Concern builds schools in Afghanistan for girls and boys
Friday, 28 April 2006
Concern builds schools in Afghanistan for girls and boys
The headmaster of the Rustaq boys’ high school, Mohammed Omer, currently teaches boys from Grade One to 12 in a small, dilapidated building. Mohammed Omer has been a teacher for over 30 years in Rustaq. During 23 years of war, the education system in Afghanistan has suffered drastically. ‘During Dauod’s time (1973 to 1978) the education system was very good. There were lots of professional teachers and the quality of education was really good’, explains Mohammed, ‘but after that, the situation was very bad’. Once the Russians occupied Afghanistan, girls were not attending school as they were scared of the military presence and their parents did not want them to go to school as they feared what would happen if their daughters left the family home. When the Taliban succeeded in 1989, girls were not allowed to go to school as the Taliban forbade it. Mohammed explains ‘Now things are getting better, however the education system and trained teachers has been lost’.
Being a student in Afghanistan is not easy. Many boys drop out at age 14 mainly to find a job, either because they have family problems or one of their parents has died so they need to support their family. The boys who can complete their schooling really enjoy it.
Concern Afghanistan has recently completed another building for the Rustaq Boys High School which provides more classrooms. Currently, there are 2,600 boys attending the high school and Mohammed Omer is expecting this to increase to 2,800 in the new school year. Due to the high number students and lack of space, the school currently operates in three shifts a day with 50 students crammed into one classroom. With the new school, Mohammed will be able to reduce this to two shifts a day, giving the students more class time. The headmaster went to Concern as he knew they worked with the poorest people in the far villages in Rustaq. Concern agreed to pay for 90% of the costs, and the community paid for the other 10%. The headmaster is very happy with Concern’s work and contribution as it will improve the education of the boys in Rustaq.
Concern Afghanistan built Shar-e-Kona Girls School in 2004. The school provides education at the primary, secondary and high school level, and has 617 students enrolled aged between seven and 20 years old. In order to accommodate all of these girls, the teachers must work in shifts: the morning shift teaches grades four to nine, the afternoon teaches grades one to three. The girls are taught a variety of subjects including English, Physics, Mathematics, Dari, Pashto, Art and Economics. Grades four to six learn health science which includes Biology and hygiene.
While the basic facilities are provided for, the school is in desperate need of qualified teachers and laboratory in order to teach science. While the school building is functional, it is not surrounded by walls, which means that animals regularly enter the grounds. The site used to be an old military ground and the landscape is scattered with unused military equipment that children play with. No children have yet been injured by this equipment, however it is regarded as a safety hazard but moreover is a constant reminder of the wars that have plagued Afghanistan. The psychological and emotional impact on the girls in the school will inevitably be great unless this grave reminder is removed by the appropriate authorities. The school has sports equipment for volleyball, and while the girls have no designated teacher for sport, they play by themselves.
The opportunity for access to an educational establishment for girls is an important step towards the development of Afghan women and attitudinal change.
