Education

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Program Description

Background 

Afghanistan has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the world. More than 11 million Afghans over the age of 15 cannot read or write. In rural areas, where three-fourths of all Afghans live, 90 percent of the women and over 60 percent of the men are illiterate. Under the Taliban, girls were not allowed to go to school, fewer than 900,000 boys were enrolled, and many received religious education in lieu of academics. The implications of this lack of education can be felt in all domains of life. For example, Afghans lack access to information about good health practices and most of the country’s judges and civil servants do not have more than a high school degree.  Today more than 5.7 million students are in school and the Ministry of Education is working with USAID and other donors to implement a five-year National Education Strategic Plan (2006-2010).  

The Program

USAID’s education strategy was designed in 2002 to meet the urgent need for textbooks, schools, new curricula, and trained teachers. USAID funded an accelerated learning program providing a chance for students denied an education to get caught up and complete sixth grade. The education strategy was expanded in 2004 to develop the capacity of the Afghan government to improve education quality while simultaneously increasing access to opportunities in basic education, higher education, and non-formal training in literacy, productive skills and youth leadership. 

• IMPROVING BASIC EDUCATION:  Increasing access to quality primary and secondary schools is a key education priority. USAID is improving basic education through programs aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Education, improving teacher performance and skills development, and ensuring adequate school materials and environments for learning.
       Because Afghans lost years of formal schooling under the Taliban, many students are not at their appropriate grade level. USAID created an accelerated learning program that compresses two years of study into a single year through innovative teaching techniques. This program trained an estimated 10,500 teachers in teaching methodologies for accelerated learning and enrolled nearly 170,000 students, over half of them girls.
       To address the critical lack of qualified teachers, USAID is supporting the Ministry of Education’s in-service teacher training program in 11 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces (the World Bank and other donors support the other 23 provinces). This program will provide training in subject-specific pedagogy as well as training for school leaders, delivered by district-based teacher training teams who provide limited follow-up. In remote areas where government schools are not yet established, USAID’s community-based schools program is supporting 50,000 students each year. Between 2002 and 2006, USAID printed and distributed over 60 million textbooks nationwide in Dari and Pashto for grades 1-12 covering such subjects as language, math, biology, and geography. During 2008, USAID, in collaboration with the Danish International Development Agency, plans to print 23.5 million new curriculum textbooks for grades 1-6. To strengthen the Ministries of Education and Higher Education, USAID provides advisors to help develop and implement education policy. USAID also supports the International School of Kabul, an English language high school with an enrollment of approximately 260 students from more than 20 countries, the majority of whom are Afghans.
• SUPPORTING HIGHER EDUCATION:  USAID’s higher education program has introduced new initiatives including providing technical assistance to targeted institutions and strengthening linkages between universities. USAID supports the American University of Afghanistan, a private English language American-style university in Kabul, with an expected enrollment of up to 1,000 students by 2010. A war-damaged Women’s Dormitory at Kabul University was repaired and is now operational and able to house over 1,000 women, mainly from rural areas.
       USAID will upgrade teacher training at 16 Afghan universities. In addition, USAID works with Balkh University Faculty of Agriculture in Mazar-e-Sharif to modernize curriculum, teaching technologies, and techniques. Electronic partnership with universities worldwide develop Afghans’ technical skills and knowledge, boosting their ability to participate in the global economy while building their own nation.
• EXPANDING NON-FORMAL EDUCATION:  In many villages, more than 90 percent of the women cannot read or write. USAID’s large scale literacy and occupational skills program takes place outside the formal educational system and focuses on providing literacy and skills training to women and men age 15 and over. More than 9,200 students have already learned functional literacy, economic self-reliance, grassroots democracy and women’s rights. Establishment of the National Literacy Center (formerly the Women’s Teacher Training Institute) in Kabul provides access to training, materials, and modern teaching techniques, and supports the development of practical literacy, numeracy, and life skills.
       USAID’s youth project is creating youth development councils and providing opportunities for entrepreneurial young people to implement small grants projects. This program provides positive opportunities for youth, and trains them in valuable governance and economic participation skills. 
• SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION:  In conjunction with the Ministry of Education, USAID is building schools in rural areas. Since 2002, USAID has built or refurbished over 680 schools, mostly in remote areas.