Page 6 - ELG2404 April Issue 489

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NEWS

Latest update on abandoned

Afghan British Council teachers

Where are they now? Joseph Seaton of At Risk Teachers gives an

update on the teachers left behind in Afghanistan.

ack in the Summer of
2021, with the Taliban
poised to take control of
BAfghanistan, the British
Council ensured they got all their
managers and office staff safely
out of the country, knowing all
too well they would be in serious
danger if they were left behind.
Sadly, while the risk to
managers and office staff was
keenly recognised, the danger
to British Council teachers was
somehow overlooked. As a result,
over 100 former BC teachers were
left in a very perilous situation
when the Taliban took power.
The teachers were rightly
terrified, as the Taliban had
mounted a number of complex
attacks against British Council
employees and premises over the
years. What made the situation
worse for the teachers was the fact
they held public facing roles, and
were highly recognisable within
their communities. Further to being victims of physical violence, wait for a further year in limbo UK Government and the British
this, they had been employed to while many others suffered in Pakistan. They waited, whole Council need to work together
teach English and ‘UK-values’ – threats, intimidation, blackmail families stuck in single hotel rooms, to ensure the teachers still stuck
including ‘Equality, Diversity & and requests for forced marriage. unable to leaves the confines of in Afghanistan or waiting in
Inclusion’ (EDI) – values despised In almost all cases the hostility their hotels, for fear of deportation Pakistan are relocated to safety as
by the resurgent Taliban. they suffered was because of their back to Afghanistan, and back the soon as possible.
The BC had actively recruited work for the Council. Taliban regime they had fled. They also need to learn
the teachers to work on prestigious Having been unfairly rejected Eventually, after repeated important lessons from this
and sensitive UK Government- from the UK Government’s delays, in late 2023 the UK travesty, and ensure that teachers
funded programmes, such as ‘ARAP scheme’, the teachers all Government started to relocate we employ are treated better in
English for Afghans, English for knew they had no choice but to the teachers. The relocation future. It is wholly unacceptable
Religious Leaders and English go into hiding. In order to survive, process continued into this to recruit people to teach ‘UK-
for Civil Servants. Some of the they had to become invisible. year, and today, over 80 Afghan values’ in a country where those
teachers had taught for the British They could not work or take their British Council teachers have values are despised, then leave
Council for more than 10 years. children to school. Many could at last been safely relocated to them to fend for themselves when
They all worked directly for the not even go out, while others the UK, in recognition of their we make a hasty exit.
BC and took great risks to do jobs had to flee their hometowns and work for us, and the danger we
they believed were important and hide out with relatives in other left them in. They have suffered
meaningful. provinces. immensely over the last two and Joseph Seaton
Understandably, they were all In 2022 the UK Government a half years, but remain optimistic has been a teacher,
shocked and devastated when they launched ‘ACRS’, a new scheme and determined as they begin new teacher trainer
were left behind; shocked that designed to relocate those who lives in Britain. At least 15 still and programme
they had not been treated with the had served the UK in Afghanistan, remain in hiding in Afghanistan, manager for
values of equality and inclusion and been left in danger. By late waiting for visas and passports, many years.
they had been employed to teach, 2022, most of the teachers had while others are still stuck in From 2016-2020 he was English
and devastated because they knew received approval for the scheme limbo in Pakistan, waiting for a Manager & Deputy Director
how much danger they were in. and the FCDO instructed them date to be flown to the UK. at British Council Afghanistan.
In the months that followed the to travel to Pakistan to await While the struggle and Since the Taliban took power he
Taliban takeover, a number of the relocation to the UK. hardship is not yet over for all the has been running the At Risk
teachers suffered greatly at the What the teachers weren’t teachers, it is promising that many Teachers campaign.
hands of the Taliban, with some told was that they would have to have now been relocated. The
6 April 2024