Security threats increase against education

Kabul,: Afghan Deputy Minister of Education at a press conference in Kabul warned that threats from armed opposition against education of the country have increased.

He added that in the past five years education of the country has been faced with major challenges, and the threats have increased.

According to the Ministry of Education, at the moment 4600 schools are closed in Afghanistan, 13 schools have been burnt and the presence of girls has decreased in schools compared with last year.

In the last three year approximately 2700 students have been poisoned in different events throughout Afghanistan but ministry of education says that the reason for the poisoning incidents are not clear.

Deputy Minister of Education talked regarding challenges ahead of education system in the country and said that since 2008 armed opposition attacks have significantly increased against the education system of the country and added that more than 8000 schools don’t have buildings and still majority of the schools need reconstruction.

“In the last four year, schools have been attacked by the Taliban. Previously there was no attack on schools, I mean since 2006,” Deputy Minister of Education Asef Nang said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education signed a work contract of

75 million dollar with Japan and on the other hand Ministry of Education calls land mafia as a great challenge ahead of implementing of this programme.

“With this contract, we will construct 75 schools with the financial support of Japan, with financial management of UNSEF and observation of the Afghan government,” Minister of Education Ghulam Farooq Wardak said.

Deputy minister of education says that this year it was expected to enroll 1.5 million students to the schools but due to lack of capacity and lack of buildings a low number of students have been enrolled.

He says that lack of school books has harmed educational system in the country.

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