“Teacher’s Day” celebrates amid chronic challenges

As Afghanistan celebrates the National Teacher’s Day, a large number of Afghan teachers declared that the current and former leaders of Afghan government have not paid enough attention to teacher’s conditions and ignored their problems.

Complaining over many problems, the Afghan teachers say that the commitments of National Unity Government leaders for the improvement of their living conditions have just remained in their campaigns.

Earlier, President Ashraf Ghani has said that the government is committed to improve the living condition of the teachers and promised to arrange a piece of land and for each teacher and increase their salaries.

Ghani promised to fulfill the commitments in first six months of NUG government, however one year passed since the formation of new government but Afghan teachers have witnessed nothing so far.

The minister of education at the ceremony of National Teacher’s Day has also claimed that based on President’s commitments they have been able to reduce teacher’s problems and increase their salary and distribute a large number of lands.

Abdul Manan, an Afghan teacher said, “Unfortunately, no one pay attention to living conditions of teachers who are the main factors of the country’s development. We witness that the majority of Afghan teachers are below the poverty line.”

While Afghanistan marks the National Teacher’s Day that Afghan teachers face many economic challenges.

Afghan teacher’s main demand is the increase of their salaries. The salaries are among the lowest of civil servants in the country, ranging from 6,500 Afghani (around 110 US dollars) to 13,500 Afghani (around 225 US dollars).

They have to pay rent, utility expenses, education expense of children and other family expense. How can one meet the day’s end in such skyrocketing price hike? Even for that least amount, teachers have to go a long process.

They have to go to national banks for their monthly salary. Many get their salary late, while some are unpaid for months due to financial problems like those living in far flung areas of countryside with no banks nearby.

When facing such huge troubles, financial problems and no respectful profession, teachers too do not teach with an enthusiasm and zeal of a professional teacher.

They take it for the sake of job and a financial support, thus the entire system rolls around this disaster-circle. The Government should pay some serious attention to education sector in general and the plight of teachers in particular.

Afghanistan was expected to increase its spending on education by 15% in real terms between 2013 and 2014, although the share of the education budget as a proportion of government spending was likely to remain below 20%