education and the issue would be resolved soon after the introduction of a new strategy in this regard.

Farzana Barakzai, the resident of Zaranj City, the capital of Nimroz province, said she graduated from Zaranj High School two years ago and added that she was very interested to be enrolled in the university but her future was uncertain from the past two years.

She wants to become a teacher in the future and serve the society thus she switched to online English Learning Course to make sure that she remained in touch with the learning process.

“I am really happy to be part of online education. We should get advantage from every opportunity and learn. I want to be English Language teacher in the future,” she said.

Farzana said the online course that she is part of it was attended by 200 more girls from 8:00 am to 9: 00 am.

In order to arrange money for the internet, she said that currently she was doing tailoring and some handcraft work in part time.

Shakiba, another girl from Nimroz was student at the Bark Private University and currently she study online from the past six months since the closure of women higher education.

“Although, I am happy to participate in online classes and learn something, I want the IEA to reopen the doors of schools and universities to girls as soon as possible because online education can never replace face-to-face education,” she said.

Shakiba added: “Online and face-to-face education are different. We used to do research and present seminars, but now we listen to the teacher’s lecture and ask questions.”

She said the cost of internet access for girls who are currently unemployed was very high and it was major problem for online education, When we download the audio files of the slides it consumes more internet, but everyone somehow tried to reduce other expenses and save money for their studies.

She urged the government to remove curbs of women education sooner than later and let girls and women to play their role in the development of the country.

Baran Ahmadi, head of the Aksina Higher Education Centre, said: “After the restrictions on education for Afghan girls, he established this foundation in Kabul with the cooperation of Farkhunda Qana so that girls can take advantage of the opportunities to stay at home and study.”

“Personnel of this centre are the students of Kabul University who feel the pain of these students. This centre arrange seminars on different topics and provide free of cost learning opportunities for girls,” he added.

According to Ahmadi the Aksina Centre so far 400 students in different batches have completed their courses though online facility.

“We teach basic school subjects online to girls in grades 10^th, 11^th , and 12^th  because school girls are under more stress mentally and we told them to use their mobile and learn something,” he added.

Ahmadi said that although, online lessons have some difficulties due to the problem of poor speed and high internet price, but he will continue this program until the doors of schools are opened to girls

The Barak University Teacher and education expert, who wished not to be named, termed online education programs a positive step and demand such programs to be increased.

“The way these online course were effective during Covid-19, they were still effective. All the girls should get maximum advantage of this opportunity,” he said.

He also demanded the reopening of girls’ schools and universities.

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