Kabul, Afghanistan ? Afghan officials say they have plans to thwart attacks on schools, which have killed 41 students and teachers and destroyed more than 140 schools in the last year. Education Minister Mohammed Hareef Atmaf announced the school safety plan Sunday, noting that insurgents burn schools to discredit the government’s ability to build a future for Afghanistan.

The top U.S. general in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, signed a deal with Atmaf to provide $300,000 for a program to rally communities to protect their schools.

Meanwhile, rebel violence continued on Sunday, when officials said 30 people – 25 insurgents and five Afghan security forces – were killed. NATO- and U.S.-led troops are pursuing a fierce campaign against insurgents to extend the reach of Afghanistan’s central government.