Maidan Wardak (PAN): Education sector in Maidan Wardak is moving ahead with acheiveing some sort of tangibel progresss but shortage of teachers, absence of school buildings and insecurity hampering its growth in several localities.
Attaullah Khogianai, spokesman of provincial governor said there are 450 schools and education centers in his province in which 172, 892 students get education. As many as 4, 729 teachers strive to impart education to students with 345 amogn them are female teachers.
Going into greater details, the spokesperson said his province has 192 primary, 106 secondary and 109 high schools with another  27 religious Madrassas, holy Quran preserving centers, nine vocational schools and seven pedagogical institutes.  In addition, there are 122 villages based local schools supported by Swedish Committee and UNICEF.
Further more, there are 139, 514 boys and 44, 791 girls students in Maidan Wardak, but still 231 schools don’t have proper buildings, Khogianai said, adding there are 69 girls schools in the province where female teachers impart education. With the exception of a religious school that is closed by militants in Chack district, rest of the schools are opened and functing in the province.
A private Tabish University is also functioning in Maidan Wardak province where 80 students get higher education. In addition, there are three private schools in which strength of the students surges to 1, 300.
Problems:
Governor’s spokesman, Khogianai believes that insecurity and lack of teachers are obstacles ahead of the education sector in the province, but appreciates people’s interest in education. He said they need 700 teachers, especially professional female teachers and pointed out absence of school buildings, lack of capacity in education department, absence of enoughbudgets and having no access to potable water as problems in education sector.  He added that a government delegation is visiting the schools properly and denied the claims that the militants are observing the schools.
People:
Abdul Basir, a resident of Sayed Abad district said since long people of Wardak love to get education that’s why most of the people are educated who holds attractive position in government and NGOs sector. Having more population, the Wardak residents own very little property, which prompt them to eke out their livelihood from the profession of education. He went on to say besides the economy issue, seeking education is the command of Allah and his prophet (PBUH). He lamented that fast-spreading insecurity created obstacles in way of smooth education, which badly affected its quality.
 
Blaming the government for what he said, ignoring the far-flung districts in terms of education, Dawood a resident of Daimirdad district said a number of schools do not have proper buildings and professionalism among teachers is extremely low.
Saboor, a resident of Maidan Shar said despite hooting and harrasing of girls’ students  by unidentified gunmen, they continue going to schools.
Students and Teachers:
Mohammad Khalid, student of 10th class in Chack district of Aljihad High School said they are short of science teachers in their schools and one teacher use to teach them in a gathering. He informed his mathmetatics teacher ask every student to pay him 100Afs because the government is not paying him. Elders of the locality approach the education department to discuss the matter with high officials.
Abdul Rahman, a teacher at the Jalil Primary School in Chack district said despite raging insecurity, none of the schools are closed. He admited they get textbooks and other relevant materials on time. He however, said the students face lack of school buildings and potable water in the educational institutions.
Aimal, another teacher from the province said the education sector has been improved recently, adding that the biggest problem is insecurity that haunts the locals. Authenticating his teacher’s point of view, a student said militants are using students in deteriorating security situation. He underlined the need that parents should look after their children not to fall prey in the hands of militants.
Intellectuals:
Abdul Qadir, an elder from the province said, the education would have reached to a higher level if there is imrpoved security. “People love education very much and seek it even in tough times,” he said, adding education has been considerably improved during the last decade but again the saga of growing insecurity is the problem.
He demand of the government to shift its focus to bolster security as insecurity hampering development of all sectors.
Farooq, a teacher said the strength of teachers is enough but in terms of quantity, adding that the quality should be kept supreme. He said insecurity is the enemy number one of enhanced education because it prevents visits of monitering teams to check the educational institutiosn. He said the education sector received setback at a time when professional teachers are hired by NGOs with attractive package.