Helmand’s Binader residents decry limited access to schools

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): Residents of Binader area in Garamser district of southern Helmand province say their children lack full access to education facilities and urge the government to resolve this issue.

Officials admit the complaint of Binader residents, but say schools in all areas of Helmand are operating according to people’s needs.

Abdul Wasi, a teacher at a private school and a resident of Binader area, told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Binader area is divided into Binader Ulia and Binader Sufla areas and 15,000 families live in these areas and only a primary school exists in Binader Sufla and a middle school in Binader Ulia.”

The middle school in Binader Sufla is 18 kilometers away from the school in Binader Ulia.

Children of these two areas are deprived of high school education because there is no high school.

The teacher asked the government to provide education facilities for the children of these areas.

Juma Gul, another resident of Binader area, told Pajhwok the foundation stones or two schools were laid near Binader bazaar during the previous government, but their construction could not be completed.

Maulavi Mohammad Ewaz Ansari, provincial education department head, confirmed the complaints of Binader residents and said efforts were underway to solve such problems in Binader area and other districts.

Ansari said: “It is a common problem in all districts of Helmand province, 45 school buildings are half completed, these buildings are supposed to be completed under Eqra program, but its budget is currently frozen in World Bank.”

He said they had shared the issue with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and some primary and middle schools will be upgraded to middle and high schools.

He further added that there was also a shortage of teachers and the MoE had approved 105 more teachers who would be hired through a transparent process.

aw/ma

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