Provincial education, Zharay district officials distribute schoolbags, talk importance of education

ZHARAY DISTRICT, AFGHANISTAN

09.07.2011

Courtesy Story

3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

ZHARAY DISTRICT, Afghanistan – Officials from the Kandahar provincial ministry of education joined with the Zharay district governor and other district officials, Sept. 6, to kick off a tour of four schools in eastern Zharay district, and distributed school supplies and backpacks to Afghan children during the first day of school throughout Afghanistan.

Abdul Basir Agha, deputy director of education for the Kandahar ministry of education, Mohammad Ewoz Nazari, deputy administrative director, and Mohammed Shah Khan, director of plans and communications for the Kandahar MoE, traveled with Niaz Sarhadi, the Zharay district governor, and his education official to three schools and broke ground on a fourth.

Starting at the Now Ruzzi school in eastern Zharay district, the senior government officials formally declared the start of the school year to a small crowd of Afghan children and their teachers. Now Ruzzi is located in southeastern Zharay district near the Bagh-E-Pol bridge.

Once the officials handed out school supplies and backpacks to the children, they then traveled to the Bagh-E-Pol school and hosted an outdoor press conference for Afghan media in attendance. Sarhadi, a former school teacher himself, spoke about the value of education to a child’s life and how education is the future of Afghanistan. In the audience were long rows of desks where the schoolchildren, both boys and girls, were sitting anxiously awaiting the gift of a new backpack.

From Bagh-E-Pol, the group moved to Pir Mohammad School, near Senjaray, and met briefly in a classroom to discuss plans for school openings throughout Kandahar province. Then before leaving, they handed out bags of packed schoolbags and supplies to the children.

Finally, the officials traveled west to Kandalay, where they participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the temporary school being opened. A throng of excited children played on playground equipment nearby and had an opportunity to each cut their own section of ribbon during the ceremony.

This year in Zharay district, Afghan government officials are planning to open 14 schools throughout the area, versus two that were opened this time last year. Government and education officials attributed the increase in school openings to effective security throughout the region and encouraged the local children to continue going to school.

• Date Taken: 09.07.2011
• Date Posted: 09.09.2011 00:56
• Story ID: 76709
• Location: ZHARAY DISTRICT, AF