Enrollment Children in School

Written by: Mir Aqa Itebar

Most children in Afghanistan are enrolled at school by their sixth or seventh birthday and they must go to school every day. Some of them eagerly accept their enrolment in school but some others become sad to be away for a few hours from their parents and families.

AEPO’s writer/producer has tried to find a solution for this issue.

Haseebullah, a resident of Nangarhar province says, “I enrolled my sister at school, and I accompanied her to the classroom. When she took the seat, I wanted to go back home, I heard her crying and I went back to her classroom. She was crying and begging me to take her back home. I stayed with her that day in her classroom.”

Ghulam Abas, a resident of Ghorband district, Parwan province says, “I am the father of a few children and most of them did not face with a problem in enrollment at schools but one of my sons caused me trouble. He was afraid of his classmates, teachers, and school and he was making excuses for not going to school. I was sending him to school by force but I did not get a good result and he became sick and was afraid in his sleep.”

Jalil Amarkhel, Professor of psychology says, “At the beginning, the child becomes confused for to which of the two choices, home, and school to be chosen. Their families are also confused by such children. The children are afraid of the school, the class, the teacher, and their classmates. This fear might remain with them for a long time, and cause difficulties for them to study. They deceive their families and teachers and go outside the schools and this issue might cause some problems the students; school and their parents.”

What do some people think about the causes of new enrolled students’ fear?

Mia Jan, a resident of Panjshir province says, “I think it was difficult for my daughter to stay away from her mother because she was always sitting and talking  with her mother, and  her mother was very kind to her and my daughter could not tolerate being away from her mother.”

Shah Jahan, a resident of Qarabagh district, Kabul province says, "My son was very clever and had a good memory, but he did not have courage. If someone had been coming to our house, he could not speak in front of him/her. On the other hand, he used to make excuses for not going to school and he was pretending that there is a dog on the way to school.”

How do some parents find a solution to this issue?

Hujatullah, a resident of Tagab district, Kapisa province says, “Before enrolling my daughter in the school, I and my eldest daughter taught her school lessons during winter and we informed her about the benefits of going to school and this method, caused her to go to school with much enthusiasm.”

Ghulam Abas, a resident of Ghorband district, Parwan province says, “My daughter did not like school. I thought if delay her enrolment in school for one year; she might never be interested in going to school in the future. So, I had been going with her to school for a few days, and she got interested in school and now she is a third-grade student.”

Professor Amarkhel says, “It is parents’ job to guide children before they go to school, that the school is a place for learning knowledge, and what is the position of a knowledgeable person; to tell him/her how to behave his/her teachers, and classmates. If the child is scared of going to school, one of the family members should accompany him/her for a few days and wish his/her teacher to encourage him/her to be interested and find the enthusiasm to study.”