Number of students at education centres dropped

KABUL (Pajhwok): Owners of Education Centres which provide tuitions for Kankor preparation and in other fields in capital Kabul have been worried about the decline in the number of their students and said due to financial problems they reduced the tuition fee.

They asked the acting government officials to allow girls as well to go to schools and universities.

The Anis Education Centre which was incepted 16 years ago was currently opened and offered different types of tuitions, including Kankor preparation, tuition.

Dr. Waheed Sabiri, one of the teachers of this centre, told Pajhwok Afghan News this facility was incepted in 2008 and before ban on girls’ schools and universities the largest number of students who passed the Kankor test were their students.

Without giving detail, he said after regime change in the country there was 30 percent decline in the tuition fee for Kankor preparation and for this reason there was 20 percent decline in the number of teachers’ fee.

He appreciated the decision of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to exempt educational courses from paying taxes this year and asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to allow girls to go to schools and universities.

Zahir Sultani, a teacher at the Farhand Sarai Education Centre, said this facility was opened three years ago but the number of students at the Kankor preparation section had declined in recent years.

He said before regime change, the number of students in Kankor preparation section was growing because girls and boys both attended the tuitions but currently there was 50 percent decline in the number of students.

He said the study period in this facility lasted for three months, six months and nine months.

The Eng. Naseer Ebadi Education centre which was founded 12-years ago also complained against the decline of new enrolled students.

Eng. Naseer Ebadi, head of this facility, said: “Before regime change 60 percent of our students were boys and 40 percent were girls, currently girls don’t come.”

He also demanded that girls should be allowed to go to school and universities.

Ahmad Mosavir, one of the students at Anis Academy, said: “When I came here two months ago, I had a lot of problems in mathematics and science, but with the help of experienced teachers, I was able to solve my problems.”

He welcomed declined in the tuition fee in this course.

Government officials often said they were not against education and pledged that girls would be allowed to attend schools and universities after the formation of strategy for them.