Description
This sector analysis report (ESA) takes stock of the state of education in Afghani-stan in the first quarter of 1389 (2010). It is an overview of the education sector, set within wider national development frame-works. It reflects the views and opinions of many of the stakeholders who support the delivery of education services.
Education Sector Analysis
Afghanistan
Final Draft
Kabul Jawsa 1389 (June 2010)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 ii
The Education Sector Analysis Team
Steve Packer
Terry Allsop
Elizabeth Dvorak- Little
Tony Preston Stanley
Anders Wirak
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 iii
List of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... IX
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1
TERMS OF REFERENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 1
METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................. 1
DEFINING THE SECTOR.......................................................................................................................................... 2
THE STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ............................................................................................................................. 2
LIMITATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 3
A THE EDUCATION SECTOR IN CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 4
1. THE CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 An Impressive Story .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 A Longer Perspective ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.3 Legacy of Distrust ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.4 Challenges Ahead ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.5 Education’s Legal Underpinning ........................................................................................................ 6
2. MEETING AFGHANISTAN’S DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES ........................................................................................ 7
2.1 Education and ANDS ......................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 The Scale of the Challenge ................................................................................................................ 8
2.3 Defining Needs ................................................................................................................................. 9
3. EDUCATION SECTOR POLICIES AND PLANS...................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Plan Development .......................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Plan Goals and Performance Measurement .................................................................................... 12
3.3 Plan Focus and Areas of Linkage ..................................................................................................... 13
3.4 National Plans: Local Needs ............................................................................................................ 13
3.5 Cross Cutting Issues ........................................................................................................................ 14
3.6 External Planning Frameworks ....................................................................................................... 14
B TAKING STOCK OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR ........................................................................................... 15
4. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) .......................................................................................................... 15
4.1 Background .................................................................................................................................... 15
4.2 Legal Framework ............................................................................................................................ 15
4.3 ECE within the MoE ........................................................................................................................ 15
4.4 New Developments ......................................................................................................................... 16
4.5 ECE Pilot ......................................................................................................................................... 16
4.6 ECE Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 16
4.7 Other Pre-school Initiatives ............................................................................................................. 17
4.8 Quality, Access and Risks ................................................................................................................ 17
4.9 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 19
5. GENERAL EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 20
5.1 Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 20
5.2 Access ............................................................................................................................................. 21
5.3 Quality............................................................................................................................................ 24
5.4 Equity ............................................................................................................................................. 28
5.5 Stakeholders ................................................................................................................................... 29
5.6 Performance Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 32
5.7 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 34
6. ISLAMIC EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................. 34
6.1 Brief History of Islamic Education ................................................................................................... 35
6.2 Forms of Islamic Education ............................................................................................................. 35
6.3 The Constitution, Education Law and Islamic Education .................................................................. 37
6.4 Islamic and Formal Education Structures ........................................................................................ 38
6.5 Islamic Education in NESP I ............................................................................................................. 39
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 iv
6.6 Islamic Education in ANDS (2008) ................................................................................................... 39
6.7 Islamic Education in NESP II (2010) ................................................................................................. 40
6.8 Islamic Schools 1389 (2010) ............................................................................................................ 40
6.9 Service Delivery Capacity ................................................................................................................ 41
6.10 Islamic Education and Gender .................................................................................................... 41
6.11 Stakeholders .............................................................................................................................. 42
6.12 Finance ...................................................................................................................................... 42
6.13 Curriculum and Standards .......................................................................................................... 43
6.14 Outputs, Outcomes and Relevance ............................................................................................. 44
6.15 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 44
7 TEACHER EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 45
7.1 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 48
8 HIGHER EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................. 48
8.1 Higher Education Capacity .............................................................................................................. 48
8.2 Expanding Access ........................................................................................................................... 50
8.3 Improving Quality ........................................................................................................................... 52
8.4 Resourcing the Plan ........................................................................................................................ 53
8.5 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 54
9 SKILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT: VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) AND TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING (TVET) ....................................................................................................................................... 54
9.1 Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 54
9.2 The Skills Deficit .............................................................................................................................. 55
9.3 Legislation, Regulations and Policy ................................................................................................. 57
9.4 Access ............................................................................................................................................. 61
9.5 Quality............................................................................................................................................ 63
9.6 Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................................. 64
9.7 Stakeholder Cooperation ................................................................................................................ 64
9.8 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 66
10 LITERACY ............................................................................................................................................... 66
10.1 Understanding the Issue ............................................................................................................ 66
10.2 An Historical Perspective ............................................................................................................ 67
10.3 Ministry of Education: Literacy Goals and Challenges ............................................................... 67
10.4 Access, Quality and Management .............................................................................................. 68
10.5 Relevance .................................................................................................................................. 69
10.6 Measuring Progress towards NESP Goals ................................................................................... 70
10.7 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 71
11 COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION (CBE) ........................................................................................................ 72
11.1 History and Context................................................................................................................... 72
11.2 Access ........................................................................................................................................ 72
11.3 Management ............................................................................................................................. 73
11.4 Equity......................................................................................................................................... 75
11.5 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 75
12 THE PRIVATE SECTOR ................................................................................................................................ 75
12.1 Stakeholders .............................................................................................................................. 76
12.2 Legislation, Regulations and Policy............................................................................................. 76
12.3 Financing ................................................................................................................................... 77
12.4 Quality ....................................................................................................................................... 77
12.5 Private Education and Equity ..................................................................................................... 79
C THREE SPECIAL ISSUES ............................................................................................................................ 80
13 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION .............................................................................................................................. 80
13.1 Defining Inclusive Education....................................................................................................... 80
13.2 Afghan Context .......................................................................................................................... 80
13.3 MoE Commitments .................................................................................................................... 81
13.4 Moving Commitments into Practical Realities ............................................................................ 81
13.5 Vulnerable Groups ..................................................................................................................... 82
13.6 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 85
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 v
14 EDUCATION, SECURITY AND PEACE............................................................................................................... 86
14.1 Historical Context ....................................................................................................................... 86
14.2 Education and Security ............................................................................................................... 86
15 ADVANCING THE GENDER AGENDA .............................................................................................................. 89
15.1 History and Context ................................................................................................................... 89
15.2 Political and Economic Importance ............................................................................................ 89
15.3 Ministry of Education’s Achievements, Goals, Challenges ........................................................... 90
15.4 The Situation in 1389 (2010) ...................................................................................................... 90
15.5 Responding to the Challenges .................................................................................................... 95
15.6 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 96
D MANAGING CHANGE............................................................................................................................... 97
16 FINANCING EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................. 97
16.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 97
16.2 Operating and Development Budgets......................................................................................... 97
16.3 External Budget ......................................................................................................................... 98
16.4 Revenue ................................................................................................................................... 101
16.5 Financing the Plan.................................................................................................................... 102
16.6 Ministry of Higher Education .................................................................................................... 103
16.7 Financial Management and Governance in MoE ...................................................................... 104
16.8 Procurement ............................................................................................................................ 106
16.9 AFMIS, the Ministry of Finance and Procurement ..................................................................... 108
16.10 Procurement and Planning ....................................................................................................... 109
16.11 Internal Audit ........................................................................................................................... 109
16.12 Other Challenges for Internal Audit .......................................................................................... 111
16.13 SWOT Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 112
17 KNOWLEDGE AND DATA .......................................................................................................................... 113
17.1 School Surveys and Annual Reports .......................................................................................... 113
17.2 Data Gaps ................................................................................................................................ 114
17.3 Other Sources of Data .............................................................................................................. 115
17.4 Knowledge Gap: Knowledge Sources ........................................................................................ 115
18 BUILDING CAPACITY ............................................................................................................................... 116
19 AID FOR EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 120
19.1 Aid Dependence: Aid Effectiveness ........................................................................................... 120
19.2 A Quick Look Back .................................................................................................................... 121
19.3 The Situation in 1389 (2010) .................................................................................................... 122
19.4 The Aid to Education Picture .................................................................................................... 122
19.5 Better Aid Practice ................................................................................................................... 123
19.6 Support for Education through Budget Support: ARTF .............................................................. 124
19.7 Projects and Programmes ........................................................................................................ 124
19.8 The Role of NGOs and CSOs ...................................................................................................... 125
19.9 PRTs in Education (see Section 14) ........................................................................................... 125
19.10 Making Aid Work Better........................................................................................................... 125
E CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 129
ANNEX 1 TERMS OF REFERENCE .................................................................................................................... 132
ANNEX 2 SELECTED REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 136
ANNEX 3 RECORD OF MEETINGS ................................................................................................................... 143
ANNEX 4 EDUCATION SECTOR AID PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS 1388 (2009) ........................................... 160
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1 ENROLMENT IN GENERAL SCHOOLS: 1386 -1388 (2007-2009) ......................................................................... 23
