Kandahar authorities have started the construction of 20 new school buildings in the southern Afghan province.

According to officials, these schools will be built with the financial assistance of the UN agency for children, UNICEF, at a cost of 178 million afghanis ($2.7 million).

With the completion of the construction of these schools, education will be provided for 2,000 children.

“About 20 new schools will be built in 11 districts of Kandahar. These schools will have the capacity to hold 2,000 students and will be built in six months,” said Ikram Shah Asim, deputy director of education in Kandahar.

Meanwhile, Abdulsalam Baryaal, director of Kandahar's economy, said: "All the necessities of these schools, such as six classrooms, surrounding walls, solar power system, ablution places and administrative rooms have been considered."

Local residents have welcomed the project in the province and called for more development initiatives.

Ata Mohammad, a resident of Kandahar, says: "Currently, children are roaming around and disturbing us. We are happy that children will study and learn to read and write from now on."

In the past, school buildings could not be built in many of Kandahar districts due to war and insecurity. Students used to study in the open air or in mosques.

Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai on Monday posted a recent speech of his to X stating that education and knowledge is vital for society and has resulted in the progress and development we see in the world today.

Addressing last month’s 38th International Islamic Unity Conference via video link, Karzai said: “Education and knowledge, beyond being considered vital for human society, are emphasized by our religion and religious leaders.

“Undoubtedly, the progress and development we see in the world today are the results of education and knowledge. Neglecting education is a clear sign of ignorance about the complexities of modern humans and their necessities,” he said.

He went on to state that “our expectation is that through Islamic cooperation, greater attention will be paid to the necessity of education and we should agree that without modern sciences, we will not be able to solve basic problems in various areas of life.”

Karzai, who is a proponent of education, has repeatedly called for girls and women to be allowed to return to school and university in Afghanistan.

The 38th Islamic Unity Conference was held in Tehran last month.

Qatar and Indonesia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that provides Afghan students scholarships to study in Indonesia. 

Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater signed the MoU with Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi.

According to a statement issued by the Qatari Foreign Ministry, the MoU aims to establish a cooperation framework to build human capacities of the Afghan people by providing scholarships to study in the Republic of Indonesia.

The scholarship program is part of the two countries' broader shared vision and mission to support education and development projects in Afghanistan locally and globally, with a particular focus on creating opportunities that empower Afghan youth to build a brighter and more prosperous future in their country, Al Khater said. 

She also affirmed Doha's unwavering support for Afghanistan and spoke about Qatar’s $75 million pledge to support the country.

Al Khater said the MoU would boost the Qatar-Indonesia mutual commitment to establish a framework of cooperation to help build human capacities of the Afghan people by providing scholarships for Afghan students to study in Indonesia.

She also said Qatar would continue to provide humanitarian and development assistance to the Afghan people, in partnership with Indonesia and other countries in the fields of health, food security and capacity building.

Indonesia’s minister of foreign affairs, Marsudi in turn said that the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan underscores the urgent need for education, especially for Afghan women and girls.

She pointed out that currently there are more than 20 Afghan students benefiting from scholarships in Indonesia and that the signing of the MoU will enable more Afghan students to pursue higher education at Indonesian universities.

She also pointed out that Indonesia provided this year 10 million polio vaccine doses and humanitarian aid to the Afghan people affected by natural disasters, in addition to its cooperation with a local non-governmental organization to organize a psychosocial project that includes 400 Afghan women, providing them with the opportunity to participate in social life and enabling them to overcome their challenges.

Affirming her belief in the importance of creating a favorable environment for Afghan women and providing further job opportunities, Marsudi highlighted her country's readiness to help develop a business model for Islamic microfinance that is appropriate for Afghanistan.