Education plays the most significant role in political and socio-economic development of a society. It is believed that educated and skilled human capital stands central to multifaceted advancement and enhancement of masses of any geographical terrain. Despite the facts no short and long term education policies complementary to societal needs are yet formulated. Till date, no law is formulated that reckon illiteracy, a punishable crime. No public campaign is undertaken on mass media that enlightens the profound worth of education.
The eagerness and earnestness of government to envision a well educated and well groomed generation ahead, is not thought of. The meager allocation of funds, lack of trained professional staffs, insecurity, flawed cultural barriers, escalating poverty, wide spread prejudices about modern education are the hindrances on the path to universalizing education in our beloved country.
Though some improvements are made in education sector –in the quality of education and staff capacity, yet three million children that constitute 24 percent of children remained out of school across the country, according to Education Minister Ghulam Farooq Wardak which reflects the inefficient and unsatisfactory performance laid by Education ministry.
Previously, President Hamid Karzai ushered in the new school year with the ringing of the first bell and a speech calling on the Taliban to abandon the practice of targeting schools for political ends. These efforts are not very useful and shall not inflict any influence on Taliban’s outlook relative to modern education. The modern education system the country pursues, contradicts with Taliban’s choice for the system of education.
They prefer the obsolete Madhrasa system where youngsters are encouraged to learn and memorize contents that are from some unknown syllabus. They consider that the worldly accepted universal education system delinks and alienates Muslims from their religion (the religion they interpret). The insurgents can’t give up the undertakings that lead them to fulfillment of their biased ideology.
The government must enact laws that extend strict punishment –if anybody dares to blow the educational institutes (i.e. sacred place) and impose ban on girls’ education by mitigating fallacious religio-cultural norms. Those elements who are involved in provoking and promoting violence, aimed to disband educational activities must not be spared from the reach of law.
According to statistics from the Persian year 1391 (22 March 2012 to 21 March 2013), more than 3 million children were stopped from going to school because of the violence and there are still more than 450 schools closed in nine provinces of Afghanistan.
Violence has been the dominant factor in declining the illiteracy graph in many parts of the country with exclusion to government’s triviality, depicted from the little investment made in this very immediate sector.