KABUL (Khaama Press): Students and teachers in Afghanistan are commemorating World Teachers’ Day for the second consecutive year while the doors of schools and universities remain closed to girls. October 5th marks World Teachers’ Day.
This day is celebrated worldwide yearly, but gender-based discrimination in Afghanistan has also affected the teaching profession. Although there are no exact statistics on the number of unemployed female teachers, before the rise of the Taliban administration, approximately 78% of school teachers in Kabul were women.
According to informed sources, this number has significantly decreased, almost to zero, in Kabul and other cities. Vahideh Azim, a teacher in one of Kabul’s schools, says she is a teacher and a mother. She agonizes over overseeing her daughters and other students deprived of education.
According to Ms Azim, half of society consists of women, and if girls are denied education, society will “never progress.” She has been teaching for 30 years and adds, “I am happy that I am a teacher and can serve society, people, and the country through this.” Ms Azim, who also heads her family, says making ends meet with this income is challenging and calls on the government to pay attention to their economic situation.
Marwa, a student, says that if schools were open, she would be on the verge of completing the twelfth grade. She mentions that World Teachers’ Day was celebrated enthusiastically in past years, and students were very prepared to celebrate this day.
At 17 years old, she adds that the celebration of World Teachers’ Day has been significantly different in the past two years due to the closure of schools for girls. It was celebrated with special programs and appreciation for teachers in the past, but now, none of that remains.
Marwa reminisces about the celebrations three years ago, saying, “Every street was filled with female students dressed nicely, carrying gifts and various treats. Teachers also came to class with happy faces, and we celebrated this day by singing songs.” She is deeply concerned that she cannot attend school this year and celebrate World Teachers’ Day, and she says, “My heart aches for the teachers and those days.” One of the teachers in Kabul province, who did not want his name mentioned, says he has been teaching for 38 years in one of Kabul’s schools, and now, the difficult economic situation has made life hard for him.
According to him, the situation in schools has changed compared to the past, and the number of teachers has decreased due to migration to countries like Pakistan. He adds that female students are very disappointed about the closure of school gates. Some have come to his home and asked when schools will reopen for girls.
This teacher emphasizes the psychological impact of closed school gates on girls and says, “One of the female students had a nervous breakdown due to the immense pressure.” He also complains about economic problems, saying that the cost of rent and supporting his family has made life difficult. It is worth noting that on World Teachers’ Day, no female teachers were present at the ceremony held in Kabul’s Amani High School, despite the presence of government officials and educational authorities. Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy of the Prime Minister’s office in the Taliban administration, highlighted the meagre income of teachers in this ceremony and stressed that the current government cannot change their living conditions.
