13 January 2011 - A co-ed high school focused on management and the economy officially opened this week in the capital of the southern province Helmand.

“Education is the best tool to achieve sustainable peace and development, desperately needed for Helmand province and the whole country,” said Shigeru Aoyagi, Representative to Afghanistan of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal presided over the 9 January inauguration ceremony of the high school in Lashkargah.

“We had, previously, two agriculture high schools and now five more schools will be established in Helmand under the technical structure of the Ministry of Education,” Governor Mangal told journalists, adding that construction plans are underway in Marjah, Nadali, Garamser and Grishk.

Officials plan to upgrade two of the new schools to institute-level facilities “in the near future.”

Once completed, Helmand may become the only province in the country to have seven high schools, enabling access to education for hundreds of male and female students.

“Similarly, the local authorities are trying to build the capacity of the government officials in order to prepare for the transition,” Governor Mangal told the local media.

A three-month management training for 58 government officials kicked off on Monday.

The training, which includes English language skills, computer skills, policy and strategy development and financial management, is conducted by Afghanistan Civil Service Institute (ACSI).

By Mujeeb Rahman, UNAMA