BBC World Service’s education programme for Afghan children barred from school, Dars returns for a new series on Saturday 28 September.
Supported by Malala Fund, the fourth series of Dars brings new themes and content including dealing with psychological trauma, bespoke maths lessons, and conversations about climate change and media literacy.
Dars (“Lesson” in Dari and Pashto) is a half-hour TV, radio and online programme, produced and broadcast in two of Afghanistan’s national languages, Dari and Pashto.
Launched on 1 April 2023, Dars brings learning to Afghanistan’s children who are not able to go to school, including girls aged 11-16. September 2024 marks three years since girls above grade six have been barred from education in Afghanistan.
The fourth series of Dars is hosted by female presenters – BBC journalists Shazia Haya and Malaika Ahmadzai (in Pashto), and Sahar Rahimi and Alia Rajai (in Dari). Shazia, Malaika, and Sahar were evacuated from Kabul following the Taliban takeover.
Dars continues to adapt BBC Children’s and Education material with content and support from BBC Teach, which offers free classroom resources to UK schools, and BBC Bitesize, the BBC’s online study support resource for UK school-age pupils. In the new series, maths content is made specifically for Afghan children. Created in consultation with Afghan educators, the lessons are built around a character of a female Afghan maths graduate who shows how maths helps in everyday life.
In another first, the new series of Dars brings five short films focusing on how children affected by conflict can deal with psychological trauma. Created in consultation with psychologists who have worked with children in conflict zones, the films aim to help the young audience deal with stress, displacement, bereavement, understand their emotions – and find hope.
The new series of Dars also teaches children about the climate and how to avoid disinformation, as well as continuing to bring popular content from BBC Learning English.
In June 2024, Dars was announced to be among 13 recipients of funding from Malala Fund, a girls’ education nonprofit organization co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai, and her father Ziauddin.
Sahar Halaimzai, Director, Malala Fund Afghanistan Initiative, says: “As Afghan girls face yet another year of being barred from school, we are proud to work with partners who are providing alternative and digital education pathways in Afghanistan.”
Fiona Crack, Controller, BBC Languages, says: “With millions of girls in their third year without access to formal education, the work of Dars has never been more important. It’s essential we return for a fourth series, and we are broadening our offer to include editorially relevant content around mental health, the climate and misinformation. The BBC World Service exists to inform and educate audiences in need, and Dars is a shining example of our purpose in action.”
Aired each Saturday and repeated throughout the week, Dars is broadcast on BBC News Afghanistan satellite channel, and on radio – through the network of BBC FM transmitters in Afghanistan as well as on shortwave and medium wave. It is available via BBC News Pashto and BBC News Dari social media channels, and is part of the BBC News Persian TV channel output.
