A 12th school for remote rural communities

When we first visited the village of Dou Aab in 2016, we were struck by the learning conditions of the students and the extreme deprivation of the area. Dou Aab School, a primary school for children up to 9th grade, girls and boys ages 7-16, had no solid building. Classes were held in the open air, sometimes under torn tents, and could not be held in bad weather. The students were mostly sitting on the ground, under the sun or sometimes in the snow, as is often the case in the projects for which Nai Qala is committed. Not surprisingly, these poor conditions made it very difficult to complete the annual school program and resulted in a high dropout rate. 

Although, since our first visit to the village, an organization has provided temporary plastic structures, the teachers’ lack of motivation and the parents’ disinterest in education unfortunately remains a reality. The absence of a proper building is interpreted by the population as an abandonment by the state and the international community, leading them to seek economic opportunities outside the village. 

In its mission to provide dignified learning conditions for children in the disadvantaged rural areas of central Afghanistan, Nai Qala Association embarked on the construction of its 12th school building. The Association ensured the selection of the land for the future construction in consultation with the village council of elders, the transfer of ownership, the tendering of the construction to local companies and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education ensuring the inclusion of the school in its portfolio. 

Construction began in May 2022 and, with good weather, was completed in October 2022. The building’s walls are constructed with stones from the surrounding mountains; the sand and gravel used for the masonry comes from nearby rivers. The construction company hired men from the village, providing dozens of families with a welcome income in a region where economic opportunities are scarce.

Located at the foot of the mountain, the building is visible from afar: it is a school with 6 classrooms, 1 room for the teachers, 1 multi-purpose room serving as a library and computer room, all equipped with the necessary furniture. The building is completed by a sanitary block with access to running water, an outdoor sports field for volleyball, and a perimeter wall.

A joyful ceremony involving the school children, villagers and local authorities concluded the project. The young pupils from 5 classes of the Nai Qala pre-school program joined the celebration and got to know the school that will welcome them in the spring. The inauguration of the new building was the occasion to officially hand over the keys of the school to the principal and the community to the delight of the 540 current beneficiaries and the future generations of schoolchildren of Dou Aab.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Community based education (CBE) enables school-age children to get an education, even when schools are difficult to reach.

Millions of children are out of school in Afghanistan; many live in hard-to-reach areas where there are no formal schools, or where the nearest school is not within walking distance. Completing primary school is a challenge, especially in rural areas and for girls, despite some recent progress in raising enrolment. Shortage of schools and absence of transportation are the main obstacles to education. Geographical barriers, especially in mountainous areas, make it hard for children to reach the classroom: a long walk to school means fewer children go.

For children of primary school age, grades 1-6 from remote areas the Ministry of Education has established alternative teaching in community buildings or private homes, with a teacher from the local community. Community education has a long history in Afghanistan, dating back to the government-supported ‘village schools’ of the 1970s, when villages were too scattered, or the population was below the threshold for primary schooling. Today, although most of these community classes are supported by NGOs, the Ministry of Education is committed to supporting such non-formal education and officially recognizes community classes as an outreach provision within the national education system.

In Afghanistan, CBE has proved to be a successful approach to reach out-of-school children, particularly girls.

Education with a minimal and flexible infrastructure

Villagers provide a classroom space, a large room in a private house, a community building, or a mosque, and nominate potential teachers from the community. Aid organizations train the teachers, pay their salaries, and provide government-approved textbooks and stationery. The government integrates the community classes into the wider education system and certifies the teachers. Each community-based center serves the village in which it is located; community-based education is spread over several sites, making attendance more convenient for children living in remote areas.

Such community-based programs are quick and relatively cheap to set up: no need for complex infrastructure, teachers belong to the community. When accessing primary school is a challenge, children have a chance to get basic education and an opportunity to join formal schools when they are older and safe enough to walk. CBE gives communities an opportunity to develop a sense of ownership. Parents are strong partners, they can visit classes regularly, checking attendance and observing lessons.  

Nai Qala Association closes education gaps in remote communities

Through the implementation of school constructions and the  running of preschool programs in underserved areas of mountainous regions of central Afghanistan,  Nai Qala Association was able to observe the lack of formal school facilities and the high proportion of out-of-school children. When monitoring the preschool program in place, Nai Qala Association’s staff discovered that in some villages children were simply not enrolled in primary school. Indeed, distances to schools can be long and prevent the youngest children and/or girls to attend a formal class. As children grow older and might be physically able to join a school, they are then too old to be enrolled in the formal education system.

Nai Qala Association’s vision is to provide a complete package of education in remote rural regions, from pre-primary age up to access to higher education with a preschool program, construction of school buildings, and tutoring classes. Since September 2022, in order to fill in the gaps, the Association has been piloting a CBE project in 10 villages as a follow up to its preschool program,. The classes are located in the provinces of Bamyan, Daikundi and Ghazni, in remote villages where the association runs a preschool, to ensure that all children realize their right to education.

After hiring teachers who have the required qualifying criteria set by the government, Nai Qala Association has provided training for 8 women and 2 men, with the support of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). After the training, the teachers returned to their villages and oversee about 30 children, aged 7 to 8 (sometimes up to 13) for an intense school year. Nai Qala, with the in kind support of AKDN, has provided each community with a black board, carpet, stationery, note- and textbooks so that everyone is equipped to follow the class. Additionally, Nai Qala employees ensure a follow up with each class, making good use of the preschool team in place.

A first monitoring visit in the province of Ghazni has confirmed that the need for these classes is huge. Indeed, on the day the project started over 80 girls were waiting to be enrolled but as the organization’s capacities are limited to 35 pupils, more than 45 girls were left crying, disappointed and with a feeling of exclusion, and with fathers also expressing their sadness. These remote villages never benefited from external support; education for girls is missing; child and mother mortality is high…

Community based education opens horizons, hearts, and minds to learning under the most challenging conditions. This year, over 300 children are benefiting from Nai Qala Association’s community-based education project.