KABUL - A new survey shows more than 1,000 of Afghanistan’s 16,000 schools have been shut; compared only 300 three years ago.
In the survey, the Justice Foundation for the first time evaluated the education sector of the country by interviewing 450 people including teachers, students and tribal elders.
Based on the opinions, the education sector was deemed at worst during the past three years and reasons behind it were cited insecurity and poor performance of the Ministry of Education.
Ten percent (45 people) in the survey said the education situation was the same it had been three years ago while 2.8 percent said anti-corruption efforts at MoE haf accelerated compared to the past years.
According to the survey, a copy of which is obtained by Pajhwok Afghan News, 1,300 schools have been shut with 46 percent (598) of them closed due to militant threats and 38 percent (494) due to weakness of the MoE. Six percent (78) of the schools have been closed by security organs.
The survey said five percent (65) schools had been closed due to people’s low interest in education and four percent (54) schools for unknown reasons.
Most of the schools are closed due to security threats in Kandahar, Zabul, Helmand, Nangarhar, Kunduz, Baghlan, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Logar and Nangarhar provinces according to the survey.
Poor performance of the MoE was another reason behind closure of schools in Paktika, Kunar, Nangarhar, Logar, Balkh, Kunduz, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Zabul, Uruzgan, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
“Of 16,000 and several hundreds more schools in the country, 1,300 of them are closed, while this number stood at 380 in 2014,” the source said.
According to the survey, 87 percent or 392 interviewees believed the education sector was damaged under the national unity government. Corruption and tribal favoritism also reached the peak in the education ministry.
About schools, the survey shows all schools particularly girls schools were in worst condition compared to their condition three years ago.
Nearly 2,000 schoolgirls have been poisoned in different incidents over the last three years, according to the survey statistics.
Lack of textbooks and learning materials in schools is another major challenge in the country’s education system, it says, adding only 35 percent of schools received necessary materials on time this year. (Pajhwok)