Radio discussion on education situation of children in Balkh province, Afghanistan (10 September 2013)

The radio discussion was held to enhance the awareness of people on children education status in Balkh Province and to influence decision making bodies on provision of quality access to education. It was aired on September 10, 16 and 23 and repeated next days of each in the Dehdadid and Kholm districts of Balkh Province including Mazar-e Sharif city.

Summary: The main discussion points were: a. How is the education situation especially the situation of girls’ access to education in your area? b. How many schools exist for girls in this area? c. What are the challenges and obstacles over the way of girl’s access to education? d. What facilities the government provided for girls’ education? The interviewees believe the situation of education especially situation of girls education is good and there is no briars against their education, but they stated that lack of books for high school students still exists but it was being distributed at the time of interview (in the middle of year). They said there are enough schools for girls to attend but most of them have no buildings so that they have arranged the schools as two shifts one for boys and the other for girls. And they said that the obstacles on the way of girls to go school are; unwanted traditions among the community, low economy and low awareness. They added that there is no special facility for girls’ education in the area but the government tries to reach any expanded village or migration camps to pave the way for all children’s education and the government could make some trust building among the people to send their girls to school and it has been providing literacy courses for girls. At the end, the representatives of the youth groups request the government to kindly pay attention on the situation of education such as shortages of book, well-established classes, laboratories, expert teachers and meritocracy and draw government’s attention on misusing of the budgets.

Participants: • Mohammad Ayob Hamkar Manager of Urban Education Department of Mazar-e Sharif • Amanullah Khanzadah Member of Monitoring Team of the Kholm District Education Department • Shuaib Rahmani Head of Education Department of Dehdadi District, • Shkeba Hamidi, Member of District youth group, Mazar-e Sharif, • Abdul Maten Bahen Member of District youth group, Kholm District • Sayed Jafar Husaini Member of District youth group Dehdadi District