Over 1,000 schools remain closed in Afghanistan

The Afghanistan Ministry of Education confirmed that over 1000 schools remain closed across the country due to insecurity and other reasons. Acting MOE minister, Dr Asadullah Mohaqiq said in parliament that 1,005 school were still closed.

He said efforts were underway to re-open them. He said that 40% of 16,000 schools in the country lacked buildings. He also confirmed the shortage of textbooks and professional teachers. He said the Ministry of Finance had not approved ‘even a single position’ in the past three years. In the past, he said, the finance ministry would approve 11,000 teaching positions each year.

Approximately 42,000 teachers were needed and at least 16,000 teacher posts should be announced and approved for 2017. He said 98% of school books in three official languages have been printed and instruction would begin immediately after the teacher positions are approved.

He said 90% of current teachers had been registered with the Rank System and the remainder would be registered after testing. The ranking system determines teacher salaries, and unregistered teachers therefore receive a lower salary than registered teachers.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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