Education in North East Afghanistan

Name: Zarghona Shairzad Occupation: Maths Teacher Bi Bi Maryam Girls High School, Taloqan City, Taloqan, North East Afghanistan. Zarghona teaches mathematics to 120 girls between the ages of 12 and 14.

She says
“..in the past, due to war, there were very few resources available and so getting an education was difficult. Girls were not always allowed to go to school as their parents were afraid for their safety. However, there are no social restrictions anymore and girls can come to school in Taloqan.”

The future –
“Opportunities for women in Afghanistan are very few. Girls need to learn computing but we have no computers. We also need other resources like laboratories and libraries and also more professional teachers.”

In Afghanistan, parents will generally invest in their sons first and then their daughters as their daughters will be married into other families and someone else will be looking after them.

Zarghona says that “the shortage of resources means that it is harder for girls to get into university as resources are often prioritised for boys. This is why there are so few girls in university”  
 

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