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By Capt. Christine Rosalin, 117th MPAD
FORWARD OPERATING BASE LAGMAN, Afghanistan – After years of advocating for educational growth in Zabul, a key milestone was reached when a first block was laid by joint partners of the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and International Security Assistance Force at the Regional Teachers’ Training College Cornerstone Laying Ceremony Oct. 17, 2012, Qalat City, Zabul province, Afghanistan.
“Today was one of the nicest days in my life, because we have put the foundation stones of one of the education institutions, which is the Zabul Teachers’ Training College, which will generate more human capacity, not only to Zabul but also to the people of the region,” said Gov. Mohammad Ashraf Naseri, Zabul province.
The RTTC, once completed, will graduate between 250 and 400 professionally-qualified teachers every two years, drastically reducing the professional native Pashtun teacher shortage in the region.
"My vision is to see Zabul free of insurgencies … to provide higher education to the young generation of Zabul and focus more on the women participation and the whole aspects of life of the people of Zabul,” said Naseri.
Naseri’s focus on a larger role and more opportunities for women starts with education. Zabul’s overall literacy rate is about 11.7 percent, however, Zabul’s female literacy rate is about 1.3 percent.
In efforts to boost the female literacy average, the student body of the training college will be equally made up of females and males with a total of 250 students. The school requires at least 10 instructors, which will be comprised equally of five males and five females.
In addition to boosting the region’s literacy rate and women participation, the training curriculum will benefit current and future teachers. The academic curriculum will consist of two programs: one for continuing skills education of current and active teachers and the other for new teacher training for those who want to become professional teachers.
Besides growing the teaching community, this college is expected to benefit many by allowing Afghans to pursue higher education and enter into professions that have previously been unattainable.
“Education is the top priority for the governor of Zabul Province and the reason is to build human capacity, not only for government officials, but for teachers, business people, doctors, engineers, basically every sector across the government,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Marc Sheie, Zabul’s Provincial Reconstruction Team commander. “And this is the start, by growing their own teachers, not only for Zabul but for the whole southwest region.”
Local members of this region can expect the training college to open next summer when the $1.7 million project is completed.
Sheie said, “Education is really going to be essentially the cornerstone of … the governor’s strategy to get past the insurgent propaganda and to help convince and demonstrate to the people what education means to their success and how that will really make a difference in their lives.”
| Date Taken: | 10.17.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 10.28.2012 15:56 |
| Story ID: | 96877 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE LAGMAN, AF |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Building education for a better Afghanistan, one stone at a time, by MAJ Christine Rosalin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
