Editorial: Education under attack

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The ongoing conflict is swallowing schools, burning classrooms with a foremost deprivation of schoolchildren from pursuing education which is their basic rights. Sometime, the Taliban militants are entering inside a school firing out of the windows against security forces. In exchanged firing, the school building is partially damage that also causes school closures. Schoolchildren are again in doldrums. The closure is compulsory as its not longer safe. The violence and decades of war, led to widespread damage and destruction to hundreds of schools across the country. As a result of the destruction of vital educational infrastructure, children have faced interruptions in their education and the equality of education has been declined. At same stage, the militants have carried out indiscriminate or deliberate attacks on schools using heavy artillery. They also used schools for military purposes. They too burned schools, including classroom doors, chairs and desks.

On Wednesday, Taliban militants closed 15 girls and boys schools in Pul-i-Alam, the capital of central Logar province. Motivate behind closure is a retaliation by Taliban insurgents to an Afghan forces operation against them in the province. How cruel they are. Failing to cope with iron hand of Afghan security forces the Taliban militant in a very childish act has closed these schools. Very shame on Taliban insurgents, who claims to be adherent of Islam—a Holy Religion that emphasizes on education. With this cruelty they vetoed hundreds of schoolchildren to attend their med-term exams. Furthermore they warned teachers and students of attending classrooms. This is second attack in a week as 39 schools have also been closed by Taliban insurgents in Mohammad Agha district of the same province. Unfortunately, the hostilities have gone too far as 11 people were killed and 10 other wounded after Daesh militants staged a stabbing rampage on the education department in 5th police district of Jalalabad, the provincial capital city of eastern Nangarhar province. Whether its Taliban or Daesh terrorists, both are against education.

In situations of armed conflict and insecurity, deliberate attacks on and threats against learners, academics, teachers and education facilities are both a barrier to the right to education and a serious protection issue. Reason behind such incidents of violence is to disrupt and deter educational provision, putting educators and learners at risk. Noting obstacles and hazard against education, the government stands first to chalk out a comprehensive diagram to secure and protect education lovers and its facilities.