Teachers’ shortage: Paktika University students in trouble

SHARAN (Pajhwok): More than half of lecturers of the university in southeastern Paktika province are busy pursuing their master’s degree education inside and outside the country, leaving students struggling with their studies.

Kala Khan, an agriculture faculty student in the university in Sharan,the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they were faced with problems since long ago due to shortage of teachers.

“Our original teachers are replaced by contractors who cannot teach us and we cannot learn anything from them,” he said.

Qudratullah, a student of chemistry faculty, said they had only one formal teacher who also had been absent since long ago.

He said some of their teachers had graduated from the same university and they were hired to the teaching positions without getting experience.

Ajmal Gawhar, another student of Paktika University, said that permanent teachers were familiar with teaching and exam methods while the contracted ones had little knowledge and felt not safe.

A number of other students held similar views and asked officials concerned to resolve the problem.

Ali Jan Adil, Paktika University chairman, told Pajhwok that 24 of total 43 lecturers of the university were busy pursuing their master’s degrees in Kabul and abroad.

“A bachelor graduate cannot teach bachelor students, we also have no the right to stop teachers from pursuing their masters,” he said.

Adil said the vacuum was filled with contracted teachers who he said provided the needs to some extent.

Around 2,000 students get higher education in Paktika University which is part of the Sheikh Zayed University of Khost province and was shifted to Paktika seven years ago.

mds/ma