ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Two schools in Zaranj that were reported by Pajhwok as non-operational, leaving children without access to education, have reopened following the publication of the reports. Nimroz education officials say two other inactive schools in the city have also resumed operations.
Pajhwok Afghan News had previously published two separate reports highlighting educational problems in several villages in Zaranj and the deprivation of children in those areas from education. The two schools whose closure was highlighted in the reports have now reopened.
Alim Khan Shoro School reopens after years of closure
On 24 December 2025, Pajhwok reported that six villages in Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz province, had only one primary school, Alim Khan Shoro.
However, the school had been closed for four years due to a shortage of teachers. As a result, most children in the villages were deprived of education, while some had to travel long distances to attend schools elsewhere.
Now, about 10 months after the report was published, the school has reopened, and enrolment is under way.
Mawlawi Abdul Ghani Shafiq, deputy head of the Nimroz Department of Education, said Alim Khan Shoro Primary School had remained closed for several years due to a lack of teachers.
He said some children had attended schools in neighbouring villages, while others had been unable to continue their education.
“After we were interviewed by you and you raised the problems facing schools, we secured positions in the staffing structure and discussed the matter with officials at the centre. Our request was approved, and on 7 October we reopened the primary school,” he said.
According to Shafiq, student enrolment has now begun at the school.
Residents: Children have returned to school
Haji Mir Hamza, a resident of Mir Hamza village, welcomed the reopening of Alim Khan Shoro Primary School. He said children in the area had been deprived of education for five years, but the school had reopened following Pajhwok’s report.
“Our children are very happy that they can now enrol in school and study,” he said.
Haji Khudadad, a resident of nearby Abdul Hamid village, also welcomed the reopening, saying it had renewed hope for the children’s educational future.
“A journalist’s report solved our problem. Thank God, our children are now studying. We thank Pajhwok,” he said.
Ahmed, a nine-year-old boy who had been unable to attend school because of its closure and spent part of his day herding livestock, expressed happiness at the resumption of classes.
“Today, I was enrolled in school. I am very happy that I can study,” he said.
Baynaz School: From a ‘forgotten village’ to children returning to class
On 4 May 2025, Pajhwok also reported on educational problems faced by residents of Baynaz village in Zaranj. At the time, residents complained that their village had no school.
Fatima, a resident of the village, spoke about the lack of basic services, including education, saying: “We have been forgotten; no government has done any work for us.”
Ghulam Nabi, head of the Baynaz village council in Zaranj, also identified the lack of a school as one of the community’s main problems and described Baynaz as a “forgotten village”.
Following the publication of the report, the school in the area has reopened, giving dozens of students access to education.
Ghulam Nabi said the school had resumed operations after being closed for three years and that dozens of students were now attending classes.
“We thank the Pajhwok reporter. You regularly publish reports about people’s problems, and your work is truly valuable. Our school problem has now been resolved because you highlighted our difficulties,” he said.
Nimroz education department: Two more schools reopened
Mawlawi Abdul Ghani Shafiq, deputy head of the Nimroz Department of Education, said that, in addition to the schools mentioned above, Firozgi School in western Zaranj and Kordo School in Kalukhak village, south of the city, had also reopened.
He thanked Pajhwok, saying: “We are very grateful that you act as a bridge between us and the people and regularly bring their problems to our attention. We, in turn, have addressed these problems to the best of our ability and resolved them in a timely manner.”
He provided no further details but said efforts were continuing to reopen other non-operational schools across the province.
sa
