GHAZNI CITY -  There is no girls’ school operational in 10 districts of southern Ghazni province and as a result thousands of girls are deprived of their right to education.
In most cases, people are not interested in sending their daughters to schools citing traditions, local customs and values but in addition the Taliban have also stopped girls from going to schools.
Regarding girls’ education, Rahmatullah, a resident of Rashidan district, told Pajhwok Afghan News there was no girls school in their district.
He said the wide presence of Taliban was a reason behind no girls education in the district.
He said the Taliban pretended they were not against girls education but in fact they were doing nothing about the education process and often stopped boys from going schools and closed their schools.
Rahmatullah said the residents of Rashidan district wanted to send their girls to schools but the Taliban had stopped them.
He said boys in the Rashidan district were facing problems and lacked books and stationary.
Abdullah, a resident of Andar district, said few years back, girls were enrolled in the Meri High School and people showed huge interest, but later the situation turned bad and the school was closed.
He said the state of girls education in Ghazni was not acceptable and if it remained the same, the number of girls getting education in Ghazni would reduce which would have bad consequences.
Of total 14 district in Ghazni, girls schools have been active in Muqar and Deh Yak districts only and there is no girls school in the remaining districts due to the lack of public interest and Taliban’s presence.
Haji Jan Mohammad, resident of Waghas district in Ghazni, stressed that most people in their areas did not want to send their girls to schools.
“The public mindset is not ready to accept girls education, in most of the areas the Taliban have been causing hurdles to girls education,” he added.
He said the issue was more intense in Pushton-dominated areas and there was need for steps to resolve it.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they had no problem with girls education but due to fighting in most areas, people did not send their daughters to schools.
He alleged no work had been done for promotion of girls education in Ghazni and they had often demanded that education related programs should be extended to remote areas in Ghazni.
He claimed the quota of Ghazni education was being robbed in Kabul and other areas.