Lashkargha (PAN): Despite achieving some peace followed by tangible progress in education sector, Helmand Province still faces serious nature of security related problems.
Provincial Education Director Mohammad Naseem Sapi told Pajwak Afghan News that “four years back, as many as 70 schools out of 360 were functioning in the province. Following extended cooperation by the people of the area, around 207 schools have been reopened recently.”
Peace and stability in the province helped reopened most of the schools, he said, adding that 30,000 female are among 137,000 male students get their education in those schools.
Sapi says: “The province has 68 high, 70 intermediate, and 107 primary schools. In addition there are 11 technical and vocational high schools including 18 Madrassas.” He said that 11 Madrassas out of 18 have been reopened while the rest will be opened in Kajaki, Disho, Baghran, Mosa Kala, and Kasheen as soon as the security situation is improved.
The worsening security has forced at least 153 schools to be closed down, he said, adding that the province has 3, 424 administrative and educational staff including 2, 900 teachers but a small number of them are professional.
He went on to say around 2, 000 students are being imparted education in the newly established Madrassas where 110 Ulama (religious clerics) discharge their professional duties. He informed that more schools and Madrasas are functioning in the suburbs of the province, which are not so far registered with the Provincial Directorate of Ministry of Education.
 “There are 11 technical and vocational institutes. In addition, there are six private schools in which 1,428 students study while 195 of them are girls. He said that 75 vocational courses conduct training for around 3, 000 individuals in 22 different fields in the city of Lashkargh including Nawzad, Gerishk, Nawa, Garamseer, Nad Ali, and Marjah Districts.
He said that the vocational courses are being arranged with the help of DFAD, adding that the students are bound to pay a small amount of fee. There is a Pedagogical Institute in Lashkargh city, which offers an opportunity of learning to 558 students with 279 of them are female, he added. He went on to say that the pedagogical institute has its branches in Nad Ali, Nawa, and Gerishk Districts where hundreds of students learn advanced education. After their graduation, he expressed optimism by saying that the problems of the residents such as lack of professional teachers in the province would be addressed.
 
“There are 168 literacy learning courses in Helmand. As many as 3, 300 male and 1, 200 female students study, which are being run with the financial support of the Ministry of Education,” according to the statement by the Education Director.
He said that he is working hard to reopen the closed schools with the help of Ulama (religious clerics) and elders of community, adding that beside vocational institutes, there is one government and three private universities in the province.”
Engineer Sor Gul, head of the Helmand University says: “The university was inaugurated in 2008 and it has now four faculties. The students study Agriculture, Education, Engineering, and Veterinary in the university.”
He said that there are 1, 100 students in the university who are being taught by 40 teachers with three of them having master degree and eight others have gone abroad for master degrees. He said that Helmand University has produced 32 graduates until now. He said that Helmand University doesn’t have its own building and classes are being taken in the building of pedagogical institute. He said that the construction of its new building would be started soon. He went on to say that there are three private universities in Lashkargh city--- Wadi Helmand, Arakozia, and Bost. The private universities offer education in Medical, Law, and Economic to 1, 500 students.
Problems:
He said that education in the province witnessed great boom with more and more people show interest to equip their kids with advanced education. He said that the education sector faces some formidable challenges and the most serious nature of problem is the absence of professional teachers. He said that currently 130 schools have no buildings, adding that buildings for 40 news schools would be built during the current fiscal year.
He said that absence of buildings forced children to get education in tents, mosques, and rental houses.
People:
Akhtar Mohammad Niyazi a farmer of Marjah District says: “He says though he has six kids going to schools but they learn nothing because of absence of professional teachers.”
“I love my children when they go to school but the quality of teaching is low. There is a persistent problem of non professional teachers and the schools have no buildings,” he added. He went on to say that teachers do not get their pay on time while the students do not get their textbooks.
 
He held the Ministry of Education responsible for all the mess, adding that the ministry takes no step to tackle these problems. He said that the people of restive Marjah want their kids to get advanced education but the government inability to provide the people with education facilities forced parents to lose their interests. He demanded of the government to take accelerated steps to resolve the issues confront by the education sector.
Haji Gul Ahmad, community elder of Girishk District says: “My two kids go to Lashkargh city for study but the quality of education is low.” He said that the central Girishk experiences insecurity but the northern and eastern parts of the district face insecurity and even kids cannot go to mosque.”
“No one is against education. Everyone wants his kids to be in school but insecurity force people to stay away from education,” he added.
He said that more than 50% of children are deprived of education, which would yield negative outcome for the country in the long run. He held the government responsible for not paying attention to resolve problems being confronted by the education sector.
Haji Mohammad Sadiq, an elder from Nad Ali District told Pajhwok Afghan News that “Four of his children and grand children are rolled in Lashkargha city school but he is not satisfied with the quality of education.” He said that professional people join NGOs and other sectors while the schools are left to non professional people--- a trend that can bring down the quality of education. He said that parents are equally responsible for not sending their kids to schools.
Teachers and Students:
Niyaz Mohammad, a student of Shadeed Abdul Mateen High School in Lashkargh city says: “The process of education and schooling in his area is facing tremendous challenges while the same will be more challenging in ruler areas. The current educational is about to end but they still did not receive their textbooks. Education values are on decline because of students’ rude attitude toward their teachers.”
Palwasha Ameeni, a teacher of Nawabad High School said that there the biggest problem is the absence of schools’ buildings, which negatively impact the education. Ameeni said that currently they use the Jami Mosque building to teach the kids, saying that delay in their payment is one of the serious problems for the teaching staff.
Palwasha said that the authorities have held out promises to give them land for building their houses but it could not be materialized so far. She said that people of her area are keen to send their children to schools but the Ministry of Education failed to provide a level playing field for the purpose. She went on to say that another problem is the shortage of professional teachers. She said that there are only three professional teachers while the rest are High School graduate who impart education to 335 girl students.
 
Haji Mohammad Nasir, educational director of Kajaki District said that there are 19 universities with only three of them function in which 1,300 get education. He informed that only three of these schools have its buildings, adding that the area is virtually in control of Taliban.
 Lack of teachers and absence of textbooks are also main sources of concern, he said, adding that 15 permanent and 11 contract teachers discharge the duties of 109 teachers. He informed that the teachers did not get their salaries for the last six months.
He said he is striving to reopen closed schools in the areas controlled by the Taliban, adding but the government so far not willing to address the problem on priority basis.
He demanded of the government to release the payments of the teachers without further delay. He said that buildings for schools and officers should be constructed and the hierarchy system should be established. He said that armed militants have promised their all out support, adding that issues being confronted by the education sector would be resolved soon.