Damaged in past wars, 200 schools need reconstruction

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): About 200 schools have been destroyed or partially damaged due to the past conflict in southern Ghazni province and need reconstruction, residents say.
The decades-old conflict not only left many schools in ruins, but also hurt the spirit and mind of children who need a safe learning environment.
Hikmatullah, a tribal elder from Arzo area of Ghazni City, told Pajhwok that about 4,000 students were enrolled in their area’s Ali Lala school.
He recalled the area had been the scene of fierce clashes about five years ago, with schools, seminaries, houses and farm fields sustaining damages.
He added: “The school in our area is riddled with bullet holes and direly needs reconstruction.”
Haji Rassoul, a resident of Qala Qazi area, told Pajhwok that houses, bridges, shops, roads, schools and seminaries had been damaged in their area in the past conflict.
He asked the government to reconstruct the damaged schools as ruined and bullet-holed buildings had a bad impact on students.
Meanwhile, students also insisted their schools should be reconstructed.
Fida Mohammad, a 12th grade student at Ali Lala School, told Pajhwok: “In our area, this is the biggest school. Thousands of students are studying here, but the past wars had destroyed it. The school has no windows and doors.”
Several other residents expressed similar views about the damaged school buildings and urged the government to reconstruct them.
Ghazni Education Director Nasir Ahmad Hussaini told Pajhwok that 200 schools had been damaged in the past conflict in Ghazni City and districts.
He said 50 schools had been extensively damaged and the remaining 150 superficially.
He said UNICEF repaired 10 schools at a cost of 10 million afghanis in the past one year.
Hussaini said he had sent a plan for reconstruction of all damaged schools to the Ministry of Education for approval and other actions.
According to him, most of the damaged schools are located in Mangor, Shahbaz, Qazi Qala, Arzo, Kochi Qala, Bakal, Esfandi, Pirzada and Deh Khodaidad areas of Ghazni City and in some districts such as Zankhan, Andar, Giru., Qarabagh, Ab Band, Muqar, Gilan, Waghaz, Jaghatu, Khwaja Omri and Deh Yek districts.
In Ghazni, there are a total of 752 schools, including private schools, where 400,000 students, including girls, are studying.