This week marks both Nawroz and also the launch of one of the major development and logistical initiatives of the year in Afghanistan – namely the return to school of some 6,080,260 Afghan boys and girls, in grades one to twelve. Millions of schools books, teaching materials, pencils, pens, all the equipment and materials that schools will require are being dispatched around the country. This is back to school week for Afghanistan and we are joined this morning by David McLoughlin, UNICEF Afghanistan's Chief of Education.

UNICEF, Chief of Education, David McLoughlin
Good morning.

I am very happy to see so many people sitting here today because it shows me the enthusiasm and the importance that you are putting on one of the most important events in Afghanistan 's calendar – the return to school of millions of Afghanistan 's children.

This is my fifth year in Afghanistan with UNICEF. As Chief of Education it is incredible to see during the past five years that the people of Afghanistan have reaffirmed their commitment to their children's and Afghanistan's future by sending their children to school in unprecedented numbers that have never been seen before.

The three points that I want to share with you this morning are some of the major challenges that this country is still facing; areas where UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education; and the key activities we are going to be undertaking for the women and children of this country in the coming year.

UNICEF's country action plan for this year is embedded within the strategic plan of the Ministry of Education. Our focus is on improving the education sector with a particular emphasis on women and children in this country. We are still faced with many major challenges in this country even though we have made such an incredible improvement in the quality and access to education for all. Major challenges include providing suitable teaching and learning accommodation throughout the country, to develop effective teacher-training so we have competent knowledgeable teachers for our students, the provision of female teachers where we have a critical shortage which is affecting the retention rate of students, particularly girls. Addressing the low literacy levels – according to UNESCO data 90 per cent of rural women, and 65 per cent of rural men are still illiterate in Afghanistan . And other major challenges including improving the curriculum and its development, improving school management and the development of school management committee's to give ownership of education back to local communities.

UNICEF supports the Ministry of Education in all of these areas with other UN agencies such as UNESCO. The budget for 2007 in our proposed annual work plan within the strategic plan for the Ministry of Education is US$25.4 million.

US$9 million of this funding comes from Sweden and Norway . Key targets in our annual work plan this year include to enroll an additional 400,000 girls in basic education. To provide teaching and learning materials to 5.4 million children in grades one to nine. And support for over 100,000 teachers with teaching materials. The construction of 246 cost-effective community schools. Another key activity is the training of 47,000 teachers in the new curriculum for grades three and six. Supporting 140,000 women between the ages of 15 and 49 under the functional literacy programme through the establishment of 4000 literacy centre's throughout Afghanistan . And training teachers in new teaching methodologies, particularly those new female teachers recruited through 2007.

As I mentioned earlier, it's very exciting to see the increasing enrolments, it shows the commitment of [Afghan] parents wanting their children to be educated and ensuring that Afghanistan has an educated society in the future. To have 6,080,260 children in school in a few days time is something that is very historic for this country and very encouraging for the education system and Afghanistan 's future.

Thank You.

Questions and Answers:

Xinhua : We have received reports from Uruzgan that last night there was flooding. Do you have any details on damage and any casualities?

Spokesperson : We are approaching the flood season in Afghanistan as the snows melt. On Uruzgan specifically we don't have any information on that at the moment, we are looking at a number of reports this morning on flooding incidents in parts of the country and we would be delighted to let you know later in the day once we have confirmed information on these incidents.

Afghanistan Times : What is the cost of the stationary you are distributing with the Ministry of Education?

UNICEF : Thank you for your very easy question! To the exact dollar I don't have that but we are supplying stationary materials to 5.4 million children which is an increase on 2.7 million last year and it is approximately in excess of US$6 million which includes emergency stationary supplies and equipment and also teaching materials required for the new school term. And when you look at that it's just over one US dollar per child so it's very economical.

Kabul Times : The numbers you mentioned is the number of students in Kabul and Afghanistan 's major cities. There are students in provinces who are deprived of education. Do you have any plan to encourage parents to send their children to schools?