TABLE 2 NET ENROLMENT IN SIX PROVINCES: GRADES 1-9............................................................................................. 23
TABLE 3 ENROLMENT BY GRADE 1387 (2008) (IN ‘000) .............................................................................................. 25
TABLE 4 ISLAMIC SCHOOLS (MOE) 1386-1389 (2007-2010) ...................................................................................... 41
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 vi
TABLE 5 MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS IN ISLAMIC SCHOOLS (MOE) 1386-1388 .............................................................. 42
TABLE 6 BUDGET 1388 (2009) ISLAMIC AND GENERAL EDUCATION ................................................................................ 43
TABLE 7 SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN DAR-UL-ULUMS BY GRADE AND PERIODS PER WEEK ............................................................. 43
TABLE 8 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN ......................................................................................... 50
TABLE 9 LABOUR FORCE AND LABOUR MARKET DOCUMENTATION ................................................................................... 56
TABLE 10 VET AND TVET IN ANDS; OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................... 58
TABLE 11 VET AND TVET: PROVIDERS AND ACTIVITIES
,
................................................................................................ 61
TABLE 12 MOE TVET STUDENTS: GRADE AND GENDER 1387 (2008) ............................................................................. 62
TABLE 13 QUALIFICATIONS OF TVET TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF ..................................................................... 64
TABLE 14 COMMUNITY BASED SCHOOLS 1388 (2009) ................................................................................................. 73
TABLE 15 MOE’S IDENTIFIED PRIORITY GROUPS FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ...................................................................... 83
TABLE 16 OFFICIALLY ENROLLED STUDENTS IN BASIC EDUCATION ( GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS 1388 -2008/9 ............................ 92
TABLE 17 EDUCATION SECTOR FINANCES IN 1388 BY MINISTRY: ON BUDGET .................................................................... 98
TABLE 18 EDUCATION SECTOR - EXTERNAL PROJECTS 1388 (2009) (US$000) ................................................................. 99
TABLE 19 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: NESP1 EXTERNAL BUDGET PLAN BY PROGRAMME..................................................... 100
TABLE 20 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NESP1 EXTERNAL BUDGET FUNDING BY PROGRAMME (ACTUAL) .................................. 100
TABLE 21 SUMMARY NESP II BUDGET REQUIREMENT ESTIMATE (US$ MILLION) .............................................................. 102
TABLE 22 MOE NESP II ESTIMATED COSTS COMPARED TO BUDGET PLANS ..................................................................... 103
TABLE 23 SUMMARY MOHE STRATEGIC PLAN ESTIMATES US$M .................................................................................. 104
TABLE 24 DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE IN MOE BY PROGRAMME FOR 1388 (AFMIS) (US$M) ......................................... 107
TABLE 25 THE EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION WORKFORCE ............................................. 118
LIST OF TEXTBOXES
TEXTBOX 1 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION FOR EDUCATION ................................................................................................ 7
TEXTBOX 2 EDUCATION, TRAINING AND ANDS .............................................................................................................. 8
TEXTBOX 3 PROFILE OF THE LABOUR FORCE .................................................................................................................. 9
TEXTBOX 4 INTERPRETING EDUCATIONAL DATA............................................................................................................ 22
TEXTBOX 5 EDUCATION UNDER ATTACK ..................................................................................................................... 24
TEXTBOX 6 ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF INPUTS ........................................................................................................... 27
TEXTBOX 7 TWO PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF GENERAL EDUCATION ................................................................. 28
TEXTBOX 8 SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL: AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD PRACTICE .......................................................................... 30
TEXTBOX 9 NESP I AND II: HIGHER ORDER GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS ................................................. 32
TEXTBOX 10 WHAT IS LEARNED IN THE HALAQUAS? ..................................................................................................... 36
TEXTBOX 11 CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HIGHER EDUCATION ........................................................................................ 49
TEXTBOX 12 THE DEMAND FOR VET ......................................................................................................................... 55
TEXTBOX 13 EXAMPLE OF NGO SKILLS RELATED PROGRAMME ....................................................................................... 63
TEXTBOX 14 NESP II AND PRIVATE TVET INSTITUTIONS ................................................................................................ 76
TEXTBOX 15 REFERENCE TO PRIVATE EDUCATION IN THE EDUCATION LAW ......................................................................... 77
TEXTBOX 16 COMPARISON OF VET AND TVET INSTITUTIONS .......................................................................................... 78
TEXTBOX 17 RESULT BASED MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................. 104
TEXTBOX 18 CHALLENGES FOR GRANTS MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT .................................................. 106
TEXTBOX 19 THE STATUS QUO IN PROCUREMENT ...................................................................................................... 107
TEXTBOX 20 CHALLENGES FOR PROCUREMENT.......................................................................................................... 108
TEXTBOX 21 INTERNAL AUDIT STATUS QUO .............................................................................................................. 110
TEXTBOX 22 COMMITMENTS TO AID EFFECTIVENESS ................................................................................................... 121
TEXTBOX 23 BUZKASHI......................................................................................................................................... 121
TEXTBOX 24 GOOD DONOR PRACTICE ..................................................................................................................... 123
TEXTBOX 25 THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME (TEP) ........................................................................................ 124
TEXTBOX 26 THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD: MAIN OBJECTIVES (APRIL 2010) ........................................... 126
TEXTBOX 27 MEMBERS OF HRDB .......................................................................................................................... 127
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 SCHOOL ENROLMENTS (GRADES 1-12) IN AFGHANISTAN: 1319-1388 (1940-2009) .............................................. 4
FIGURE 2 EDUCATION STRATEGIES AND PLANS ............................................................................................................. 11
FIGURE 3 EDUCATION SYSTEMS AND LEVELS ................................................................................................................ 38
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 vii
Abbreviations
ACBAR Agency Coordination Body for Afghan
Relief
Afs Afghanistan currency: the Afghani which
is divided into 100 Puls
AFMIS Afghanistan Financial Management In-
formation System
AIHRC Afghanistan Independent Human Rights
Commission
ANDS Afghanistan National Development Strat-
egy
ARTF Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
BESST Building Education Support Systems for
Teachers
BPET Budget Planning and Expenditure Track-
ing
BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Commit-
tee, or Bringing Resources Across Cul-
tures
CBE Community Based Education
CBS Community Based School
CDCs Community Development Councils
CHEF Construction of Health and Education
Facilities
CIDA Canadian International Development
Agency
CRC
CSO
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Central Statistics Organisation
DAARTT
DAD
Danish Assistance to Afghan Rehabilita-
tion and Technical Training
Donors Assistance Database
Danida Danish International Development
Agency
DED District Education Departments
DEO District Education Officer
DFID
DoL
Department for International Develop-
ment (UK)
Deputy Ministry of Literacy
ECE Early Childhood Education
EDB Education Development Board
EFA Education for All
EIC Education for Indigenous Children
EQUIP Education Quality Improvement Program
EMIS Education Management and Information
System
EoJ Embassy of Japan
ESA
FTI
Education Sector Analysis
EFA Fast Track Initiative
GER Gross Enrolment Rate
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GMU Grants Management Unit
GoA Government of Afghanistan
GPI Gender Parity Index
HEP Higher Education Project
HRDB Human Resource Development Board
HRMIS Human Resource Management Informa-
tion System
HRMU Human Resource Management Unit
(MoE) (TSL)
IARCSC Independent Administrative Reform of
Civil Service Commission
IDKA Independent Directorate of Kuchi Affairs
IDP Internally Displaced Persons
IIEP International Institute for Educational
Planning, UNESCO, Paris
I-ANDS Interim Afghan National Development
Strategy
INGO International Non-Governmental Organi-
sation
IO
IP
JICA
International Organisation
International Partner
Japan International Cooperation Agency
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MDG
MICS
Millennium Development Goal
Multiple Independent Cluster Survey
MoE Ministry of Education
MoF Ministry of Finance
MoHE Ministry of Higher Education
MoLSAMD Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Mar-
tyrs and Disabled (Previously referred to
as MoLSA or MoL
MoWA
MTBF
Ministry of Women‘s Affairs
Medium Term Budgeting Framework
MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework
NER Net Enrolment Rate
NESA National Education Standard Authority
NESP Afghanistan National Education Strategic
Plan
NFE Non Formal Education
NFEMIS Non Formal Education Management
Information System
NGO Non governmental Organisation
NIMA National Institute of Management and
Administration
NSDP National Skills Development Programme
NSP National Solidarity Program, (programme
implemented by the Ministry of Rural
Rehabilitation & Development)
NVETB National Vocational Education and Train-
ing Board
ODA Official Development Assistance
PACE-A Partnership Advancing Community-based
Education, Afghanistan
PED Provincial Education Department
PER Public Expenditure Review
PRT
PTA
RBM
Provincial Reconstruction Team
Parent Teacher Association
Results Based Management
RIMU Reform Implementation Management
Unit at MoE
SAF Stabilization Aid Fund
SC-UK Save the Children UK
SC-SN Save the Children Sweden and Norway
SCA Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
Sida Swedish International Cooperation
Agency
SIP School Improvement Plan
SMC School Management Committee
SWA Sector Wide Approach
SWAp
SY
Sector Wide Programme
Solar Year
TA Technical Assistance or Technical Assis-
tant
TED Teacher Education Department
TEP Teacher Education Programme
TTC Teacher Training College
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 viii
TVET Technical & Vocational Education and
Training
UNAMA United Nations Assistance Mission to
Afghanistan
UNCT United Nations Country Team
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance
Framework
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
UNHCR
UNICEF
United Nations High Commission for
Refugees
United Nations Children‘s Fund
USAID United States Agency for International
Development
VET Vocational Education and Training
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organisation
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 ix
Executive Summary
This sector analysis report (ESA) takes
stock of the state of education in Afghani-
stan in the first quarter of 1389 (2010).
1
It is
an overview of the education sector, set
within wider national development frame-
works. It reflects the views and opinions of
many of the stakeholders who support the
delivery of education services. It is accom-
panied by a second report that provides an
initial assessment of the National Education
Strategic Plan NESP II 1389-1393 (2010-
2014).
The ESA concludes that the education
sector overall is rightly ambitious. It is in
expansionary mode and has made some
remarkable gains since 2002. It is atten-
tive to improving the quality of education
but is deeply constrained by the weak
capacity of both education and financial
systems to work together effectively. It
operates in a complex and fragile institu-
tional environment. Insecurity, poverty,
conflict, political uncertainty and gender
inequality play heavily on the ability of
the education sector to deliver an educa-
tion of good quality for all. It is depend-
ent on aid to rebuild and to change, con-
sequently, the coordination and manage-
ment of aid takes on enormous impor-
tance.
It is a sector that draws on the learning
culture of Islam. It benefits too from the
resilience of Afghanistan’s peoples and
their demand and support for education.
It is able to harness the capacities of nu-
merous international and non-
governmental organisations to deliver
educational services in challenging envi-
ronments. It is conscious of the need to
1
As required under its terms of reference this study
focuses it attention on the Ministry of Education
(MoE), the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE),
the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and
Disabled (MoLSAMD), and, to a lesser extent, the
Ministry of Women‘s Affairs (MoWA).
raise the capacity of education delivery
systems quickly but in sustainable ways.
It is a sector that faces many problems.
There is too much wastage in the sector.
Too little time is spent learning in class-
rooms. Too many children fail to com-
plete and benefit from a basic education.
Too many students fail to acquire the
skills so urgently needed in Afghanistan’s
economy. Too few adults acquire literacy
skills that can be sustained. And too many
resources are lost because of a failure to
spend development budgets.
It seems that 1389 (2010) is a critical year
for the future of Afghanistan. It is cer-
tainly an important year for education.
Two new sub-sector plans are being
launched: National Education Strategic
Plan II (NESP II, 1389-1393) and the Na-
tional Higher Education Strategic Plan
(1389-1393); plans which are intended to
provide frameworks for action for the
next five years. Both have set demanding
programme agendas. Both require addi-
tional financing. Both need greater priori-
tisation and realism as this relates to risk,
projected financial resources, wider insti-
tutional environments and capacity con-
straints.
The summary of the sector analysis that
follows is in five parts. These parts mirror
and follow the sequence of the main report.
These are: A: The Education Sector in Con-
text; B: Taking Stock of the Education Sec-
tor; C: Three Special Issues; D: Managing
Change; and E: Conclusions and Recom-
mendations.
The report, especially Section D, takes ac-
count of the issues which the Education for
All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) will be ex-
pected to scrutinise in some detail as part of
the appraisal process leading to the planned
endorsement of NESP II later this year.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 x
A The Education Sector in Context
The Legacy of Distrust
There is a long tradition of learning in Afg-
hanistan which draws its principles and its
pedagogy from Islam. More formal state led
education is a product of the 20
th
century.
Over the last few decades, a legacy of dis-
trust towards formal education was fostered
as Afghan communities have witnessed
education being used for ideological pur-
poses. Some communities remain suspicious
about the role and objectives of formal edu-
cation. At worst, it is seen as a tool designed
to defile and degrade Islamic culture and
values. Anti-government elements have ca-
pitalized on these fears. But attacks on
schools do not necessarily reflect ideologi-
cal opposition to education. Most Afghans
welcome learning opportunities.
A Time of Progress
From a position of almost complete collapse
during the Taliban era, the education sector
has made some remarkable gains. Since
1380 (2001), recorded attendance in formal
schooling has grown from one million chil-
dren to seven million, including 2.5 million
girls. Teacher training colleges have been
established in every province. Tens of thou-
sands of teachers have been hired and re-
ceived some training, thousands of schools
have been built or refurbished, curriculum
renewal has and is taking place, and millions
of textbooks have been printed and distrib-
uted. Literacy programmes have been pro-
vided to hundreds of thousands of people
across the nation.
Challenges Ahead
There is still much to achieve. The educa-
tion sector must double its service capacity
to provide education for more than five mil-
lion children who are estimated to be out of
school, most of whom are girls. The geogra-
phy and the climate of Afghanistan make
these tasks even more daunting. The insur-
gency creates difficulties in providing edu-
cation in areas of conflict and insecurity.
A new modern higher education system has
to emerge from the ashes of destruction,
fully responsive to the social and economic
needs of Afghanistan. The skills most
needed by the country‘s economy have to be
identified and met.
The Legal Underpinning
Education has a relatively strong legal and
constitutional platform. Five articles in the
Constitution confer rights to education for
all. The Education Law of Afghanistan 1387
(2008) decrees that education is compulsory
for Grades 1-9 and that education is free
from basic education through to higher edu-
cation. The first commitment cannot be en-
forced; the second will become increasingly
unrealistic. The enactment of the new
Higher Education Law (expected in 2010)
should provide a stronger enabling envi-
ronment for the development of that sub-
sector.
Meeting Development Priorities
Afghanistan‘s National Development Strat-
egy (ANDS)
2
is founded on three pillars:
Security; Governance, Rule of Law and
Human Rights; and, Economic and Social
Development. Education and Training is
located under the third of these pillars. But it
can and should also make contributions to-
wards providing security, realising rights,
strengthening good governance and devel-
oping skills.
Education‘s ability to play these roles is
severely constrained. In a country of close to
30 million people, fewer than 7,000 students
passed end-of-year Grade 14 examinations
in 1388 (2009), 62,000 were enrolled in
higher education, and 11,000 were enrolled
in vocational training programmes under the
National Skills Development Programme
(NSDP). This is a very limited knowledge
and skills base. A comprehensive overview
of longer-term growth and employment sce-
narios is needed, setting out alternative, cost
2
Serving as Afghanistan‘s Poverty Reduction Strat-
egy.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xi
effective ways of strengthening and building
up Afghanistan‘s skills capacity.
