KABUL (Pajhwok): Residents of Kandiwal village in Ferozkoh, the capital of Ghor, have launched construction work on a school building using their own funds — a move that has renewed hopes for a better learning environment, while hundreds of schools in the western province still lack proper buildings and thousands of students continue to study in the open air.
Story of Kandiwal schoolchildren
The boys’ school in Kandiwal village, Ferozkoh, does not have a building and students have for years continued their studies in the open air under the scorching sun.
Recently, however, education-minded residents have launched construction work on a school building, raising hopes among students and their families for access to a safe and suitable learning environment.
Mir Ahmad, a student, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “We have been studying in this school for five years. In summer we suffer from extreme heat and in rainy weather from the cold.”
He said prolonged exposure to the sun and cold had caused health problems, including heat-related illnesses, among some students.
He expressed joy over the construction work, saying: “I am so happy it cannot be described. I wish it is completed soon so we can study in classrooms with desks and chairs.”
Noor Gul, another student, also welcomed the initiative, saying: “We are very happy that a building is being constructed for us; it is a very good step.”
He said students often fall ill during the cold season due to harsh weather conditions.
Abdul Rahman, the father of one of the students, said: “Our children have been studying in the open air or sometimes under tents for years. They often become sick, but we are forced to send them to school so they can learn and become educated.”
He added: “All local residents and I hope the school building is completed as soon as possible so our children can study in a peaceful environment.”
Experts: public role in school construction valuable
Ghulam Sakhi Sakha, an education expert in Ghor, said a standard learning environment was essential for better education.
He said: “The more standard classrooms and learning materials are provided to students, the better they can learn and develop.”
He added that an unsuitable environment negatively affected learning outcomes and kept educational standards low.
Another education expert, Abdul Rauf Omari, said public participation in school construction was an important step for the future of children’s education.
He said such cooperation not only helped address the shortage of classrooms but also increased students’ interest in learning and improved the quality of future generations.
Referring to more than 500 schools still without buildings, he said it was difficult for the education department to address the issue in the short term. He stressed that public cooperation — financial or technical — was essential.
He also called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) and education officials to expand coordination with communities for school construction in underserved areas.
Education department efforts in Ghor
Zabihullah Wafa, spokesman for the Ghor education department, told Pajhwok that the lack of school buildings remained a major challenge in the province, but efforts were under way to address it.
He said that out of 800 active schools in the province, 258 had buildings, while 542 remained without proper facilities.
He added that the education department had shared school needs forms with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and donor organisations and that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue.
He described public involvement in school construction as effective and said construction of the Kandiwal boys’ school in Ferozkoh had recently begun at a cost of 230,000 afghanis, funded by local residents in coordination with the education department.
According to him, the school will be a one-storey building with five classrooms.
Wafa added that since the start of the 1405 academic year, construction of school buildings had begun in both central and district areas of Ghor through school education councils and local communities in coordination with the education department.
He said the total cost of these projects stood at 3.72 million afghanis and their completion would significantly reduce students’ difficulties.
He added: “The Ghor education department welcomes any initiative that strengthens the education system and appreciates the cooperation of education-loving people in this province.”
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