Khost Education Department to Enroll 30,000 New Students in Upcoming Academic Year
The Khost Education Department has announced its full readiness for the upcoming academic year, with plans to enroll nearly 30,000 new students in schools across the province. According to officials, approximately 9,000 of the newly enrolled students will be girls.
Currently, over 200,000 students are attending schools in Khost, including 43,000 girls below the sixth grade. The statistics indicate that girls’ attendance is higher in the lower grades—a trend seen nationwide, where girls beyond sixth grade face educational restrictions, drawing widespread criticism.
Officials from the Khost Education Department confirmed that out of 370 schools in the province, 119 lack proper buildings. They stated that if funding is secured, efforts will be made to fully resolve the shortage of school buildings in the coming year.
Hafiz-ur-Rahman Haqqani, Deputy Director of Academic Affairs at the Khost Education Department, said that 119 schools had remained without buildings for years. He added that since the Taliban took control, buildings have been constructed for six schools. He noted that building construction for other schools depends on budget approval.
In addition to regular schools, Khost hosts 341 religious schools, where nearly 63,000 students receive religious education, including 7,600 girls.
Residents of Khost are calling on responsible authorities to provide quality education. They believe that without serious attention to the shortage of buildings, textbooks, and teaching staff, improving the education sector in the province will remain a challenge.
