Shahida Zaher (29) Principle at Charbagh-E-Safa Girls High School in Jalalabad which has 3,368 students.
She said, ‘Education and learning are very important in Afghanistan. Students can solve their problems by education. Education is message of peace. When Afghans graduate from school, they can improve security in Afghanistan. There is fighting in Afghanistan for 25 years. When they get education, fighting will finish in Afghanistan. ‘
(Full Video interview and transcript available. (See Word document Pro Res 422 AIFF 17-03.doc)
Thirty years of chronic instability and conflict, and the almost complete lack of educational opportunities for children under the Taliban, have had a dramatic impact on childrenâs education and well-being in Afghanistan. There are now 2.4 million Afghan girls enrolled in school, compared to just 5,000 in 2001. While the numbers are encouraging, Afghan girls still face many barriers to receiving an education. The quality of education is highly variable, school conditions are often poor and nearly half a million girls who are enrolled do not regularly attend school. With support from Act for Peace, CWS â P/A aims to increase and strengthen girlsâ participation and their retention in education, and improve the quality of teaching and learning in primary schools in the Qarghayi district in Laghman province and Surkhrood district in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.