Afghanistan opens 300 community schools 

UNICEF-backed education program brings primary schooling to thousands, with plans to expand further

KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV)  — Authorities in northern Afghanistan have launched 300 community-based classrooms to provide primary education to out-of-school children in Jawzjan province, with further expansion planned in the coming months.

The initiative, led by the provincial Department of Education with financial support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), aims to offer grade one to six education for children who have had little or no access to formal schooling, Pajhwok Afghan News reports.

Mohammad Khalid Stanakzai, head of the non-governmental organization “Cooperation with Humanity for Afghanistan” in Jawzjan, said that the classrooms have been established in both Sheberghan, the provincial capital, and outlying districts.

Each class is equipped with full teaching resources, and educational kits — including school bags and stationery — have already been distributed to 10,000 students, Stanakzai said.

The move comes as many families in Jawzjan, including returnees and internally displaced people, continue to struggle with limited access to basic education infrastructure, particularly in remote rural areas.

“We ask the government and aid organizations to establish these classes in more remote villages so that our children are not deprived of education,” said Hazratuddin, a local resident.

Karimullah, a returnee who recently came back from Iran, echoed that call: “We lived in uncertainty for years. Now that we have returned, we want our children to study. These classes should be available for all children who are deprived of education.”

Responding to growing public demand, Stanakzai said his organization plans to set up an additional 250 classrooms in the province in the near future to expand access to education for underserved communities.