Education Sector Policies and Plans
The work of the sector is guided by sub-
sector strategies and plans prepared by dif-
ferent ministries. These plans are an
achievement in themselves. Intensive na-
tional planning which was aided by (some
would say driven) external partners is a rela-
tively new experience. Levels of consulta-
tion within and across ministries, the use
and/or dependence on external technical
assistance, dialogue across government and
the involvement of front line stakeholders
appear to have varied considerably across
ministries.
Goals and Performance Measurement
Each plan sets out its higher order goals but
it is not always clear that education outputs
and outcomes are the main drivers for
measuring and assessing performance. As
their titles imply (except MoWA‘s National
Action Plan for Women‘s Affairs), the
documents provide strategic frameworks.
They are not operational plans. The degree
to which they stipulate time-bound pro-
grammes and programme activities varies.
The Higher Education Strategy is perhaps
the most specific in linking intended actions
with human and financial resources.
Linkages
All four ministries are engaged in different
ways in promoting and/or developing skills
for employment and national development.
MoE and MoHE should be more closely
linked given that students transit from one
level of education to another. Expanding
demand for education at all levels is likely
to require more bridges across the education
system and more differentiated and flexible
approaches to service delivery.
National Plans: Local Needs
There is little analysis in any of the strategic
plans of inequities and disparities of service
provision, resource allocation and differen-
tial learning outcomes in different parts of
the country.
Cross Cutting Issues
ANDS requires that cross-cutting issues be
addressed in sector plans. There is mixed
practice in this regard. Sections C and D
look at some of these issues in greater detail.
External Planning Frameworks
To execute the majority of Afghanistan‘s
rebuilding reforms and innovations in the
education sector requires sustained external
assistance. But donors have different ways
of working and have their own education
sector priorities, which may vary in individ-
ual provinces. Ministries in the education
sector have to be conversant with what a
relatively large number of donors can or
cannot do. In essence, there is another tier of
education strategies and strategy papers to
be connected and related to the mainstream
of national sub-sector plans. A further com-
plication is the association of the security
forces with education reconstruction and
programming, a matter dealt with in Section
C.
B Taking Stock of the Education
Sector
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
The benefits of participation in ECE are
well documented. The benefits are particu-
larly significant for severely disadvantaged
children, of whom there are many in Af-
ghanistan. To date, Afghan policy makers
have not responded uniformly to these un-
derstandings. While ECE is prioritised
clearly in the Education Law, it receives
very limited attention in the draft of NESP
II. This may reflect a pragmatic view at this
time, that MoE cannot meet every challenge
in its sub-sector.
ECE in Afghanistan is currently provided by
NGOs and, to a lesser extent, by some pri-
vate schools. There are also day care pro-
grammes which are provided through MoL-
SAMD, mainly for children of government
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xii
employees. In addition, there are widespread
mosque-based initiatives which offer Is-
lamic pre-school learning opportunities.
In collaboration with the Bangladesh NGO,
BRAC, MoE is planning a pilot ECE pro-
gramme in five provinces. This will follow
training by BRAC for a group who will
oversee the pilot, the results from which
should help to determine the extent of future
engagement of MoE in ECE provision.
General Education
General Education covers formal schooling
between Grades 1 and 12. The recovery of
many aspects of the school system during
the last decade has been remarkable. It is
widely recognised that this investment is
crucial for the development of Afghanistan
as a modern Islamic state just as it is for
every Afghan child and family.
Access
Participation in schooling has grown dra-
matically in the last eight years. There are
now approximately seven million young
people registered in school. There are large
disparities between urban and rural, and
gender participation, many of which are
exacerbated by continuing security issues in
some localities. Girls are hugely disadvan-
taged, with important consequences for their
completion of schooling, particularly be-
yond the early primary grades. Grade repe-
tition and high levels of attrition add to the
pool of young people who fail to acquire
basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Quality
The measurement of the quality of education
systems is a matter of world-wide debate.
Most frequently, it is assessed by proxies,
and then usually by inputs, rather than learn-
ing outcomes. With external assistance, Af-
ghanistan has made important progress in
reforming its basic education curriculum;
making relevant primary and secondary
school textbooks available; beginning the
huge task of providing adequate classrooms;
and training very large numbers of teachers.
However, one important proxy of quality is
the amount of instructional time children
receive in a school year. In a primary
school, international assessments suggest
that this should probably come out between
700 and 900 hours, a target which is not met
in many Afghanistan schools.
Equity
Many children in Afghanistan are disadvan-
taged and marginalised in all manner of
ways. Most children suffer multiple disad-
vantages, and especially girls. Differences in
geography, language, economic opportuni-
ties/ poverty and security manifest them-
selves in various ways in the different parts
of the country. Moreover, there are consid-
erable variations across Afghanistan in
terms of resourcing and the availability of
teachers and schools. Inevitably, this results
in disparities in educational opportunities,
outputs and learning outcomes.
Stakeholders
Children, the primary stakeholders, live in
families and communities; hence, in the
promotion of better schooling, the involve-
ment of both families and communities is
crucial and has proved to be increasingly
effective in Afghanistan. The close engage-
ment of the MoE at the local level is there-
fore vital. But MoE needs to work in a more
coordinated way at the sub-national level, to
use technology better, and to promote higher
standards of supervision.
Islamic Education
Islamic Education has a long tradition in
Afghanistan. It has strong support from
many portions of the population, especially
in rural areas and among the most economi-
cally disadvantaged communities. Its func-
tions, systems and institutions are well-
established, embedded in community values.
It produces personnel for Islamic institutions
and for government. MoE has shown itself
willing to engage and involve itself in the
improvement of Islamic schools. Curricu-
lum and textbooks have been developed so
that all children in the early primary grades
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xiii
receive the same core curriculum whether
they are in Islamic or formal schools. The
MoE is enabling Islamic school teachers to
develop their content knowledge and peda-
gogic skills by including them in major up-
grading programmes. A focus on improving
quality of Islamic High schools has had an
effect in that more Afghan students prefer
Afghan educational institutions, instead of
going abroad for their Islamic studies.
Teacher Education
In eight years, there has been a near ten-fold
increase in the number of teachers in Af-
ghanistan schools. This major achievement
has put great strains on the capacity of
teacher training colleges to train teachers
effectively and on MoE to ensure that teach-
ers are supervised effectively in their
schools. Under the overall leadership of
MoE‘s General Directorate of Teacher Edu-
cation, a number of programmes are being
introduced: These include:
? Development of a baseline study to ex-
plore the quality of teaching and learn-
ing in 300 schools; an important evi-
dence base for assessing ways of im-
proving teacher performance.
? Expansion of the teacher training col-
leges and expanding district-level sup-
port centres for teachers.
? Introduction of a comprehensive in-
service, four year professional develop-
ment programme for all teachers.
? Implementation of measures to increase
the quality of learning in Teacher Train-
ing Colleges (TTCs) by upgrading the
skills of tutors to connect their practice
with the realities of Afghan classrooms.
? Introduction of a teacher competency
assessment test (rolled out as a require-
ment for all teachers), as a prerequisite
for permanent placement on the gov-
ernment‘s tashkil.
? Introduction of financial incentives to
mitigate the shortfall of women teachers
through inducement to join TTCs and
then to consider postings to rural
schools.
Higher Education
The higher education sector operates in a
context where Afghanistan has shortages of
skilled human resources in every area that
contributes to a successful modern econ-
omy. The MoHE has developed a largely
realistic Higher Education Strategic Plan as
the basis for major improvements in the sub-
sector. To implement the plan, 50% of the
budget will be sought from external sources;
50% from the Afghan budget. Fortunately
for Afghanistan, external resources directed
towards higher education have proved to be
more readily available than in many low-
income countries.
The tertiary education sector is confronted
by a formidable set of challenges if it is to
both expand and provide higher of education
of good quality, relevant to the needs of the
economy. Urgent investment has to be made
in: refurbishment and extension of infra-
structure; appropriate financing for higher
education; internal efficiency of the institu-
tions; quality of graduates; and relevance of
programmes to national needs.
There is to be a planned doubling of stu-
dents enrolled in higher education numbers
between 2010 and 2014. Particular attention
will be paid to the need to attract women to
higher education institutions outside of the
urban centres. New community colleges will
be set up in the provinces, five in the next
five years, offering two-year diploma
courses alongside a wide range of shorter,
employment-oriented programmes.
Quality control is evolving slowly. This
study has found data gaps in key areas such
as quality of graduate skill sets, cost effec-
tiveness and internal efficiency of the sys-
tem. Faculty need appropriate upgrading, as
does the curriculum of many courses, per-
haps through links and exchanges with in-
ternationally known institutions.
Community Based Education (CBE)
Modern community-based schools (CBSs)
are conceived around an older Mosque-
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xiv
based tradition and receive positive re-
sponses from the communities they serve.
To an extent, they can be seen as ?gap fill-
ing.‘ In practice, they are a key part of the
primary education (through to at least Grade
3), in underserved and/or rural communities
where there is no formal government school.
CBE is implemented by a wide range of IOs
and NGOs. Some evidence suggests that
CBSs are on a par with standard government
primary schools. This finding deserves fur-
ther exploration.
CBSs have increased children‘s access to
educational opportunities. Educational op-
portunities close to children‘s homes has
improved school enrolment, particularly for
girls. There are now more than 7,000 CBSs,
with student enrolments of over 250,000.
The schools are not evenly distributed
across the country, with security factors pre-
eminent. A CBS mapping exercise is
needed.
Because this is a MoE programme, CBSs
mostly have access to textbooks and other
resources, although the supply can be er-
ratic. MoE has linked CBSs to so-called
?hub schools‘ to form a cluster. The hub
schools are responsible for monitoring the
standards of CBSs in their cluster. The ex-
tent and effectiveness of this strategy is not
clear.
Skills for Development, VET and TVET
The shortage of skilled persons in more or
less all sectors of the economy is a major
challenge. Increasingly, the government is
turning to the private sector and to NGOs.
Regulation
One crucial role for government (including
MoE, MoLSAMD and MoHE) is to develop
a national framework for skills develop-
ment. This requires a strong regulatory
framework and common criteria for the as-
sessment of competencies (theoretical and
practical). Better inter- and intra-ministerial
cooperation and coordination is needed.
External support is partly in place; more will
probably come if progress can be observed.
Sound regulation and better coordination
requires good data and sound baseline in-
formation which is largely lacking. More
research, testing and piloting is needed.
Existing Resources
There are already considerable resources in
existing institutions under both MoE and
MoLSAMD, in particular Technical and
Vocational Training (TVET) within Secon-
dary Education, and Vocational Education
and Training (VET) in different training
programmes and institutions. There are
structures and traditions in place; there are
implementers and motivated instructors. But
much remains to be done in terms of im-
proving quality and relevance and expand-
ing access in order to satisfy the need for
skills in the market and to provide more
training and learning places for the increas-
ing number of students coming from basic
education. The private sector will need to
contribute to a much larger extent than be-
fore in this development. One important task
for MoE is to improve the quality of formal,
basic education, so that students are well
prepared to benefit from skills development
programmes.
Literacy
Afghanistan has some enormous challenges
to raising levels of adult literacy. Eleven
million of its people are classified as illiter-
ate.
Policy and Goals
The MoE has set the ambitious target of
achieving 48% literacy by 2014, with a spe-
cific emphasis on improving the literacy rate
among women. MoE has a large literacy
bureaucracy and there are many Interna-
tional Organisations (IOs) and NGOs in-
volved in course delivery.
Programmes
MoE has adopted the UNESCO-designed
literacy curricula to meet Afghan needs.
This offers a nine-month course with life
skills elements. Other literacy providers
offer courses with different frameworks and
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xv
structures. In total, around 270,000 learners
successfully completed literacy classes in
1388 (2009), according to UNESCO which
is tracking the number of beneficiaries and
classes. This number is insufficient to meet
stated national targets. And it is claimed that
the number of functioning classes which is
reported to the MoE is exaggerated.
