KABUL, Afghanistan — Students flood the classrooms, as the ‘burned school’ in Kabul reaches an unprecedented high in enrollment.
Nearly destroyed after decades of conflict, the Nahid Shadid School began to recover in 2007. The Afghan Ministry of Education initially partnered with the World Bank and Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) that year.
The recent conflict demolished nearly half the schools, and girls could not attend school under Taliban rule. Students do not have proper buildings to attend for school and more than half never graduated 12th grade.
The Ministry of Education set standards for Education Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP) to address these barriers. ARTF donated $408 million to education efforts and as a result, girls’ attendance grew to an estimated 2.7 million. In 2002, fewer than 200,000 girls attended. In addition, boys’ enrollment increased to nearly 4.4 million from a mere one million.
The Ministry of Education uses donations to enroll students. At Nahid Shahid School, EQUIP established a school shura to recruit these young boys and girls. This council of teachers, parents, elders and local residents formed in 2008, according to Principal Parwin Naser Bahadari.
In 2009, the principal began working at Nahid Shadid School. At this time, enrollment seemed stagnant at 2,000. Now, the total number of students in attendance tripled. Bahadari attributes this remarkable growth to the dedication of the shura.
Stand with Malala: Efforts to Enroll Girls
Malala and her demand for equal access to education gained support worldwide. Though the expulsion of the Taliban lessened the risks, Afghani girls face significant threats when attending school. In 2008, extremists led 283 attacks on schools. Cultural barriers also pose a formidable threat, with many girls facing a reluctance to break from tradition.
Retired teacher Din Mohammad, 60, opposes clinging to the traditional belief that “girls belong at home.” He joined the shura at Nahid Shahid because, in his opinion, “Everything depends on school knowledge and development.” He and the shura led a special effort to enroll girls.
With the large influx of young girls, the school needs more funding to provide quality education. EQUIP, in partnership with the World Bank and ARTF, funds the purchase of computers, desks, library materials, and science laboratory supplies. The infrastructure of the schools also demands attention.
“When I first came, there were no windows, no electricity, and not enough classrooms, but year by year, it’s improving,” reports Principal Bahadari.
Anosha Shabir, 16, appreciates the opportunity to learn and the vast improvements EQUIP provided. She hopes to learn more about computer programming, but without Internet, the teachers cannot complete most lessons. With Internet at home, Anosha researches more about programming. Gulsom Amiry, 18, learns most from the library books and materials. She aspires to become a lawyer.
This growth of enrollment – of boys and girls – helps Afghanistan recover from the economic devastation of war. Anosha and Gulsom lead the reconstruction. As students, these young girls forecast the future of Afghanistan. With their strength and ingenuity, the future of this country looks promising.
– Ellery Spahr
Sources: World Bank, UNICEF
Photo: Asia Foundation