Since the US-led military intervention in Afghanistan in , foreign donors have invested heavily in education, building schools, supporting teacher training, and providing textbooks and other materials to schools across Afghanistan.
But all too often, the schools become battlegrounds as the Taliban counterattack government positions, leaving the buildings damaged or in ruins and denying children an education until they can be rebuilt, if ever.
It is also contrary to the global Safe Schools Declaration, which Afghanistan endorsed in Based on a research mission in April , this report documents the occupation or other use for military purposes of 12 schools in one area of Baghlan province in north-eastern Afghanistan.
Although conditions in Baghlan reflect the particular dynamics of the conflict in the northeast, where tensions between local security forces and government officials have erupted over military policy, security forces have used schools in other conflict-affected areas of the country as well, and statistics provided by the United Nations indicate that the problem is getting worse. The Taliban attacked and gunned down seven policemen inside a classroom.
Alarmed school officials managed to get a letter from the Kabul authorities ordering the government forces to leave, but the commander ignored them, saying that he was staying put.
