Tarz Press: October 5 coincides with World Teachers’ Day, a day designated by UNESCO since 1994 to recognize the value of teachers, express gratitude, and address the challenges they face globally. However, the concept of “Teachers’ Day” varies across countries.
Those that observe it on their calendars each have their own reasons and traditions for commemorating the day. In Afghanistan, Teachers’ Day falls on October 6, and in recent years, schools were closed on this day, but teachers and students still gathered to celebrate, cutting cakes and giving teachers special gifts.
While other countries made special efforts to honor their teachers this year, Afghanistan did not officially commemorate the occasion. This is attributed to a recent Taliban decree that prohibits the celebration of such events.
UNESCO’s theme for this year’s World Teachers’ Day is “The Importance of Teachers’ Voices,” but where do Afghan teachers stand, and are their voices being valued? Unfortunately, Afghan teachers have long struggled with difficult and meager living conditions. It has become customary in Afghanistan to allocate the lowest wages to teachers, and despite promises over the past 20 years to improve their salaries and benefits, no significant progress has been made.
Some teachers in Afghanistan report that since the Taliban’s return to power, their economic situation has worsened, and little attention is being paid to their livelihoods. They say the wages allocated for teachers do not cover their families’ expenses, and they are grappling with numerous financial challenges. To add to this, for the past three months, female teachers have not received their salaries and are waiting for the Taliban’s Ministry of Education to find a solution for their payments.
Furthermore, after the closure of schools for girls above sixth grade, thousands of male and female teachers have lost their jobs or are in complete uncertainty. Female teachers have been banned from teaching boys, and male teachers are prohibited from teaching girls, which poses a severe threat of economic hardship for these teachers.
Given these dire circumstances, the United Nations, UNESCO, and the current government must prioritize addressing the challenges faced by Afghan teachers and ensure that attention is directed towards improving their conditions.
