Ten schools destroyed in past three weeks in Afghanistan

Armed attackers, believed to be associated with Taliban insurgents, have burned down ten schools in seven different Afghan provinces since the school year began on March 23, the U.N.’s IRIN news agency reported Thursday. Several additional attacks occurred in the same period, with one teacher in Khost Province reportedly killed.

Statistics from the Afghan Ministry of Education show that from March 2006 to February 2008, 235 schoolchildren, students, teachers and other education workers were killed, and 222 wounded. There were 2,450 “terrorist” attacks on schools during this period.

While Afghanistan’s record six million students this year is an indicator of improvement, the inability to provide safety for school staff and pupils has become a growing concern.

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