Whether or not literacy graduates receive
post-literacy support and materials and sus-
tain their literacy appears to depend on their
training provider. Supervision of literacy
courses, whoever the provider, is generally
very weak. Moreover, there is no defined set
of objectives, minimum standards or testing
for literacy courses to ensure that learners
gain the appropriate skills.
Outcomes
MoE has yet to resolve issues of assessment
and accreditation for literacy courses. As a
result, literacy graduates are generally un-
able to use their study as credit for entry into
either school or vocational courses. While
achieving literacy confers considerable
benefits to the individual, his or her family
and the wider community, it should also
provide a ladder to further learning and em-
ployment opportunities.
In one area, at least, the literacy pro-
grammes are successful – the recruitment of
women to the classes is far higher than that
of men – at nearly 80% in 1387 (2008), and
58% in 1388 (2009), according to the fig-
ures provided by the MoE.
Private Education
Until recently, private schools have received
little attention in Afghanistan. They make
up a very small proportion of schooling pro-
vision: 160 registered schools catering for
37,000 students. Recently, MoE has estab-
lished a new Division of Private Education.
All registered private schools have to teach
the unified curriculum in Pashto or Dari.
They benefit from access to textbook sup-
plies, inspection, and participation in in-
service programmes for teachers.
There are a number of private VET institu-
tions, mainly focused on trade skills, but
increasingly on IT and English language
courses. Generally, these are of a better
standard than government VET providers.
Teachers in private schools are usually bet-
ter paid than their state counterparts. In re-
turn, they work under tighter management
conditions.
An important consideration will be how the
growth of private schools impacts on access
to, and quality of, the formal government
school system. Private schools of good stan-
dard will inevitably charge high tuition fees.
The consequences will be that only students
from more affluent segments of the popula-
tion will access these schools while the poor
have no other option but to send their chil-
dren to MoE schools. Government schools
must never be seen as safety net schools for
the poor.
C Three Specific Issues
Achieving the EGA/MDG Goals
For Afghanistan to achieve its stated objec-
tives of realising the Education for All
(EFA) and Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), it has to address more fundamen-
tally ways of including all children in
school.
Inclusive Education
While there is a high level of commitment at
the ministerial level to Inclusive Education,
its meaning and its scope is poorly under-
stood, often referring only to children with
disabilities. A stronger conceptual frame-
work is needed to include the educational
needs of girls, Kuchi children, children kept
from school by security issues, child labour
and children with learning difficulties.
The policy environment and the leadership
and management of Inclusive Education in
MoE is weak, with limited technical capac-
ity within the system. Programme activity is
chiefly led by UNESCO. The UNESCO
tool-kit, recently translated into Dari and
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xvi
Pashto, is intended to broaden and deepen
teachers‘ understandings of Inclusive Edu-
cation and to help them to formulate re-
sponses.
In the main report there is an analysis of the
main groups at risk.
Education, Security and Peace
Insecurity, be it exhibited by closed and/or
vandalised schools or in other ways, is inti-
mately related to weak development of hu-
man capital, and therefore to poor economic
potential and performance. Insecurity also
acts very negatively on the development of
social capital, both for the individual and the
community. Areas of the country with good
security are those with high attendance rates
in school and consequent high achievement
rates of the students.
The role of Provincial Reconstruction
Teams in the construction of schools and
other education-related initiatives is an un-
usual one, but the benefits of the widespread
construction of schools with appropriate
security measures are recognised by com-
munities in hard-pressed areas of the coun-
try.
Communities themselves can and should
take measures to protect their schools and
mitigate the security risks to their children
in schools. Where communities are effec-
tively doing so, there are almost always evi-
dent positive results in terms of enhanced
school security.
Advancing the Gender Agenda
The low participation rate of girls in school-
ing is a key concern. Afghanistan‘s com-
mitment to play a more competitive and
vigorous role in the global economy simply
cannot be met unless and until it is able to
provide access and quality educational op-
portunities to its female population.
MoE recognition of this imperative is evi-
dent in the ambitious commitments made in
NESP I, only a portion of which have been
achieved. A gender unit is now being set up
within MoE in order to give more day-by-
day prominence to the issues.
The absence of girls from school is particu-
larly acute in rural and insecure provinces.
Girls‘ participation in schooling in Kabul is
close to that of boys.
Key reasons why girls‘ attendance drops off
so precipitously after the first years of gen-
eral education include: lack of female teach-
ers; limited number of girls‘ schools; cul-
tural barriers; safety issues; security chal-
lenges; distance of travel; lack of relevance/
practicality of the curricula; and lack of
flexibility of the educational system. Mini-
mizing the risks and engaging communities
to commit to girls‘ education can be done in
several ways:
? Providing more mosque-based and home-
based schools.
? Implementing public information campaigns
about the positive values of girls‘ education;
campaigns which have proven most effec-
tive have involved community and religious
leaders and propagated educational ideals in
harmonization with Islamic values.
? Involving the families in the process such
that male family members understand the
importance of serving as mahram (chaper-
one) to accompany female members to
school.
? Ensuring that perimeter walls around girls‘
schools are adequate; (community-led ef-
forts have proven to be successful in this re-
gard, in places where educational resources
are scarce).
? Reducing distance of travel by providing
more schools and more centrally-located
schools.
? Ensuring that the curriculum includes the
study of Islamic values and religious teach-
ing.
D Managing Change
This section looks at the financing of the
education sector, the availability and use of
data and knowledge, building capacity, and
making aid work more effectively. It does so
primarily in relation to the Ministry of Edu-
cation (MoE). These issues take on added
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xvii
significance given MoE‘s intention to gain
the endorsement of NESP II by FTI during
1389(2010).
Financing
Education is the second largest sector on the
operating budget and received 11 percent of
the total development budget for
1388(2009). MoE‘s salary bill alone is sec-
ond only to the Defence and Security sector,
which for some time will continue to be the
major source of competition for any extra,
locally generated operating budget re-
sources.
Operating and Development Budgets
There is substantial under expenditure on
MoE‘s Development Budget (43% in 1388).
Capacity to implement at project level re-
mains a challenge. For MoHE, Development
Budget performance was better (61%). The
reasons for under-expenditure s are com-
plex. Numerous players are involved, in-
cluding the sector ministries, the Ministry of
Finance (MoF) and donors. All need to work
together to identify and resolve blockages
and process delays.
Beyond assessment of the proportion of ex-
penditure by programme, and some report-
ing on activities and staffing levels, the at-
tention paid to the monitoring and evalua-
tion function in MoE is low after three years
of programme budgeting. This reflects weak
capacity; relatively little pressure from MoF
or donors for better quality reports; and slow
development of new systems for changing
the nature of information gathering and
analysis. Both budgeting and planning are
still largely driven from the centre; and there
remains some separation even between
those two functions.
External Budget
The External Budget of the education sector
for 1388 (2009) is estimated to be US$203
million, MoE claiming the major share
(US$146 million) and MoHE the remainder
(US$46.3 million). In MoE, off-budget fi-
nancing of the NESP I was through 21 do-
nor partners (including ARTF) and 42 im-
plementing partners.
3
Donors spent US
$896 million against a projected NESP I
expenditure forecast of US$1.565 billion
over the five year period. Spending allo-
cated to NESP programmes suggests that
donor financing is broadly aligned to MoE
priorities.
Donors will continue to fund less than
NESP II‘s estimate of its financing gap.
Even if the suggested amount were made
available, there is doubt that the system
would have the ability to absorb the invest-
ment. Persistent under spending on the De-
velopment Budget will constrain more ex-
ternal budget transfers to direct Afghan con-
trol.
Revenue
Projections forecast rising receipts, but with
increasing demands for Security as well as
Education, this does not necessarily equate
to improved fiscal sustainability in the short
to medium term. Education operating budg-
ets will be dependent on continued donor
financing and non-salary operating costs are
likely to continue to be constrained, limiting
improvement intentions in quality, and gen-
eral service delivery.
The sector itself raises very little revenue.
Budget regulations require all such earnings
be returned to Consolidated Revenue. This
is an emerging issue for the MoHE and the
Universities which see opportunities for
charging for some services.
Financing NESP II
The costing of NESP II has been based on
some carefully calculated estimates using
some internally agreed educational norms.
These estimates have been accepted for the
purposes of the ESA exercise, although it is
only possible to calculate the financing gap
with any degree of acceptable approxima-
tion for the next three financial years, partly
because of low levels of aid predictability
3
The Grants Management Unit (MoE) lists over 60
education sector donors.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xviii
for the sector. These details will be put un-
der greater scrutiny during FTI appraisal. At
present, the budget and NESP plans are not
closely aligned. There is little evidence of
recognition of this fact in preparing annual
operating plans or evaluating the impact of
NESP II intentions. Operational plans for
2010 are late, and this is likely to have a
knock-on effect in the next two years at
least.
Financial Management and Governance:
MoE
Service delivery in MoE is highly dispersed,
but strategic and budget planning are highly
centralised. The shift towards Results Based
Management (RBM) is intended to move the
focus of budget implementation to the moni-
toring of outputs. The central part of MoE is
likely to cope with this but progress is weak
at the provincial level.
Although progress in moving Afghanistan
Financial Management Information System
(AFMIS) to the provinces is good, the proc-
ess involves too many players in actually
delivering the financing for delivery of ser-
vices at the provincial and school levels,
particularly in the Development Budget.
In the medium to long term, planned school
construction will impose a significant strain
on the operating budget as the costs of main-
taining and equipping of schools flow
through. There is some evidence from the
EQUIP programme that school-based grants
are losing their attraction due to highly bu-
reaucratic management demands and some
perceived unreliability of the funding
stream. The medium-term outlook is for
continued imbalance between salaries and
operating costs. This is destructive of efforts
to improve quality.
Procurement
Good procurement includes annual pro-
curement plans related to the annual budget,
consistent with the NESP (for MoE). It pro-
vides the basis for timely and proper acqui-
sition of goods and services and sound
budget execution.
Low expenditure leads to concerns about
poor governance and accountability relating
to public expenditures. This is one of the
main reasons for the large share of donor
assistance channelled through the external
budget as donors seek to bypass weak gov-
ernment systems and deliver resources to
projects and programs directly. Improving
public expenditure governance is also a key
prerequisite for donors to shift from the ex-
ternal budget to the core budget. This is a
stated priority objective of the government.
AFMIS, the Ministry of Finance and Pro-
curement
AFMIS is a fairly robust system. If MoE
gets its wish for greater levels of Operating
Cost budget being allocated to both Goods
and Services and Investment codes, AFMIS
should be able to match greater management
decentralisation in MoE, provided the nec-
essary training accompanies the change and
MoF does not slow the process.
Procurement and Planning
The decentralisation of the procurement
process is in MoE plans. Threshold limits
for local procurement rules have been in-
creased. AFMIS expansion to the provincial
level this should provide some support for
improving levels of expenditure. There are
however many considerations to take into
account when developing procurement plans
and the pace at which decentralisation pro-
ceeds.
Internal Audit
MoE has established an Internal Audit Di-
rectorate in the new Tashkil. In the struc-
ture, it reports directly to the Minister, an
important aspect of governance. The internal
audit function in the Ministry is assessed as
very weak at this stage although there is a
small group who would benefit from close
development support. Internal Audit skills
requirements are unlikely to be met for
some time from the local labour market
even after pay and grading transfers are
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xix
completed. This could compromise both
capacity building and integrity of process.
There is international pressure for Afghani-
stan to adopt ?good international practice?
in auditing on a government wide level and
the Government has committed previously
to greater transparency overall in govern-
ment. There is likely to be a very long term
transition and require dedicated international
support.
Knowledge and Data
Good plans and programmes need to be
grounded in authoritative monitoring,
evaluation and research and to be strongly
informed by reliable and timely educational
data.
School Surveys and Annual Report
Important advances have been made over
past four years in surveying schools and
other educational institutions that fall under
the aegis of MoE. An Annual Education
Summary Report has been prepared since
1386 (2007). This is a highly labour inten-
sive paper-based activity prone to a high
margin of error in the collection and tran-
scription of data and anecdotally subject to
manipulation.
