In Uruzgan province, graveyard passes for primary school

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): The students of a primary school are studying in a cemetery due to lack of a proper building in central Uruzgan province.

Mohammadiyah School teachers and students want the government to construct a building for them on priority.

The Education Department says the construction of a building for the school was approved at the beginning of this year, but people did not donate land and the project could be not implemented.

Ghawsuddin, a teacher, told Pajhwok Afghan News the school was located about 25 kilometres from Tirinkot. More than 3,000 families live in this area, where the school was approved last year.

He said more than 400 students, including girls, were currently enrolled in the school. But due to lack of building and place, they were teaching students in a village graveyard.

Naveedullah, a student of the second grade, also said they were attending classes under the open sky in the graveyard.

“All of us — boys and girls — come here in the morning, bring blackboards and mats and take them back home after the end of the classes,” he added.

Bibi Sidiqa, a third-grader, complained they had to study in the cemetery under the open sky. She asked the Education Department to address the problem at the earliest possible.

On the other hand, Education Director Shamsullah Kamran Akhundzada said in the current academic year, they had asked area residents to donate land for the school, but no one came forward.

He said: “An aid agency had promised to cooperate on constructing a building for the school. The project was also approved, but the villagers did not provide suitable land. Thus, the project was not implemented.”

According to Kamran, area people have now donated land for the school. He promised to construct a building for the school in the next academic year.