Education is a versatile tool guaranteeing stability, social cohesion and societal uplift whilst ensuring respect for human rights. Many societal problems get regulated after education stand top most priority. The skinny budget allocated for education ridicules us as a nation and marks deep-rooted state of intellectual bankruptcy. Unless education renders preliminary requisite, success may remain a daydream.

Formerly a report surfaced that unearthed three million children remain out of school across the country, despite partial improvement in the quality of education and staff capacity. This is a worrisome figure reflecting government’s interest toward educational betterment. According to ministry of education in recent year, more than nine million students, 40 percent of them girls, were enrolled in schools across the country. Over 700,000 others, 60 percent of them females, attended literacy programs. It further entails 24 percent of children were still deprived of education due to lack of professional staff, closure of schools in insecure areas and other challenges. The unending state negligence depicts, a magic might reverse the notorious state Afghanistan faces at present.

Earlier an official claimed the school teachers were being recruited and appointed by the Taliban in the Shah Joy district. This worrying stance is affirmed by the serving head of the province confirming salaries of teachers were being pocketed by the Taliban as a number of insurgents have been appointed as instructors in the schools. It’s outrageous to recognize the funds reserved for educational betterment in a province are flowing into the accounts of militants and local commanders who are consecutively unleashing terror plots against the innocent civilians. It is unbelievably frightening the monetary allocation for education is funding heinous crimes –education is shunned in ignorance and militancy is supported instead. Regretfully, incriminating education which undoes the fear out of the mind and heart of people is camouflaged in the constant cloud of terror and endless fear –unluckily parasitizes on its very existence.

The government whether ignorant or restrained to avert the whole state of affairs marks an in-depth negligence or criminal complicity. What about the credibility of whole statistics of ministry of education after the emergence of this report?  Doesn’t it reflect the statistics provided about the rest of province are also merely paper work?  Will the government ensue the case of such grave fraudulence and punish the culprits devoid of their socio-political standings? There are several questions emerging in the minds of every loyal Afghan waiting to be responded –one being is how long will the masses be put to mercy of power players.

This act of betrayal is shocking to learn when public officials side the wrongs means of exploiting the public resources –it ultimately earn us disgrace and indignity. The reprehensible act is analogous to self immolation –education fundamental to collective uplift is enrooted by cutting instead of adding the resources going to this department. The minimally performing education sector is deliberately pushed to abysmal of negation. The concerned public officials instead of choosing to resign after the news got public, shamelessly sticks to defend their ill deeds. Sticking to state of constant denial, owing the responsibility of mishaps undertaken in one’s realm marks an in-depth degree of incompetence whilst negating any expectancy of betterment.

It is alarming to learn the Helmand province bearing the brunt of insecurity pushing educational institutes to closure. Helmand’s educations officials have said over 100 schools have been closed in the province on account of security threats, with the majority of them located in the northern districts. In addition to the confirmed closures, provincial officials have said that even in the cases of schools that are remaining open, families are declining to send their children to school out of fear of security threats.

According to Helmand’s Department of Education, there are a total of 385 schools in the province, with 192,000 male students and 50,000 female students. Officials say 150 schools, or 43 percent, are thought to be closed at the moment, amounting to about 100,000 students. While provincial officials say some progress was made in getting schools reopened in recent months, instability in northern Helmand is now forcing many schools to close rapidly, curtailing much of the progress previously made.

Contrary to the said data the members of civil society activists in Helmand have reported a higher number of closed schools than the one quoted by provincial officials. In each school from 500 to 2,000 students have been deprived of education, and the continuation of the situation will mean an illiterate generation ahead. Nearly 100,000 students have been unable to attend more than 100 schools where they are enrolled in southern Helmand province due to insecurity, officials say. The official said 192,000 students, including 51,000 girls, were being taught by over 3,000 teachers, including 564 female teachers, in the province.

Aside to the aforesaid facts, a glance at our deserted national priorities disheartens us of interminable irrational and abrupt priorities which happens to be mostly influential than inspirational. The undertakings executed under the influence of forged circumstances than national priorities yield not, the desired result based on national interest. Consequently the politician lost in delusion try not to revisit the grey areas of governance, consequently improvement turned an intangible target given a rational dictum for intellectual and material achievements has never been a pursuable discourse for our politician. A nation reaches to prominence, turn unbeatable and matchless, only when greater intrepid steps are taken to eliminate illiteracy by declaring the state of educational emergency. The profound significance of education in societal ascend is established and undisputed, contrary of being failed to inspire our politicians.