Data Gaps
The lack absence of school age/grade infor-
mation is especially problematic. It is well
nigh impossible to monitor progress towards
Afghanistan EFA and MDG related goals
over time. Age/grade information is impor-
tant too because children‘s learning chances
are that much greater if they participate in
schooling at the correct, official age. Chil-
dren who start late are more likely to drop
out or fail to progress, especially girls.
Better quality-related indicators are needed,
especially on school completion, transition
rates from primary to lower secondary and
so on up the system, pupil /teacher and
classroom /student ratios, the availability of
learning materials and textbooks, instruc-
tional hours per week (and year) and some
disaggregation of examination data to allow
the assessment of skills and knowledge that
has been acquired. There is also a need,
sooner rather than later, to begin to monitor
and report trends over time.
Knowledge Gap: Knowledge Sources
The challenges of the rapid expansion of an
education system while improving the qual-
ity of learning from a very low base pose
enormous problems. One potential answer is
to make more use of research and compara-
tive experience. But the knowledge base in
Afghanistan is disparate and weak. Most
applied research is conducted within the
framework of donor-supported activities or
research undertaken to help define donor‘s
own strategies and programmes.
Building Capacity
The acquisition of skills and knowledge is
important, but so too is experience and the
sharing of experience. Developing systems,
structures, networks and resources is collec-
tively all part of the capacity which deter-
mines collectively whether a school, a Pro-
vincial Directorate or a Ministry of Educa-
tion fulfils its statutory responsibilities and
achieves its service delivery objectives.
One significant indicator of capacity is the
ability of the MoE to spend its development
budget. As noted earlier, this remains stub-
bornly below 50%. This either suggests a
level of unrealistic ambition and/or an ab-
sence of capacity (including in other minis-
tries, such as MoF at sub-national levels) to
be able to deliver on planned programmes.
A proxy and imperfect measure of the ca-
pacity of those working in the education
sector is their educational background and
qualifications. Fewer than 7% in MOE‘s
workforce have university degrees. Just 24%
of the teaching force has completed Grade
12 education.
The capacity of the cadre of technical, ad-
ministrative and management staff in MoE
and their ways of working is difficult to as-
sess in any quantitative sense. But during
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xx
NESP I close to 1,500 national and technical
advisers were recruited, supported by donor
funding. This is a strong proxy measure of
the limitations of government civil servants
in being able to deliver the MoE‘s ambitious
expansion programme.
At an organisational level, MoE has been
developing a closer fit between its struc-
tures, systems and procedural ways of work-
ing and its NESP II goals and programmes.
If these changes work well, they will be
important elements of a capacity develop-
ment strategy. In this regard, the ESA team
finds the need for stronger coordination and
cross-ministry communication mechanisms
at the top end of the Ministry.
In moving forward, it will be necessary for
the MoE to conceive of capacity-building as
a core theme running through all of its work.
Good policy needs good process; good re-
sults need good process. In these relatively
?early days,? process may be more impor-
tant than policy or results as it is the means
of embedding the basis for continuing im-
provement.
Aid for Education
Aid Dependence: Aid Effectiveness
For the foreseeable future, the expansion
and the qualitative improvement of the edu-
cation sector will continue to depend on
external aid. It important therefore, that the
partnerships between education sector aid
agencies and implementing organisations
are effective. Making aid work well is core
business for MoE and for other education
sector ministries too, as it is for the Gov-
ernment of Afghanistan as a whole, and for
its donor partners.
The Situation in 1389 (2010)
The MoE in 1389 (2010) is now better
equipped to manage its sector, to offer lead-
ership, and to maintain the right balance
between enabling external partners to work
productively in Afghanistan while limiting
and preventing unwanted developments.
Managing this balance is difficult. Compara-
tive experience also suggests that it is not
easy for development agencies to improve
coordination in difficult and challenging
environments, finding that managing and
advancing their own programmes and pro-
jects is challenge enough.
The Aid to Education Picture
There is no reliable and complete database
on donor activity, maintained to serve policy
and planning on an ongoing basis.
Better Aid Practice
Clearly in a situation where the financial
gap is considerable and capacity within the
education system is weak, it is difficult for
governments to take a strong lead. One con-
sequence of this in some countries is a will-
ingness to accept additional assistance with-
out undue attention to its long term benefits.
Conversely, donors restrict their support
assessing that the fund utilisation capacity of
the government and MoE is low, that plans
and strategies are insufficiently credible
and/or that procurement systems, audits and
the channelling of funds is not transparent.
An aid effectiveness menu for donors is
likely to include:
? Channeling funds through the government‘s
core budget (as, for example, through
ARTF);
? Providing predictable financing for the full
period of the government‘s education stra-
tegic plan or plans, at levels commensurate
with the scale of the challenge and the com-
petency of the sector to deliver;
? Supporting operational costs (with safe-
guards), as well as development budgets;
? Being responsive to urgent needs;
? Ensuring that ministries are involved from
project/programme planning through to
completion, to ensure that a real contribu-
tion to the achievement of education sector
goals is being made;
? Reducing the number of parallel project op-
erating systems and units;
? Providing technical assistance geared to
strengthening capacity;
? Setting aside time and technical capacity to
give strong technical support to ministry-led
sector coordination;
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxi
? Subsuming national or organizational identi-
ty in support of the government/ministry‘s
identity;
? Acting creatively in support of joined-up
and coordinated ways of working; e.g.
through pooled funds, trust funds, joint re-
views, join technical assistance etc;
? Being transparent in the dissemination and
reporting of all aspects of education sector
work;
? Providing in-country policy advice, based on
good comparative experience;
? Minimizing the level of separate reporting
formats and requirements.
In Afghanistan, which is a ?young? gov-
ernment system with a very large of number
of donors and implementing agencies, pro-
gress is being made towards greater align-
ment and coordination, but this is still at a
relatively early stage.
Support for Education through Budget Sup-
port: ARTF
The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
(ATRF) enables donors to provide support
for Afghanistan‘s operating or recurrent
budget, in other words, to move funds into
the core budget of the government. In addi-
tion to providing salaries (including for
teachers, given that ARTF effectively sup-
ports 50% of civilian salaries) and operating
costs, the Fund is used for priority pro-
grammes, such as the EQUIP programme,
for the purpose of improving the quality of
education. Thirty international agencies are
moving most or some of their aid resources
through this mechanism. It provides a major
support platform for education and for more
coordinated ways of working.
Projects and Programmes
Most discrete projects and programmes sup-
ported by education sector donors are ex-
plicitly or broadly aligned with NESP pro-
grammes and strategies. One of the largest,
the ARTF-funded EQUIP project is in the
process of being integrated into MoE. In this
way, it is envisioned that this programme
intended will be sustainable within govern-
ment systems. But given the large number of
aid supported projects, it is almost inevitable
that there will continue to be separate units
managing programmes in parallel to gov-
ernment systems.
The Role of NGOs
Many NGOs are influential in Afghan edu-
cation. They have long experience in the
country and draw on generous financial
support from overseas. They reach into parts
of the country that government cannot. It is
estimated that there are more than 60 IOs
and NGOs active in the education sector.
4
Their diversity means that there is a range of
capacities and varying degrees of linkages
with government systems.
PRTs in Education
See section C.
Making Aid Work Better
A recent DFID funded study on sector wide
approaches in Afghanistan concluded that
the education sector as a whole is not ready
for a sector wide approach. It added, how-
ever, MoE is the most SWAp ready part of
the education sector. The ESA concludes
that moves in this direction should be taken
with some caution, building first on current
developments.
As a result of a joint initiative by MoE and
Canadian CIDA, the Afghanistan Educa-
tion Development Board (EDB) was estab-
lished in December 2008 to help coordinate
aid to education. In April 2010, the Educa-
tion Development Board was transformed
into the Human Resource Development
Board (HRDB). The work of the EDB has
laid the foundation for moving towards the
ambitious objectives which HRDB has set
for itself. In due course, HRDB will require
a stronger cutting edge, where ministry and
donor representatives bring greater decision-
making authority to the HRDB table, to give
stronger impetus and effect to resource mo-
bilisation, coordination, alignment and har-
monisation.
4
This is an inexact figure given that there said to be
100+ literacy providers.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxii
A second initiative designed to foster coor-
dination and ministerial cooperation, backed
by donor partners, is enshrined in the work
of the clusters. This represents a new ap-
proach to inter-ministerial dialogue and co-
operation. The human resource develop-
ment cluster comprises MoE, MoHE,
MoWA, MoLSAMD and more recently, the
Ministry of Public Health. Efforts are being
made to bring the private sector into the fold
as well. Its product is yet to be seen.
The third development with potential to
promote a more holistic approach to educa-
tion sector policy and practice, and bring
about stronger donor coordination, is the
Education for All Fast Track Initiative
(EFA/FTI).
These are all time-consuming activities
which work largely through the mechanism
of working groups. At best, working groups
sit firmly within the mainstream of ministry
work through its directorates and depart-
ments; at worst they can create parallel
structures with no real authority. There is
evidence of both.
There is obviously both enthusiasm and
momentum for working in a more coordi-
nated manner. Both need to be sustained.
This means strong oversight of these activi-
ties by a proactive HRDB Secretariat. Much
has been achieved in the past few years to
promote dialogue across the education sec-
tor. The challenge now is to move towards a
more coordinated and synergistic action
plan.
E Conclusions and
Recommendations
This section brings together the main con-
clusions of the ESA. Deliberately, it does
not follow the sequence of the four main
sections of the report; rather, it is designed
to capture some core messages and to pro-
vide a short list of recommendations for the
consideration of education sector ministries
and their donor partners.
The Education Sector in Afghanistan is
complex, a complexity that has to be man-
aged and coordinated if national education
goals are to be achieved. It is a sector where
the majority of the country‘s population are
primary stakeholders. And the secondary
stakeholders - those who work for education
- are the largest civilian workforce in the
country. There are multiple implementing
agencies. This can facilitate flexibility and
responsiveness; it can also mean overlap,
duplication and lack of coordination. There
are separate education strategies from indi-
vidual ministries which fall within the
broader framework of the Afghanistan Na-
tional Development Strategy (ANDS).
The Education Sector is rebuilding. After
years of neglect and distrust, there is evi-
dence of a new belief in the value of educa-
tion. Latent demand is emerging. Slowly,
the capacity of education delivery systems is
strengthening from a very low base. Partner-
ships are being forged with communities in
support of education. Bridges are being built
between Islamic education in its many forms
and formal state schooling. There is in-
creased dialogue across ministries and with
education sector donors. Communities have
demonstrated their ability to secure and sup-
port their schools in the face of insurgency
and thereby help to stabilise their own local
community. And there are new links inter-
nationally which help to rebuild Afghani-
stan‘s place in the education world.
The Education Sector is reforming. It is
aiming high. It plans to achieve the educa-
tion MDGs by 2020 and make progress on
all six EFA goals, a very ambitious agenda.
It has embraced strategic planning and rec-
ognised, in rather general terms, the need for
education to deliver the skills, the knowl-
edge and the values to contribute to the
achievement of broader economic, social
and peace goals as these are set out in
ANDS. It is initiating systemic change in the
professional development of teachers, re-
thinking the place of universities and creat-
ing other higher education institutions and
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxiii
renewing curriculum at all levels. It is re-
structuring ministries to reflect programme
priorities. The need for greater sector coher-
ence is being discussed across ministries and
there are worthwhile efforts to effect better
donor-government coordination.
The Education Sector has made important
initial gains. In 2010, seven million chil-
dren are registered in school (with a gradual
increase in the proportion of girls), 170,000
teachers are teaching, new and revised text-
books are in schools, and, more slowly, edu-
cation infrastructure is being built and refur-
bished. There is, with external support,
some rethinking of pedagogy in schools and
universities, and in defining and promoting
the place of in-service teacher training in the
fabric of Afghanistan‘s education. Islamic
education is being strengthened. Communi-
ties have been encouraged and enabled to
support and protect their schools through
assemblies and shuras. There has been some
delegation of authority to the sub-national
levels of the education system. Donors have
largely sustained their levels of aid to educa-
tion.
