On one of my first trips “beyond the wire” here in Afghanistan I went into the Zhari and Panjway districts of Kandahar province. At one of our strong points, six young Afghan boys approached the concertina wire to speak with the soldiers. Through a series of gestures, I finally understood what they wanted—not candy, toys, or money, but rather pens and paper. As I searched through my pockets and ripped my combat note pad up, I learned a lesson—don’t leave Kandahar Air Field (KAF) without extra pens and papers.A public school system was enshrined in the Afghan constitution of 1964. Thirty years of war and conflict however interrupted the focus and resources for education and meant a generation of Afghanis has grown up without formal education. As the Government of Afghanistan rebuilds the education system from scratch, sending children to school is still a life and death risk for children, parents, and especially for teachers. Ironically, the root word of Taliban is “talib” which means learner or student. The insurgents’ war on the education system is in essence a war on the tools for critical thinking and broader knowledge. It is an attempt to prove to the civilian population the government cannot protect them. The Taliban’s perception is the current education system in the country, and especially the education of girls, is “un-Islamic”.
My heart has been captured by the Afghan community in the Kandahar Airfield base. Here, the families of the Afghan National Army (ANA) live, while their men are being trained by NATO forces to secure their country from the insurgence. In old apartment blocks, which are remnants of the Soviet Occupation, a school flourishes with 600 students (male and female), and a staff of 19 teachers. Chalk boards are still the norm as there are few other teaching tools or supplies, but there is no doubt of the passion the principal has for obtaining resources. I have listened to his hopes and fears. He speaks of educating children not so they may have a good job with upward mobility, a generous salary, or great benefits. He says with his gentle constrained passion, that unless their children can become doctors, lawyers, teachers, mechanic, and technicians Afghanistan will never have a future and will be plunged into the dark ages.
In 2008 more Afghans now attend school and receive education than at any other point in its history. Yet, there is still so far to go when so many more are illiterate. In this country, the journey of a thousand miles really begins with the first step. Driving through this country I have seen more graveyards than I have ever seen in my life. Painted white stones piled on bodies, which lay on hard, hard ground. Colored flags hang on tattered bamboo poles. When I asked our interpreter what the flags meant he said they marked the graves of those who were “shaheed” martyrs or witnesses who have died for their faith. I wonder how many of those graves are the graves of teachers.
Rev. Jim Short is Team Leader for the Roto 5 Chaplains for the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan