Thousands of Daikundi children enrolled in local classes

NEILI (Pajhwok): Thousands of out-of-school children have been enrolled in hundreds of community-based schools in remote areas of central Daikundi province, an official said on Monday.

Rah-e-Rahnaward Social Welfare Organization (RRSWO) director Rajab Ali Azad said their organization had set up the classes with financial support of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (unicef).

He said the classes were created in areas where children were deprived of having access to schools.

By hiring 430 teachers in districts, RRSWO started its operations in August of 2022, teaching the curriculum of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and using modern educational methods, Azad said.

He added: “The local educational classes are created in coordination with the MoE and other relevant institutions in areas where children have no access to schools due to geographical barriers.”

RRSWO officials said their target was areas where children lacked access to schools.

Azad said: “Quality education is provided to children in these local classes and our assessments show the students are learning their lessons successfully.”

Azad said such local educational classes were direly needed in areas which had been deprived of educational facilities, “These classes have given to hope to the residents about their children’s future”.

Ali Juma Akbari, one of the teachers at the classes, told Pajhwok Afghan News said in the past a limited number of students had access to schools and right now this problem had been solved by local educational classes.

Akbari said: “We live in isolated areas; our children would not go to schools in the past, then RRSWO appointed teachers in our areas to teach children subjects equivalent to the third grade of school.”

Abdul Karim, a student of a local class, said he could not go to school in the past, but now he studies with other children.

Provincial officials confirmed RRSWO and a number of similar humanitarian organizations had paved the ground for education of children of the province.

Provincial Education Department head Qari Enayatullah Sahaar told Pajhwok RRSWO and other similar organizations provided education facilities to about 16,000 children in Daikundi.

He said: “Actually it is MoE’s responsibility to provide education to all children, cooperative organizations shoulder this responsibility with MoE by imparting education to children of remote and deprived areas.”

The education director also said the students of the local classes would be then enrolled in neighboring schools to continue their education.

According to official figures, 133,000 students are studying in Daikundi schools --- 71,000 e boys and 61,000 girls.

aw/ma