Community drive builds, repairs dozens of schools in Daikundi

NEILI (Pajhwok): Residents of central Daikundi province built or renovated 68 schools this year on self-help basis because considering the lack of educational buildings a serious challenge. Officials and experts see this move a clear sign of people’s participation in the growth of education and upbringing of children.

Eid Mohammad Alamizada, the head of publications at the Education Department, said that residents, in a spontaneous move, built and renovated 68 schools and religious seminaries at their own expense this year, and they spent about 26 million and 91,000afs to build and renovate this number of schools.

He said that this popular initiative played an important role in improving the educational situation in the province and dealt with some of the existing deficiencies. He said buildings of these schools and madrasas were repaired and constructed in nine districts of Daikundi.

Out of the 68 buildings, one was built for a religious school in Patu district, and the remaining 67 were for general education schools, Alamizada added.

Alamizada appreciated the spirit of cooperation of the residents and called for more attention to the country’s students and education.

“Compared to the past, people’s interest in education has increased, and this is the result of the sincere efforts of the Education Department in providing services to education professionals”.

However, some tribal elders explained that the lack of school strcutres in the province was one of the serious problems being faced by students, and that the people need to join hands with the government and play a role in the educational future of their children.

According to Din Mohammad Nader Ali, a tribal elder, the residents had always been with the government to support education and were building schools from their own budgets to support education.

He said that building schools and colleges was of great importance and played a fundamental role in students’ learning, because the government alone was not able to build schools in all areas according to the needs of the people, so building such schools was a great help in facilitating students’ learning.

There is a great need for school construction, and the government should pay serious attention to this area.

“Students should make good use of the opportunities and efforts that people make in building schools”: he added.

Students express satisfaction with construction of schools

On the other hand, Faizullah, a student at a school in Patu district, added: “I am very happy that a new building has been built for our school. Previously, we studied in tents or outdoors, and we suffered a lot in the heat and cold”.

“We are very grateful to the people of the village and those who have helped and given us new hope, and we are now more interested in studying”.

Meanwhile, education experts and social activists also consider this trend a sign of growing public awareness and social solidarity in the province.

Qudrat Roein, a social activist, explained that the lack of construction of educational centers has caused students to study in inappropriate conditions and there is a dire need for a suitable educational environment in the province.

“People have come to the conclusion that we should not wait for external help, we must take action ourselves to improve the future of our children, and this is a sign of the growth of social awareness, which considers education to be the most important tool for progress”.

He emphasized that in many villages, the severe shortage of classrooms, desks, chairs, and schools has led people to build schools at their own expense.

Roein said this movement not only highlights the importance of education, but is also a clear example of people’s participation in the growth and advancement of sustainable education.

Such measures, if supported, could pave the way for a positive and future-oriented development in Daikundi and other provinces, he emphasized.

Residents said the difficult terrain and geographical dispersion of Daikundi have not only made it difficult to access basic life services in some areas of the province, but have also created obstacles to education in some areas.

Meanwhile, the head of quality assurance at the Education Department had previously told Pajhwok Afghan News that about 106,028 students were studying in 435 government schools in the province. According to him, out of these schools, 225 have buildings and 210 do not have buildings.

hz/ma