(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News) MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Schoolchildren are exploited for glorifying politicians and colorizing political and apolitical gatherings in northern Balkh province.
Hundreds of people attended a gathering for peace at the Hazrat Ali Shrine or Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, on Monday.
The education department had gathered boys and girls from schools in the city and they constituted most part of the gathering€™s participants.
A 12th grade student of Sultan Razia, Majabin, told Pajhwok Afghan News that her school€™s principal had asked students to participate in the gathering. €œShe told us the gathering is about the governor€™s resignation.€
Majabin said could not understand for some what about the gathering was.
Another student, wishing anonymity, said he did not know why they were asked to attend the event.
A teacher at Ghazi Amanullah Khan High School, Mohammad Sabir Rizayi, who was invited to the gathering along with his students, said such gatherings had nothing to do with students.
He said parents of most of the students were unaware that their children were at a gathering instead of school.
Rizayi said subjects taught to students at schools conveyed them the message of peace.
However, acting education director Sibghatullah Mustaqeem said that the gathering wasn€™t a political one but was aimed at promoting peace.
He said everyone had the right to raise voice for peace whether it was education department or others. €œIt€™s Afghanistan, if you do a good deed, people will criticize and talk about you.€
However, the Independent Human Rights Commission chief for northern zone, Sayed Mohammad Sami, said students€™ attending such gatherings was against education principles.
He said familiarizing students with peace and highlighting them the importance of peace could be better done at classes and school assembly.
Earlier, the Ministry of Education had barred students from attending political gatherings.
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