But the Education Sector has to confront
immense challenges if these gains are to be
consolidated and if the 1393 (2014) and
1399 (2020) education goals and targets are
to be achieved. Notably, there is the need to:
? Reduce the enormous wastage (human and fi-
nancial) as the result of children failing to com-
plete their basic education; teachers trained to
teach who don‘t teach; development budgets that
are not spent; and operating costs that are inade-
quate for supporting change.
? Exercise greater prioritisation in programming.
? Give priority to a small set of higher order edu-
cation outcomes defined in terms of access, re-
tention, completion, quality, transition to the
next level of education, equity and relevance.
? Match available financial resources to operation-
ally manageable programmes with clearly-
defined educational results.
? Break the bottlenecks and remove the inefficien-
cies which delay the formulation of budgets, al-
lotment of funds, procurement of goods, execu-
tion of programmes and reporting of results.
? Make data and knowledge work better for plan-
ning, monitoring and review.
? Improve intra ministerial coordination at all
levels
? Take a longer term approach to capacity devel-
opment within ministries, beyond the short term
imperative to recruit Technical Assistants (TAs).
? Make aid better coordinated, more transparent,
and hence more effective.
In addition, the Education Sector has sub-
stantive policy issues to resolve:
? The education of girls is central to achieving
EFA and MDG goals and Afghanistan‘s wider
development objectives. A whole sector strategy
on girls and women‘s education is required if
levels of access and of quality are to improve
significantly.
? Improving the security of schools and students
that builds on good practice, in association with
defining ways in which education can contribute
to stabilisation and peace.
? Managing quality improvements during rapid
expansion; identifying acceptable standards and
norms. The future expansion of secondary edu-
cation will pose particular problems in this re-
gard.
? Working with employers, identifying the skill-
sets needed for the modern-sector economy; de-
velop and programme coherent responses and
encourage education-industry partnerships.
? Enhancing the benefits of Islamic education
through closer engagement with State education
and vice-versa.
? Ensuring equity of education service provision
across Provinces.
? Enabling (and possibly facilitating) the private
sector to play its part in rebuilding and reform.
? Analysing carefully the place of IT in education
in improving access, quality and relevance
In the short term, the priorities include:
? Finalising NESP II and making it operational
quickly.
? Passing the Higher Education Law
? Maximising the benefits to accrue from the HRD
Cluster; and considering the benefits of the Fast
Track Initiative.
Recommendations
1. Review and revise, as necessary, edu-
cation sub-sector strategies and plans
to ensure that programmes and sub-
programmes are prioritised against
the criteria of forecasted resource en-
velopes, system capacity and risk
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxiv
analysis. Under the current plans, not
everything can be done as proposed.
2. Reach agreement, at ministerial levels,
for a joint task force of the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Fi-
nance (with assistance from the World
Bank in its role on ARTF) to work
through and resolve the bottlenecks
and poor practice that delay and
harm the delivery of education ser-
vices.
3. Develop and gain high level approval
for the development and implementa-
tion of a comprehensive sector strat-
egy for girls’ and women’s education.
4. Develop a cross-government strategy
on skills development to meet the
main challenges of rapid economic
growth/labour market needs.
5. Undertake a formal review of the
quality of general education in Af-
ghanistan and on how best to build, in
a realistic way, on the programmes
that have been implemented thus far.
Particular attention should be paid to
time spent on learning, the impact of
shift systems, classroom pedagogy, as-
sessment, and the quality of school
supervision.
6. Give the HRDB more teeth. Based on
its revised EDB objectives, develop an
action plan for the Board and con-
sider moving towards a Memorandum
of Understanding between the Gov-
ernment of Afghanistan and education
sector donors consistent with the Af-
ghan Compact and ANDS. Establish a
joint review team for NESP II
quickly.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 1
Introduction
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is rebuilding and reforming its education services and
systems, guided by a mission that recognises the centrality of education for stability, good
governance, poverty reduction and prosperity.
5
The National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan (1385-1389/2006/2010) or NESP I set
important goals, programme objectives and targets to be achieved in 1389 (2010). It is an ap-
propriate year therefore to analyse the state of the education sector as NESP I moves into
NESP II (1389-1393/2010/2014).
The year 1389 (2010) also sees the launch of the new National Higher Education Strategic
Plan (1389-1993/2010-2014) and - hopefully - the enactment of the new Higher Education
Law. And there are important initiatives across government, through partnerships with devel-
opment agencies and with non-governmental organisations, to promote human resource de-
velopment more strategically, in a more coordinated way.
In moving forward in these directions, the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) wishes to work
with and learn from a broader international community. The Education for All Fast Track
Initiative (FTI) offers one such opportunity. In seeking the endorsement of its new sector plan
(NESP II) by FTI, the Ministry of Education (MoE) benefits from international scrutiny based
on comparative experience. It also opens up the possibility of additional external resources for
the education sector.
This is the backdrop for this sector analysis which has been commissioned by MoE with its
partner development agencies, working together in the Education Development Board (EDB),
now relaunched as the Human Resource Development Board (HRDB).
Terms of Reference
The terms of reference for the analysis of the education sector in Afghanistan are set out in
Annex 1. The international team contracted to undertake the study has been asked to provide a
comprehensive analytical overview of the education sector; a stock-taking of the education
sector in its totality. Particular emphasis has been placed on the importance of:
? Consulting with key stakeholders
? Setting the analysis within wider national policy frameworks, notably the Afghanistan Millennium
? Development Goals (MDGs) and the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)
? Reviewing the overall resource envelope for education
? Assessing the responsiveness of the education sector to national development policies
The sector analysis has been conceived by MoE as the first of four steps in the process leading
to the endorsement of NESP II by FTI. The second step, into which the findings of this analy-
sis will flow, is an initial assessment of NESP II.
Methodology
Work on the sector analysis was delayed by some months. It commenced early in March 2010
for a period of up to three months, running in tandem with the initial assessment of NESP II.
5
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2008. Education Sector Strategy 1387-1391 (2007/08-2012/13) p.1. Afghani-
stan National Development Strategy. Pillar IV, Education and Culture.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 2
The report team has been answerable to the EDB and guided and advised by the EDB Secre-
tariat (MoE). The evidence base for report includes:
? Documentary and data sources (Annex 2
? Semi-structured stakeholder meetings (Annex 3 Record of Meetings)
? Visits to three Provinces; to Herat 16-20 April; Nangarhar 25-27 April; and Bamyan 2-4 May.
Where possible and appropriate, the circumstances, levels of progress and approaches to the
development of the education sector in Afghanistan have been contrasted with wider com-
parative experience.
Defining the Sector
In any education sector analysis it is important to recognise that learning activities come in
many forms. Education is not the sole preserve of one system or one service provider. Learn-
ing is part of the life blood of religion, culture, family and social life. As a pathway to maxi-
mise individual potential, extend freedoms, build capabilities and open up opportunities it
follows many roads. And its role in contributing to economic growth, improved health, sus-
tainable development, and peace and security requires a broad range of educational ap-
proaches and responses.
Accordingly, it is difficult to draw boundaries around education. But boundaries have had to
be drawn.
6
Essentially, this is a study of the GoA‘s role as an education service provider in
achieving its access, quality, relevance and equity goals; while recognising that NGOs, donor
agencies, and community-based organisations as important implementers of many govern-
ment programmes. It is also necessary to set education in a wider national economic devel-
opment, security, and poverty reduction setting. And to examine broader, sector wide, human
resource development initiatives.
Most attention is given to the work of the Ministry of Education (MoE) which carries the pri-
mary though not exclusive responsibility for meeting the basic education needs and demands
of nearly 45% of Afghanistan‘s population; its young people. But given Afghanistan‘s consti-
tutional commitment to promoting education for women, to enhancing literacy, and the need
for marketable skills in the economy, the advocacy and influencing functions of the Ministry
of Women‘s Affairs (MOWA), and the education and training activities of the Ministry of
Higher Education (MoHE) and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
(MoLSAMD) require analysis.
The Structure of the Report
In interpreting its remit, the team has:
? Framed its findings in broad strategic terms, with particular reference to GoA‘s higher order education
goals as these relate to access, quality, equity and relevance.
? Placed education within its national economic, social, political and security environment, especially
as this relates to the country‘s overall human resource and skills development agenda
? Analysed the strengths and weaknesses of different parts of the education sector with particular refer-
ence to a) their contribution to the achievement of higher order sector goals, and b) the degree to which
they function efficiently and effectively
? Highlighted some very specific challenges facing the education sector, notably in advancing gender eq-
uity and furthering greater gender equality, in combating insecurity, and in being inclusive.
6
MoE and the Education Development Board in setting the terms of reference for this study determined that the
work of four ministries should be included: MoE, MoHE, MoWA and MoLSAMD.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 3
? Addressed those issues which are of structural and institutional importance. Of particular concern and
relevance to the FTI endorsement process is the need for better data, for the efficient and effective use
of limited financial resources, for building capacity and for making aid work effectively.
This rationale translates into a report of five main sections. Section A is entitled The Educa-
tion Sector in Context. Section B, which lies at the heart of the report, is Taking Stock of the
Education Sector. Section C identifies Three Special Issues and Section examines Managing
Change. Section E draws Conclusions, and points to how the main findings of the sector
analysis may help to refine the current draft of NESP II.
Limitations
As noted above, establishing boundaries for the education sector is problematic given the
range and the diversity of education and training activities in Afghanistan. The crucial rela-
tionships which necessarily exist between line ministries and the Ministry of Finance (MoF),
as these play out centrally and at the provincial and district levels, add to this complexity. A
high degree of dependence on external aid further complicates the institutional environment.
Capturing this complexity in a relatively short time has been challenging.
The Sector Analysis is, by its very nature and terms of reference, a broad overview of the sec-
tor drawing on as much pertinent evidence as possible within a variety of scheduling, organ-
isational and security constraints.
7
Acknowledgements
The limitations referred to above should in no way detract from the warmth of the welcome
that the team received from school children to ministers. As the Meetings Schedule (Annex 3)
demonstrates, numerous organisations, departments, institutions, agencies, and individuals
shared their experiences, their knowledge, their frustrations and their hopes. We hope that this
sector analysis will repay in some small measure their contribution to our findings.
The team wishes to acknowledge specifically the help and guidance provided by Abdul Was-
say Arian, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Education, and Mirwais Masood, Education De-
velopment Board Secretariat Director.
8
7
Obtaining documents in a timely way was a particular constraint.
8
Our thanks too to the ASI/ESA Translation and Support Team
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 4
A The Education Sector in Context
The first part of this Education Sector Analysis (ESA) is in three sections. Section 1 sets the
scene, historically and in legal terms. Section 2 places education into its wider development
context, before Section 3 introduces Afghanistan‘s main education strategies and the plans.
1. The Context
1.1 An Impressive Story
No report on education in Afghanistan in the year 1389 (2010) can start without acknowledg-
ing some of the extraordinary achievements of the past eight years. Figure 1 captures part of
this story. It shows a revolution in the number of children registered in Afghanistan‘s schools
since 2002, and the beginnings of a revolution in enabling girls to benefit from a basic educa-
tion.
Figure 1 School Enrolments (Grades 1-12) in Afghanistan: 1319-1388 (1940-2009)
From a position of almost complete system collapse during the time of the Taliban, MoE with
the support of the international community has made remarkable gains. Since 2001, recorded
attendance in formal schooling has grown from one million children to seven million, includ-
ing 2.5 million girls. Tens of thousands of teachers have been hired and received some train-
ing, thousands of schools have been built or refurbished, curriculum renewal has and is taking
place, and millions of textbooks have been printed and distributed. Literacy programmes have
been provided to hundreds of thousands of persons across the nation and teacher training col-
leges have been established in every province.
9
1.2 A Longer Perspective
These considerable achievements need to be set within a longer historical perspective.
There is a long tradition of learning in Afghanistan. As early as 1500 – 900 BC, Brahman
Monks taught philosophy and religion in the northern and eastern parts of present-day Af-
9
Exact number are detailed in later sections where data are available
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 5
ghanistan.
