Afghans express concerns over deprivation of children from education for security reasons

KABUL, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Many Afghan parents are concerned about the deprivation of their CHILDREN from education and lack of access to School, as the new educational year formally started in the conflict-riddled country on Saturday.

"To be frank I cannot send my CHILDREN to School because of the increasing security incidents and lack of access to an adequate School in a safe and secure area," Hamish Gul, 47, told Xinhua on Sunday.

Gul is living in Dand-e-Ghori area, a de facto fiefdom of the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province, where militants and government forces often fight to consolidate positions.

The Afghan Ministry of Education formally inaugurated the new curriculum year on Saturday amid increasing security incidents and spiraling conflict between government forces and the Taliban outfit.

Speaking with local broadcaster Tolo News TV, Education Minister Mirwais Balkhi said the government started construction of 6,000 School buildings last year to overcome shortage of School in the country.

According to the minister, about 1 million new comers will attend School in the new educational year commenced on Saturday.

According to local media, about 1,300 Schools mostly in the militancy-plagued provinces where armed militants are active have remained closed and thus thousands of CHILDREN have been deprived of education.

However, the minister said some 500 Schools had been reopened and efforts are underway to reopen more Schools in future.

More than 9.5 million Afghan CHILDREN with around 40 percent of girls attend about 18,000 Schools across the country while over 3.7 million School-age CHILDREN have no access to education due to poverty, conflicts and insurgency, according to education officials.

"No one can guarantee what may happen today or tomorrow. Might be a suicide bomber or an airstrike against a School or education center that claims some lives including School CHILDREN," another man called Hajji Gul Baz told Xinhua.

"Living in good health is better than having education in a worrying way," Baz said.

He also referred to the deadly suicide bombing in southern Helmand province that claimed three lives and left 23 people injured, mostly educated and provincial government employees on Saturday.

Airstrikes in northern Kunduz province on Friday night left several militants and one dozen civilians dead while more than 90 militants and 10 security forces lost lives in clashes in Kunduz within the past four days.