Afghan Children Learn Side By Side With Iranian Peers

Story Source: UNHCR ~ Go to Original Article

As the bell rings to announce the start of the day, a group of girls run through the gates of Vahdat Primary School in the old Persian city of Esfahan in Iran. Their packed bags bouncing on their backs, the students skid to a stop in front of the main building and huddle in line for the morning assembly.

At the back of the line, Parisa, 16, is the oldest student in her sixth-grade class; the other girls are on average 12 years old. She is impatient for class to begin.

“I love school so much,” she says, clutching her books to her chest. “My favourite subject is maths, because maths is everywhere in the world. I love multiplication and division – they are really easy.”

Parisa and her family fled Afghanistan 10 years ago, after the Taliban terrorized their neighbourhood in Herat and threatened to kidnap girls who went to school…………….