Shut due to past conflict, 32 schools reopen in Uruzgan

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): The education department of central Uruzgan province on Wednesday announced reopening 32 schools that had been closed due to conflicts or their buildings had been damaged.

The schools were closed due to insecurity in the provincial capital, Tirinkot, and in districts of the province, depriving thousands of children of education.

MualviHaqnama, Uruzgan education director, told Pajhwok Afghan News a total of 315 schools were open in the province.

He said that the open schools included 32 schools that had been closed for the past few years due to conflicts and insecurity.

Hundreds of teachers and thousands of students who had been displaced by the fighting from the areas of these schools had recently returned, he added.

Haqnama said that the buildings of these schools have been severely damaged due to war and it will take a long time and resources to repair them.

Until the buildings for these schools are rebuild, students will be able to study in tents and rented houses for a temporary time, he added.

However, he said that he had sought the cooperation of the Ministry of Education as well as donor organizations to help repair the damaged school buildings.

He assured that all schools in the province would be provided with textbooks and other necessary equipment and the existing problems would be resolved in the near future.

Uruzgan governor also asked donor agencies to cooperate in the development of education sector in the province besides other areas.

During a ceremony in which UNICEF provided textbooks to the education department, Governor Mullah Mohammad Khan Dawat said that currently all parts of the province were safe and aid organizations could deliver assistance to the people there.

Dr. Ahmad Fawad, UNICEF's provincial director in Uruzgan, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the organization planned to increase its support to the provincial education department.

He said that they would try to provide teaching materials to all schools so that the students could continue their study without any problems.

Residents of Uruzgan are happy about the opening of their schools.

Javed, an 11th grade student at Kotwal High School in Tirinkot, returned to his school after nearly five years.

He said that he was studying in a tent near his school as the building of the school was damaged during conflicts.

He called for the reconstruction of their school and provision of good educational environment.

mds/ma