We admit the role of quality education central to development of every country we aspire to associate with, anyway. It is believed education is one of the elements; entailing dynamic programs of socio-political and economic riches –it can only transform us from underdeveloped state into fully developed state. We have been narrating tales of technological progress, economic gains and educational developments the rest of the world has achieved, bidding to create an inspiration to our fate makers’ so that they could steer the country on an agreeable course of sustainable success.
It is heart wrenching to find education sector meagerly administered and poorly governed –the cry for lack of resources is high, however when substantiated is defrauded. Afghan education sector already suffering of poor management, is struck by sever stroke of fund misappropriation. Education sector is worst hit by meager performance –the allegation of fund embezzlement adds to its complication.
With exception to poor governance and bad administration insecurity is another factor harming education sector. 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.
On the other side the central government and education department show complete negligence in this regard. Afghanistan making education sector’s priority is reflected from its spending on education. At present the spending on education is not enough seeing the magnitude of illiteracy. The remedy is to increase the proportion of public resources going into education. If tax-to-GDP ratio cannot be increased, the state should be willing to divert resources from sectors with lower priority towards education. The donor community has been prepared to help with funds when it is not feared that domestic resources were constrained to allow for an increase in public sector expenditure on education. 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. 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. Regretfully the efforts are mostly exercised to earn the credit for else good deeds instead of owing and following a clear stance. At these very dismal circumstances the government has to turn education sector into one of the well-funded sector, aiming to rid the country out of calamity of illiteracy. The government must work on training, welfare and other facilities of teachers to make it a preferable and a dignified sector. The teachers should only be inducted provided they pass various stages of test and interviews. It is right time the government gets this sector streamlined well nurtured capable to compete with developing counties of the world. 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 to being failed to inspire our politicians. Education is one of the necessities of the humans and, therefore, a prime responsibility and obligation of the states and governments to impose it without any regional or class discrimination. Many states like that of ours, myopically perceive the fate of nation guided by foreign investments or donations which is unarguable fallacy. It is the right time, to realize, education economy can duly carry us along the avenues of long-lasting success. Without giving education first priority we can not keep pace with technological, innovative and scientific advancement the world has attained. The education itself is a proof to the progressiveness and development of the nations. The most developed nations in the worlds have most developed and best education systems while, the underdeveloped, struggling ones and one with the bad economy and global ranks have the bad education systems when compared to the developed ones.