10
In the centuries that followed, invaders and conquerors, including Buddhists, Zo-
roastrians and Avestics, established schools and centres to spread their philosophies and
teachings.
11
With the introduction of Islam, mosques formed the nerve centre of political, religious and
educational activities.
12
During Islam‘s Golden Age (8th – 12th Centuries AD), Madaris
13
(Islamic colleges of learning) were established in many of the great cultural capitals of the
region. In the area of present-day Afghanistan, Masjid schools were established as the primary
educational institutions for inculcating the Islamic faith, teaching reading, writing and relig-
ion; in addition, they served as feeder schools into the more prestigious Madaris.
14
Under the
Abbasid Empire, pursuit of a wide range of theories and avenues of knowledge flourished.
15
There were also major educational advances made in Herat under the Kurts and, subsequently,
the Timurids.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, tensions began to rise between traditional Islamists
and more modern Islamists over the role of education in the Islamic dynasty. Under the reign
of Amir Habibullah Ghazi and, subsequently, King Amanullah, Foreign Minister Mahmud
Tarzi made education an engine for social change. He reformed the Madrassa system, intro-
duced compulsory education, co-educational schooling, and inaugurated the first girls‘
schools.
16
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the People‘s Democratic Party of Af-
ghanistan initiated a nationwide literacy and educational campaign. In tandem with the intro-
duction of rigorous curricula, students were inculcated with Communist philosophy and eth-
ics.
17
This ideological campaign was resisted fiercely in many parts of the country, particu-
larly in the more conservative, rural areas. It was seen as opposing Islamic culture, family
values and religion. Hence, a resistance movement was launched against the introduction of
formal education as communities perceived it as a vehicle for ideological colonisation.
With the entry of the Americans into the Cold War arena of Afghanistan during the 1980s and
1990s, another ideological campaign was launched – this one being an anti-Communist cam-
paign. Between 1984 and 1994, USAID funded the printing and distribution of over 10.5
million primary school primers in Afghanistan as part of a widespread information campaign
to spur resistance to the Soviet occupation.
18
10
Education in Afghanistan, initially published in Encylopaedia Iranica, volume VIII, Fascicle 3, Mazda Pub-
lishers, 1998, pp. 237.
11
Ibid.
12
Educational Institutions in the Golden Age of Islam;http://metaexistence.org/educationalinst.htm
13
Madari is the plural form of ?madrassa.‘
14
Education in Afghanistan, initially published in Encylopaedia Iranica, volume VIII, Fascicle 3, Mazda Pub-
lishers, 1998, pp. 237.
15
The Abbasid ?curriculum for formal madrasa education included jurisprudence.....literary studies, philology,
composition, reading, syntax, rhetoric, prosody, history, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, algebra, music, poli-
tics, ethic, domestic economy, logic, dialectic, dogmatic, theology, metaphysics, natural science, medicine,
chemistry, surveying, veterinary, agriculture, phrenology, dream interpretation, astrology and magic,‘ as cited in
the above-mentioned article Education in Afghanistan, in the Encylopaedia Iranica.
16
"M. Tarzi: Forgotten Nationalist, " American Universities Field Report Service: South Asian Series, VIII, No.
1, 1964.
17
Thousands of teachers and professionals were sent to Russia and trained in the Communist ideology, millions
of books were printed and ideological campaigns were disseminated.
18
Mahmood Mamdani, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, p.64. Much has been documented about the patently-violent
images and militant messages contained in these books which condoned violence through supposed education.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 6
1.3 Legacy of Distrust
The legacy of using education for ideological purposes has left some Afghan communities
suspicious about the role and objectives of formal education. At worst, communities perceive
education as a tool designed to defile and degrade Islamic culture and values. In the decade
since the fall of the Taliban, anti-government elements have capitalized on these fears and
suspicions. There have been a number of anti-educational campaigns and violent attacks
against schools propagated by insurgent elements. These attacks are not necessarily reflective
of an ideological opposition to education. In many cases, these acts are more of a statement
about opposition to perceived colonization, governance or military activities or fear of a cor-
ruption of Islamic values.
In spite of lingering pockets of doubt and suspicion, most Afghans welcome education. Where
schools are not close to home, students are known to walk two – three hours each way to re-
ceive an education. Teachers in some Community Based Schools have been providing their
services for years as volunteers. When schools have come under attack by insurgents, teachers
and students have found ways to meet elsewhere to continue their studies. The dedication on
the part of service providers and the hunger on the part of the population for education is one
of the key factors by which Afghanistan‘s education sector is able to offer some learning op-
portunities for more than seven million school children.
1.4 Challenges Ahead
Achievements there have been, but there is much still to be done. It is a sobering fact that only
about half of a fast growing school-aged population is in school. The education sector must
almost double its service capacity to provide education for more than five million out-of-
school children, most of them girls. It has to curb precipitous female attrition rates. The geog-
raphy of Afghanistan makes these tasks even more daunting. The insurgency creates difficul-
ties in providing education in areas of conflict and insecurity. There are also challenges in
recruiting and training the tens of thousands of teachers needed to realise ambitious educa-
tional goals, and in constructing and refurbishing schools.
In the face of these challenges, the public commitment to education remains strong. More-
over, there is an evident sense of purpose within government to provide quality education for
all. This level of commitment, if well guided with appropriate policies, plans, resources and
human capacities, can be a formidable driver for the achievement of Afghanistan‘s educa-
tional goals and objectives.
1.5 Education’s Legal Underpinning
In meeting these challenges, education has a relatively strong legal and constitutional plat-
form from which to act, as shown in Textbox 1.
The Education Law of Afghanistan (1387 (2008) confirms that education is a compulsory
requirement for Grades 1-9, the basic education cycle in Afghanistan.
19
Enforcing this re-
quirement is currently unrealistic. Article Four requires that the state will provide free educa-
Because of the scarcity of educational resources, these books remained in use throughout the 1990s and into the
twenty-first century, both in Afghanistan and in the Afghan refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan.
19
Education Law of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Decree #56, Islamic Year 1387, Article Four.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 7
tion, from basic education to higher education, to all of its citizens,
20
a commitment which
places an increasing burden on the state as the formal education system expands.
Textbox 1 Constitutional Provision for Education
The Constitution (1382 (2003))
• Article 17: The state shall adopt necessary measures for promotion of education in all levels, develop-
ment of religious education, and organizing and improving mosques, madrasas and religious centres.
• Article 43: Education is the right of all citizens of Afghanistan, which shall be provided up to the level
of Bachelors (lisans) free of charge by the state. The state is obliged to devise and implement effective
programs for a balanced education all over Afghanistan, and to provide compulsory intermediate educa-
tion level education. The state is also required to provide the opportunity to teach native languages in
areas where they are spoken.
• Article 44: The state shall devise and implement effective programs for balancing and promoting educa-
tion for women, improving of education of nomads and elimination of illiteracy in the country.
• Article 45: The state shall devise and implement a unified educational curriculum based on the provi-
sions of the sacred religion of Islam, national culture, and in accordance with academic principles, and
develops the curriculum of religious subjects on the basis of the Islamic sects existing in Afghanistan.
• Article 46: Establishing and operating the higher, general vocational education are the duties of the
state. The citizens of Afghanistan can also establish higher, general and vocational private educational
institutions and literacy courses with the permission of the state. The conditions for admission to state
higher education institutions and other related matters to be regulated by the law.
2. Meeting Afghanistan’s Development Priorities
2.1 Education and ANDS
The main pillars of Afghanistan‘s development strategy are set out in the Afghanistan Com-
pact and the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) which also serves as the
country‘s poverty reduction strategy. The Compact is a five year framework for cooperation
(1385-1390 {2006-2011}) between the Government of Afghanistan, the United Nations and
the donor community. The Compact indentifies three main pillars for development: Security;
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights; and Economic and Social Development. ANDS
defines the strategies by which work in these three areas will be carried forward: planned,
resourced and monitored.
Education and training is important for all three areas, although it is positioned with culture,
as sub-pillar IV under social and economic development. Textbox 2 suggests that education is
of importance across the ANDS framework with a significant contribution to make in secur-
ing security, realising rights, strengthening good governance and developing skills. A literate
and educated population underpins development and stability.
20
Ibid.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 8
Textbox 2 Education, Training and ANDS
ANDS Pillars Education and Training
Security
Education is a force for peace and security. It helps stabilisa-
tion. It can promote tolerance and empathy.
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights
Islamic education strengthens faith and instils moral values
Education is human right. It is also a means of realising
other human rights. A good education fosters good citizen-
ship
Social and Economic Development
Infrastructure and Natural Resources
The sustainable exploitation of natural resources requires
knowledge and skills
Education and Culture
Good education instils the ability to learn
It can and should sustain a nation‘s culture
Health and Nutrition
Good health and nutrition contributes to better learning.
Education is a means of securing better health and nutrition.
Agriculture and Rural Development
In a predominantly rural country education and training is
key for agricultural development
Social Protection
Education contributes to the protection and wellbeing of the
most marginalised in society
Economic Governance and Private Sector Devel-
opment
Without a strong knowledge, skills and IT base, economic
growth and the creation of a strong private sector is severely
constrained.
2.2 The Scale of the Challenge
At present (1388/2009 data), education‘s ability to play this multi-faceted development role is
severely constrained. In a country with close to 30 million people, with 44% of the population
aged between 0 and 14:
? 162,000 students passed the Grade 9 examination in all forms of education in 1388 (2009), 158,000 in
general education schools. This is the end of the basic education cycle; the knowledge and skills plat-
form which is essential for further advancement in the education and training system.
? 86,000 students passed the Grade 12 examination, 71,000 in general education schools. This is the cadre
with the potential to move into further education and develop the higher order skills which Afghanistan
needs.
? Fewer than 7,000 students passed Grade 14 examinations in MoE institutions, 5,000 of them teachers.
? Approximately 62,000 were enrolled in institutions of higher education institutions.
21
? Approximately 11,000 are in training programmes under the National Skills Development Programme
(NSDP).
22
? Fewer than 2,000 students were enrolled in Grade 14 in technical and vocational institutions.
? The National Institute for Management and Administration caters for approximately 2,500 students.
? Approximately 380,000 people were recorded as registered on initial literacy courses.
Although these figures are for one year only, they represent a very limited knowledge and
skills base from which to progress towards Afghanistan‘s peace and development goals.
ANDS draws attention to skill shortages across the public and private sector. There is a lack
of skilled human resources with experience in water management. In agriculture, with few
notable exceptions, all rural citizens are poor in relative and absolute terms, lacking both
physical and social assets. In the health sector there are inadequately trained health workers
and a lack of qualified female health workers in rural areas. Elsewhere, the numbers and
skills within the ICT work force is a constraint to the adoption and promotion of ICT. And so
this story is repeated across the economy; public and private.
21
The sector analysis team did not have graduation data.
22
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 9
ANDS concludes that for education to contribute to poverty reduction and economic growth it
is important that the skills and knowledge acquired in the education system are relevant to
present day needs and market demands. The content of education in Afghanistan has not
evolved with the times and not for want of good reasons. However, it is urgent now to leap-
frog in time and adopt methodologies and content that suit both individual students and the
people at large.
The World Bank has observed that skills development is vital if youth unemployment and
underemployment are not to pose both developmental and security problems, especially given
that the expansion of schooling has not produced a large number of students with skills to
meet the needs of the labour market. And if Afghan citizens are to replace foreign workers in
providing skilled labour, skills development is essential.
23
The National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 1386-1387 (2007/08) highlights the high
prevalence of child labour in Afghanistan, with over three million children estimated to be
employed or performing child labour (Textbox 3).
