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AFGHANISTAN / 1000 CLASSROOMS PROJECT
STORY: AFGHANISTAN / 1000 CLASSROOMS PROJECT
TRT: 4.05
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: DARI/ NATS
DATELINE: 3 JUNE 2013, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
1. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Aminullah Qazizada, member of school council:
“During the civil war, buildings were completely destroyed. It looked like a battlefield.”
2. Pan right, destroyed houses
3. SOUNDBITE Halima, Teacher:
“We used to teach in the old classes with a lot of difficulties. Also, there were no provisions for practical work, theoretical lessons weren’t taught properly as well. “
4. Pan right from tents to storage
5. Med shot, of students studying in the tents
6. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Student:
“We used to study in a tent and sometimes because of the heat or rain, we couldn’t pursue our studies properly.”
7. Med shot, student writing on the black board
8. Med shot, students studying in the tent
9. Wide shot, students studying under a tree
10. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Ahmadullah Qazizada, member of school council:
“I seriously believe that boys and girls should study. We witnessed what happened in Afghanistan. It was all due to the lack of knowledge that we faced a lot of political, cultural and social turmoil.”
11. Various shots, students walking to school
12. Wide shot, students studying in the class
13. SOUNDBITE Sadia Bromand, student:
“I am Sadia Bromand, one of the students of 11th grade of Rabia Balkhi High School. It has been three years since I am studying here.”
14. Tilt up from book to student
15. Various shots, students and teacher in school yard
16. SOUNDBITE Hadisa, Principal, Rabia Balkhi High School:
“For teachers and students, the past few years have been very interesting. All the problems of students have been resolved. Our school was built by the Ministry of Education with the support of Japanese Government and UNICEF and our Minister personally came and inaugurated this school.”
30. Wide shot students coming to the class
32. Various shots, ringing school bell
33. Close up of the a students in the class
34. SOUNDBITE Sadia Bromand, student:
“There have been a lot of changes, now there are more classes and we have more facilities for example we have separate departments for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math. Also we have very well equipped laboratories that have been built for us where we can study properly. “
35. Wide shot, laboratory material
36. Various shots, students in the class
37. Close up, teacher working on laboratory material
38. Close up, students
39. Med shot, teacher talking
40. Medium shot, woman
41. Close up, ring
42. Med shot, students playing
43. Wide shot, students sitting on the grass
44. SOUNDBITE Student:
“During the break I go and enjoy playing in the swing.”
45. Various shots, students playing
48. SOUNDBITE Sadia Bromand, student:
“Our school has a very peaceful environment. We enjoy studying. Every morning we assemble and our principal talks to us about important issues. Students demonstrate their skills and abilities here. Our teachers come on time and teach.”
49. Close up, student
50. Various shots, student in school
54. SOUNDBITE Student:
“It is really great now. We have separate bathrooms for girls and boys. “
55. Close up, teachers
56. Wide shot, students
57. Close up, students working on computer
58. Wide shot, library
59. Wide shot, students studying in the library
60. Various shots, students studying
61. SOUNDBITE Sadia Bromand, student:
“I am an athlete and I like to play basketball a lot. I am the captain of the basketball team and I love sports. There are nearly thirty five girls who train every day.”
62. Wide shot, girls playing basketball
63. SOUNDBITE Hadisa, Principal, Rabia Balkhi High School:
“When other students witnessed the quality of education in this new school and the facilities that are provided, they applied for being enrolled in this school and that is why today we have more and more students.”
64. Wide shot, students washing their hands
65. Wide shot, students
66. Close up, government mark
67. Med shot of a man talking
68. Wide shot, teachers
69. Med shot, man talking
70. Med shot, man listening
71. Med shot, teachers in school
72. Med shot, man talking
73. Med shot, student talking
74. Wide shot, students playing
75. Med shot, student playing
76. Various shots, students playing
77. Close up, student talking
78. Wide shot, students playing
79. Med shot, teacher talking
80. Wide shot, students in the class
81. Wide shot, students at school
82. Med shot, teacher talking
83. Various shots, students at school
84. Close up, student at school
86. Close up, student at school
87. Med shot, man talking
88. Wide shot, students with UNICEF bags in schools
89. Close up, student at school
90. Wide shot, students at school
91. Close up, student in the class
92. Med shot, teacher talking
93. Close up, student in the class
94. Wide shot, students and school yard
95. Close up, student
96. Wide shot, students in school yard
97. Med shot, student talking
98. Wide shot, students playing in school yard
Rabia Balkhi school is one of 51 schools that have undergone a complete makeover as part of the 1000 Classrooms Project. Funded by the Government of Japan, the project was implemented by the Ministry of Education with support from UNICEF, benefitting nearly 300,000 students in the city of Kabul.
Fifty-one per cent of these students are girls. As a result of this project, these students now have access to safe and child-friendly learning environments. The project, which took four years to complete, was designed to increase access and retention of students, especially of girls, in basic education and to improve the quality of education for children across Kabul.
All 51 schools received a ‘child friendly’ package of facilities, including separate toilets for boys and girls, water points, playgrounds, boundary walls with guard rooms, green areas, concrete pathways and 40 sets of student furniture per classroom. Nearly 3,000 teachers have been trained in child-centred participatory teaching and learning techniques to give them the skills they need to provide quality education to their students.
UNICEF knows that providing a protective and salubrious environment – including boundary walls, water points and separate latrines for boys and girls – can result in significant improvements in enrolment rates and retention of girls in school. In addition, children who are enrolled in such schools serve as effective advocates for improved hygiene and sanitation in their own homes and communities.
According to Minister of Education His Excellency Farooq Wardak, “Education is more important than ever; not only for its role as a principal force for nation-building, but also for its impact on regional and global stability, growth and prosperity.”
Coasting past expected results
The 1000 Classrooms Project has not only met, but has also exceeded, original expectations. The generous funding by the Government of Japan has allowed more than the projected number of classrooms to be built, along with more toilets, more education staff trained and more children served.
The deficit of girls compared to boys in these schools has been addressed, and the marked improvement in quality of education provided has encouraged better attendance.
Inspired by the successful completion of the project and its impact on children, the Government of Japan is now funding the construction of 70 new schools in Afghanistan’s three central highland provinces of Bamiyan, Daikundi and Ghor. The Ministry of Education through the Provincial Education Directorates and with support from UNICEF has already started construction of these schools.
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