UNICEF : That is a very good question, thank you. UNICEF treats every child everywhere and we believe every child in the country should have access to education in a better way. That is the aim. In addressing the government inabilities through lack of a fiscal envelope to provide enough schools and accommodation UNICEF in the last four years have established on behalf of the Government with the provincial education directors approximately 5000 community-based schools and given provision to more than 200,000 young boys and girls who would otherwise not have access to education. We are now working with the Education Minister Hanif Atmar planning to formalize these schools within the formal structure of the Ministry of Education.

AP : I am wondering if you have any statistics over the past five years of literacy rates, how they may have changed in the last five years. Or do you have any statistics of the number of children who learn to read each year?

UNICEF : Afghanistan has had a vacuum of data for many years. And only recently we are establishing an education management information system in the Ministry of Education to collect these data. We duly recognize the importance of having a literate society. And we recognize that the literacy levels particularly of women, are one of the lowest in the world. And we are addressing it together with the Government. I believe there are some statistics and data for the last two years. There was a study done by Mr. Norman from WFP on the literacy situation in Afghanistan . Regarding your question about the number of children able to read, we would expect within the new curriculum of grade one to six with mathematics and other particular important areas of curriculum, learning reading is a key function of a teacher in a classroom.

Pajhwok : How do you assess the past and upcoming education year in terms of security, especially in southern provinces?

UNICEF: UNICEF maintains a school incident database on verified incidents throughout the country that we get reports on and we have verified through either the local education departments or UNICEF people. The UNICEF database for 2005 indicates a total of 273 school incidents of major concern. The UNICEF database of 2006 indicates a decline to 120 incidents of concern. This may seem contrary to what many people in media are reporting – that there is a significant increase in the number of school incidents. These incidents are verified by UNICEF people in the field, on the site. The last six months of the database indicates a steady decline in the number of school incidents. It can also be related to the fact that UNICEF with the Ministry of Education commenced a programme in the middle of 2006 called the School and Child Community Protection Programme. We have in every province throughout the country school protection teams which are mobilized in the communities to protect the children and teachers within the schools and surrounds. Minister Hanif two weeks ago reported to me that on a daily basis reports are being received from these teams in the field that there has been more than a 50% reduction in school incidents that are reported to the Ministry on a daily basis. Secondly we also receive information from the field where communities are taking a very active role in protecting their own schools. We are still aware that throughout the country we have 79 districts or 24% of the number of districts which are not accessible to UN humanitarian activities – that includes access for UNICEF in providing the same delivery of services to secure areas in the country. We continue to be very positive about more districts becoming more secure and accessible for humanitarian activities.

Question : I am asking whether you have any mobile schools for Khuchis (nomads) as they are moving from one place to another and what progammes do you have for Afghan refugees children?

UNICEF: We do have a plan that has been developed by the ministry of education to provide education to Khuchi children who we are very much aware of and providing mobile classrooms for them and providing dormitory facilities for them where we know that they do settle for a period of time. Regarding IDPs [internally displaced people], our initial work with IDPs is to ensure their security, their inoculations, the food rations that they need shelter etc with other United Nations agencies. Education supplies are provided to them when we do get notification and also requests from the ministry of education.

Question IRIN: My question is regarding the amnesty bill approved by the parliament. Now local media reports that UNAMA has approved the reconciliation bill. Has UNAMA approved the bill?

Spokesperson : UNAMA does not support any amnesty for serious human rights violations. This point I hope is absolutely clear. Now with the revised amnesty bill itself the bill does explicitly recognize the rights of victims to pursue civil and criminal claims with respect to crimes committed by individuals. The general assessment of the bill compared to the first resolution is that it is an improvement, however UNAMA believes that the state also has a legal obligation to investigate, prosecute or extradite individual perpetrators of serious crimes such as serious breaches of the Geneva Conventions, Crimes against Humanity and other gross violations of human rights.