KABUL (Tolo News): The Afghan Ministry of Education said that it is seeking new plans to help students pursue their education regularly online or through audiovisual media since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Acting Minister of Education Mirwais Balkhi said that in areas where the people do not have access to the internet or television, specific teachers will be hired to teach the students in small gatherings and while applying social distancing, hygiene and health guidelines.
“In areas where we do not have access to internet and electricity, the leadership of the ministry has decided to undertake teachings through small gatherings and by applying all health guidelines,” said acting Minister of Education Mirwais Balkhi. Based on the plan, the school curriculum will be separated into social and science portions which will help the students pursue their science subjects through the television or internet. But social subjects will be pursued by the students themselves.
“If the quarantine continues 15 days after the midterm exam, in that case, all students will be assessed at schools, then the scores will be added to the students’ results sheets,” added Balkhi. Midterm exams are normally held in Afghanistan in July.
However, people say that online teachings in Afghanistan are not applicable in view of the problem and the economic challenges they faced because of COVID-19. “I don’t think that online teaching is applicable in our country because we have a lot of challenges in Afghanistan, some of our fellow citizens do not even have the money to feed their stomach,” said Zubair Ahmad, a resident in Kabul.
“In the view of the problems in our country in Afghanistan, and in the view of coronavirus, which has affected the economies of the people, it is difficult for students to pursue their lessons through the internet,” said Farzam, a resident in Kabul. There are about 9 million students enrolled at schools in Afghanistan. But the COVID-19 Pandemic has deprived them of proper learning.
