Back to school in Afghanistan under threat of violence

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

KABUL (AFP) — Schools in northern and central Afghanistan reopened Saturday as the education ministry said it planned to expand a protection scheme after unrest left 220 pupils and teachers dead last year.

Most killings were in the south where the warmer climate means classes continue through the just-ended winter and where the threat of Taliban-linked unrest is keeping 300,000 children out of school, a spokesman said.

More than 500,000 new enrollments were expected in the northern and central areas this school year, spokesman Hamid Elmi told AFP, taking the number of children in school nationwide to 6.2 million.

This compares with about one million enrollments five years ago, although half of Afghan children -- mostly girls -- are still not in school,...