Not a single school exists in Helmand’s Disho district

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Residents of Disho district in southern Helmand province say not even a single school exists in the district and their children have long been deprived of education.

Maulvi Ahmad, a religious scholar in Disho district, told Pajhwok Afghan News not a single school had been built in the district since last five decades.

He said construction work on three school buildings had been launched in the previous government, but the structures remained incomplete.

He added: “There is no school in our district, work on three schools was launched in the previous government, but it could not be completed.”

Akhtar Mohammad, another inhabitant, said: “There is no school in our district since its establishment. Earlier, a few community classes were set up, but they were closed after a few months.”

Other residents of the district also said they were concerned about their children’s future due to lack of schools.

Abdul Karim, a resident of the district, said: “Our children are deprived of education, we want the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to set up schools and religious seminaries in our district.”

Disho district deputy administrative chief Juma Gul Janan confirmed residents of the district lacked access to basic facilities including schools and religious seminaries. He said they had shared these problems with the provincial administration.

On the other hand, Education Department officials also acknowledged there was no school in the district.

Maulvi Mohammad Ansari, director of the department, said: “There is no school in Disho district. The previous government had started reconstruction work on some schools and a number of development projects, but the projects are yet to be executed.”

He said twenty schools had been approved for the province and their construction would be launched in near future.

A school will be set up in each district of the province with financial support of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the official concluded.

kk/ma