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Wardak puts at 10m number of illiterates
KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan's education minister on Tuesday put at 10 million the number of illiterate people, while five million children are unable to go to schools due to security problems.
Ghulam Farooq Wardak told a gathering marking national literacy day in Kabul that there had been a lot of achievements in the area of education with the assistances pledged by the international of community over the past nine years.
He said the literacy rate had increased to 26 percent, with 12 percent among women.
Wardak added the literacy rate would be increased to 45 percent under a five-year plan.
Under the plan, he elaborated, one million people would be provided access to education each year, hoping the literacy rate would be increased to 75 percent over next 10 years.
Conducting 40,000 literacy courses were part of the plan, said the minister, who urged ulema and prayer leaders to persuade people on education.
In his speech, President Hamid Karzai said their kids could not go to schools for fear of the explosions, suicide bombs and bombardments, referring to Taliban attacks and NATO air strikes against insurgents.
He said he wanted his own son to go to school in Kabul and wanted him not to become a foreigner. "I want Mirwais to grow up here, become a doctor here," Karzai said, referring to his three-year-old son.
Karl Eikenberry, the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, was also present on the occasion.
He said the United States had assisted Afghanistan's education sector with $48 million so far since 2003. He pledged continued assistance to the country in the field of education.
However, a number of teachers present on the occasion expressed dissatisfaction with the works of the education ministry.
Abdul Naseer, a teacher at the Sayed Yousef Elmi School, said for the improvement in education, addressing economic constrains being faced by teachers was essential.
"Teachers are being neglected," he said, adding if part of salaries being provided to consultants had been given to teachers, it would have a great effect on education scenario.
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KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan's education minister on Tuesday put at 10 million the number of illiterate people, while five million children are unable to go to schools due to security problems.
Ghulam Farooq Wardak told a gathering marking national literacy day in Kabul that there had been a lot of achievements in the area of education with the assistances pledged by the international of community over the past nine years.
He said the literacy rate had increased to 26 percent, with 12 percent among women.
Wardak added the literacy rate would be increased to 45 percent under a five-year plan.
Under the plan, he elaborated, one million people would be provided access to education each year, hoping the literacy rate would be increased to 75 percent over next 10 years.
Conducting 40,000 literacy courses were part of the plan, said the minister, who urged ulema and prayer leaders to persuade people on education.
In his speech, President Hamid Karzai said their kids could not go to schools for fear of the explosions, suicide bombs and bombardments, referring to Taliban attacks and NATO air strikes against insurgents.
He said he wanted his own son to go to school in Kabul and wanted him not to become a foreigner. "I want Mirwais to grow up here, become a doctor here," Karzai said, referring to his three-year-old son.
Karl Eikenberry, the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, was also present on the occasion.
He said the United States had assisted Afghanistan's education sector with $48 million so far since 2003. He pledged continued assistance to the country in the field of education.
However, a number of teachers present on the occasion expressed dissatisfaction with the works of the education ministry.
Abdul Naseer, a teacher at the Sayed Yousef Elmi School, said for the improvement in education, addressing economic constrains being faced by teachers was essential.
"Teachers are being neglected," he said, adding if part of salaries being provided to consultants had been given to teachers, it would have a great effect on education scenario.
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