Pamir residents call for establishment of boarding school in Badakhshan

Residents of Pamir in northeastern Badakhshan province have called on authorities to establish a standard high school with boarding facilities to improve access to education for children in the remote region.

Local residents said that while several development and infrastructure projects have been implemented in Pamir in recent years, the lack of a well-equipped boarding school remains one of their main concerns.

They said long distances between villages, difficult mountainous roads and rising water levels in local lakes have made it difficult for many children to attend school regularly.

Residents of Wakhan’s Pamir-e-Kochak area said some communities are located several hours away from existing schools, with students often required to travel long distances by horse due to challenging terrain.

A 12-year-old child from the region said he dreams of attending school but cannot continue his education because of the distance and transportation challenges.

Community elders said Pamir-e-Kochak currently has eight local councils, while the three existing middle schools face shortages of facilities and teachers, making it difficult to provide quality education for students at different levels.

Mullah Abdul Haq, the district governor of the newly established Pamir district, said establishing a boarding school for high school students is one of the key demands of local residents.

He added that the issue has been shared several times with the Badakhshan Education Directorate. He said he hoped that the request would be addressed in the coming year.

Residents say a boarding school would help hundreds of children from remote areas continue their education and gain better learning opportunities.