17,000 children enrolled community-based classes in Logar

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): The Department of Education says the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has provided education to nearly 17,000 boys and girls through community-based classes in the central Logar province this year.

Shahpur Arab, spokesman for the department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that these classes had been set up in remote areas of Pul-i-Alam, the provincial capital, and six districts. In addition to the distribution of learning materials, 963 young people have been recruited as teachers.

He said that with the establishment of these community-based classes, about 17,000 children have been able to pursue primary education from grades one to six within their own localities.

According to him, the classes function like formal schools, following the official curriculum of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and pupils from grades one to six attend them.

Meanwhile, Abdullah, a resident of Pul-i-Alam, told Pajhwok that last year, around 1,000 local classes were opened in Logar under MoE framework, providing learning opportunities to nearly 30,000 boys and girls.

However, he noted that this year, the number of such classes had been reduced by international organisations and he urged them to continue offering educational opportunities for boys and girls in remote areas as they did in the past.

kk/ma