Taleban 'to build Afghan schools'
The Taleban movement has earmarked $1m to set up schools for children
in southern Afghanistan, a senior official of the militant group has
said.
Abdul Hai Mutmain said a Taleban panel would start commissioning
schools in March and April, 2007. In much of southern Afghanistan there
are no schools or most of them have been closed following arson and
threats by armed militants. The government blames the Taleban for these
incidents, a charge they reject.
A Taleban statement said the schools would be run in accordance with
a syllabus that was used in the mujahideen schools in 1980s. Qari Yousuf,
a Taleban spokesman, told the BBC's Urdu service that the syllabus would
include contemporary subjects such as history, geography, physics and
chemistry, as well as Islamic subjects. He said the schools would be
established across eight southern provinces.
"The government controls the cities [in these provinces] but we
control the entire countryside, so there should be no problem running
these schools," Mr Yousuf said. He said they would start with schools
for boys only and would establish girls' schools later on.
When they were in power, the Taleban sometimes pledged to build
girls' schools once things became more peaceful, but never did. The
Taleban were overthrown by US-led forces in 2001.
Schools burnt
Educational infrastructure has been traditionally sparse in the
backward southern hinterland of Afghanistan. Most school buildings that
did exist were wholly or partly damaged during 27 years of war that
still continues.
In the more backward areas, few schools have regular buildings.
Children either study under the trees or in tents. During the last four
years, these schools have been the target of a sustained campaign
allegedly by Taleban militants.
Dozens of schools have been burnt and several teachers killed by
gunmen who regularly distribute notices threatening students and
teachers against attending government schools. Taleban deny their role
in this and say local people incensed over a syllabus developed under
"US guidance" may be responsible.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai told the parliament recently that 182
schools were burnt by militants in the south of the country in 2006
alone. In December, during a visit to Kandahar province, President
Karzai admitted that almost half of over 700 schools in the southern
zone, that includes Kandahar, had been sealed due to insecurity.
The situation in other provinces is worse, says Danish Karokhel,
director of the Pajhwok news agency in Kabul. In Zabul province, 148 out
of a total of 188 schools remained closed during 2006, while in Ghazni
province more than 50,000 students could not attend classes due to
similar closures, he said, quoting education officials.
Mr Yousuf told the BBC the Taleban would begin establishing schools
in areas which were most in need, and gradually expand to less deprived
areas. "People want education for their children, but they do not want
to approach the government for this," he said. "People support us, and
they will send their children to schools established by us."
Analysts say parents in the war-affected regions would be keen to
send their children to schools irrespective of who runs them.
BBC |