Textbox 3 Profile of the Labour Force
? Working-age population (age of 16 and older): 12 million
? Labour force (employed or looking for work): 8 million
? Unemployment rate: 7 percent
? Total number of unemployed: 363 thousand males, 205 thousand fe-
males
? 47 percent of the working-age females are active on the labour market
? 86 percent of working-age men are active on the labour market
? 1.9 million Afghan children aged 6-17 (21 percent) are employed
? 1.2 million (13 percent) children are performing child labour
? 443 thousands in-migrants and 254 thousands out-migrants looked for
work elsewhere
? Iran is by far the most important origin and destination of Afghan labour
migrants
Source: National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 1386-1387 (2007-2008)
2.3 Defining Needs
In responding to this both urgent and longer term challenge, the education sector ministries
have plans for major expansion and quality improvement, as much of this ESA report will
show. In so doing, it will be important, particularly in contributing to higher levels of em-
ployment and to economic growth, to have a good knowledge base of the types of skills re-
quired for a growing economy in Afghanistan, and a well defined and resourced skills devel-
opment response.
To date, the knowledge base of skills needs and shortages is very limited but it is developing.
MoLSAMD and the National Skills and Development Programme (NSPD), for example, are
conducting survey work. One of their recent studies, showed that in urban Afghanistan, con-
struction and service industry skills are in high demand. The percentage of males (25-54 years
of age) in urban areas formally trained in vocational centres is just 2.7% of the male working
23
The World Bank with other donor agencies is supporting the Afghanistan Skills Development Project to help develop a
demand-driven vocational education and training system, and give training institutions autonomy to plan and customize their
programmes and establish partnerships with experienced national and international training providers. By focusing a major
component of the project on market linkages with a rural focus, the project will help build economic linkages in rural areas,
and support the most vulnerable groups – the most difficult issues in Afghanistan to address.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 10
group; 2.3% for women. Over 95% of workers are trained on the job in informal apprentice-
ships.
24
Many lack literacy.
MoHE intends to undertake a national needs assessment of the knowledge requirement of the
labour market and Afghanistan‘s society more broadly, taking close account of the changing
high level competencies and expertise needed in a modern economy. This is important work.
MoE in reviewing the primary and secondary curriculum has been paying attention to the
relevance of general education to life after school and the needs of the economy. MoWA is
advancing the importance of affirmative action for increasing opportunities for education,
skills development and employment for women. Particular reference is made to the demands
of infrastructure, agriculture and livestock production. An analysis is being undertaken of
how best to provide women with these skills. In addition, attention will be given to rural en-
terprise training and to encouraging to the private sector to provide training and job opportu-
nities.
These individual sub-sector initiatives are valuable. But the overall scale of the challenge is
formidable both in terms of the numbers needed in the labour market and the scale of the
knowledge and skills response that is required. While short term targets have been set, this
endeavour will require at least a generation to effect. With this in mind, work is needed on
longer term growth and employment scenarios, setting out alternative, cost effective ways of
strengthening and building up Afghanistan‘s human resource base. Factoring in literacy pro-
grammes, ICT, the role of the private sector and enabling women to become equal partners in
economic and wealth generating activity would be some of the more important components of
such work.
Education is a critical component of the long-term task of rebuilding Afghanistan. Investment
in physical capital, including schools and universities, following the decades of war, internal
conflict and destruction needs to be matched by high and sustained investment in hu-
man capital. It is only through this investment that the development of human resources to
the level required to reach the MDGs and the institutional needs of a stable and secure country
will be realised.
3. Education Sector Policies and Plans
The work of the education sector in Afghanistan is guided by a number of strategic plans.
Figure 2 identifies the more important of these plans and their relationship to ANDS. The first
National Education Strategic Plan (NESP I) predates ANDS but since 2008, ANDS has pro-
vided the broad architecture for sector planning for all ministries working in education and
skills development.
The closest that any of these strategies and plans comes to taking a broad sector wide ap-
proach to education, embracing all of the sub-sectors, is the ANDS Education Sector strategy
(1387-1391/2008-2012). This encompasses the work of all four ministries included in this
analysis. But this document does not appear to have a great deal of programme development
purchase compared with individual Ministry based strategies.
24
MoLSAMD Labour Market Information and Analysis Unit (2008). An Urban Area Primary Source Study of
Supply and Demand in the Labour Market.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 11
Figure 2 Education Strategies and Plans
Econ
3.1 Plan Development
25
The individual plans of sector ministries are a considerable achievement both in the speed
with which they have been constructed and the fact that this type of intense national planning
aided by (some would say driven) external partners is a new experience. Levels of consulta-
tion within and across a ministry, the use and/or dependence on external technical assistance,
dialogue across government, and the involvement of front line stakeholders appear to vary
considerably across different ministries.
26
The National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA) is said to have resulted
from a two year process of consultation with government institutions, international commu-
nity, experts, private sector, civil society and NGOs.
27
The National Higher Education Stra-
tegic Plan has been a long time in the making, with assistance from UNESCO, the World
Bank and the Higher Education Project (HEP), but is described as truly a team effort reflect-
ing the contributions of all the individual and parties [chancellors, representatives of higher
25
An AREU study (2009) on Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) Formulation Process: Influ-
encing Factors and Challenges offers some interesting and probably controversial insights into how plans are
developed in Afghanistan, especially in relation to the role of external technical assistance. Its overall conclusion
is that the final ANDS is written primarily by foreign experts and manifests the vision of international funding
organisations rather than representing a purely indigenous development and poverty reduction plan for Afghani-
stan.
26
There is in most ministries only a small pool of people with the competencies and training to develop plans of
the sort that have been prepared in the last few years. The degree to which these processes have built and em-
bedded capacity for future planning rounds is hard to judge.
27
Only MoWA sets out its Plan Formulation Process in any detail. Annex A of NAPWA. Some anecdotal evi-
dence suggests that it was not as consultative as has been claimed.
ANDS 1387-1391 (2008-2013)
Three pillars
Security
Governance, Rule of Law and
Human Rights
National Ac-
tion Plan for
the Women of
Afghanistan
1387-1397
(2008-2018)
National Higher
Education Strategy
1389-1393 (2010-
2014)
National Education
Strategic Plan for
Afghanistan I
1385-1389 (2006-
2010)
ANDS Educa-
tion Sector
Strategy 1387-
1391 (2007/08-
2012/13)
Economic and Social
Development
National Education
Strategic Plan for
Afghanistan II
1389-1393 (2010-
2014)
MOLSAMD
Strategic Plan
(Draft 2008)
1387-1392
(2008-2013)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 12
education institutions, lecturers, and national and international organisations] who contributed
to its preparation.
28
The first plan developed by MoE (NESP I) had very significant technical inputs from
UNESCO‘s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) with financial assistance
from the Government of Norway. An important by product of this support was the strengthen-
ing of the Planning Department in MoE. The development of NESP II is said to have been
more consultative, including at the Provincial level, with all of the preparatory work being
done in Dari.
29
3.2 Plan Goals and Performance Measurement
Each plan sets out its Ministry‘s higher order goals. MoE emphasises greater access to good
quality education, as does MoHE, emphasising that higher education institutions be more re-
sponsive to Afghanistan‘s growth and development needs. MoWA pursues the twin goals of
women‘s empowerment and gender equality; MoLSAMD, skills development and employ-
ment opportunities. All look to improving the management of their activities.
As their titles imply (except for NAPWA), the documents provide strategic frameworks.
None have time-bound operational plans. The degree to which they stipulate time bound pro-
grammes and programme activities varies. The Higher Education Strategy is perhaps the most
specific in linking intended actions with human and financial requirements.
More generally, it is not always obvious that education outputs and outcomes are the main
drivers for measuring and assessing performance. While MoE might be expected to monitor
progress towards its schooling objectives in terms of enrolment, completion, and transition
(difficult statistically though this is) - and NESP II does give greater weight to these indicators
than NESP I - the very lengthy draft set of performance indicators prepared for NESP II re-
quires very detailed attention to measuring the delivery of inputs.
30
MoWA‘s position (in its education work) is rather different, reflective of its function as a pol-
icy-making body, not an implementer. As such, its primary objective is to set policy and regu-
late compliance pertaining to gender-related goals within each of the other ministries. Hence,
it seeks to influence and monitor. This function is less amenable to target setting. MOWA,
nevertheless, has 40 education programme objectives, all of which require action, by or in
cooperation with, other ministries and bodies. These objectives are a mix of activities, targets
and broad general intentions. Ambitiously, these will be reported by a collective endeavour
of the ministries and the international community, and will be an integral part of monitoring,
coordination and reporting under the Afghanistan Compact and the ANDS.
31
The National Higher Education Strategic Plan is different again. The strategy is defined by the
qualitative improvement of higher education and its better governance and management. It
has objectives and targets set into its sub-programmes but these are not strongly oriented to-
28
Ministerial Preface to the National Higher Education Strategic Plan.
29
MoE is acknowledged as promoting good practice in bringing its Provincial Managers to the centre for con-
sultation and planning activities on a regular basis. At the time of the sector analysis team‘s visit, Provincial
Education Directors were in Kabul for 10 days including briefings on Teacher Training and pay and grade re-
forms.
30
This is not to suggest that measuring the delivery of inputs is unimportant but if people – particularly at sub-
national level – are immersed in monitoring inputs the bigger outcome related picture gets lost.
31
p110. Sub-section 2.4. NAPWA.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 13
wards preparing graduates for defined areas of need in the Afghanistan economy. One of its
specific objectives however, is to conduct a national skills needs assessment. A Monitoring
and Evaluation Unit is being established in the MoHE as part of the Policy and Planning Di-
rectorate, funded by the World Bank.
The draft 2008 MoLSAMD plan links itself closely to ANDS targets and reporting mecha-
nisms.
3.3 Plan Focus and Areas of Linkage
Not surprisingly, policies and plans reflect the educational territory of each ministry:
The Ministry of Education (MoE): General Education (Grades 1-12 schools), Teacher Education, Is-
lamic Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Literacy and Non-Formal Education
The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE): Universities, Institutes of Higher Education and (plans
for) Community Colleges (public and private)
32
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA): Primarily, an oversight, influencing and coordination
role across government to promote parity, equity and equality at all levels of education, for girls and for
women.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and the Disabled (MOLSAMD): A broad portfolio
including pensions, skills development, labour law, kindergartens, orphanages, and welfare for the dis-
abled and the families of martyrs. It leads and supports the National Skills and Development Pro-
gramme (NSDP), the Employment Services Centre Programme, the Labour Market Information and
Analysis Unit, and the Employment Policy Strategy Unit.
It is clear from this simple tabulation, that all four ministries are engaged (some at different
age levels) with promoting and/or developing skills for employment and national develop-
ment. Clearly this is an area of common interest and the ANDS Education Sector Strategy
(1387-1391/2007/88-2012/13) draws attention to the need for better coordination in this area.
A National Vocational Education and Training Authority has been proposed as one contribu-
tion to meeting this need.
There are clearly issues too that link MOE and MOHE, given that students transit from one
level of education to another. Expanding demand for education at all levels is likely to require
a more differentiated and flexible approach to learning, with more bridges from one level of
education to another. Strengthening linkages between sub-systems receives some attention in
NESP II and in the Higher Education Strategic Plan but it seems to be early days in exploring
these issues.
3.4 National Plans: Local Needs
A different issue is the degree to which education plans recognise the circumstances and
needs of different parts of Afghanistan. There is little or no analysis in any of the plans of
inequities and disparities of service provision, resource allocation and differential learning
outcomes in different parts of the country. This is particularly important in relation to the edu-
cation of girls. It is not at all evident that budget allocations to the Provinces for the education
sector are grounded in any way on a needs based analysis. It might be argued that Provincial
and District offices tailor their sub-national plans and programmes to meet their own specific
educational needs. But the evidence of needs based planning at these levels is weak.
The argument might be advanced too that the circumstances of the country are such that gov-
ernment is dependent on donor-led, NGO implemented projects and programmes to make the
32
Community Colleges are planned under the Higher Education Strategy.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 14
difference in those areas government sector development programmes are unable to reach,
albeit under the general oversight of ministries.
3.5 Cross Cutting Issues
ANDS introduces a number of cross cutting issues that sector plans are required to address in
a systematic way. MoWA is tasked with the authority to influence and judge whether this is
true with regard to gender, in the education policies and plans of the other ministries. This of
necessity covers the monitoring of programmes targeted at girls and women, and assessing the
extent to which sub-sector plans are informed throughout by gender analysis and affirmative
action. In teacher training (under NESP I and II), for example, there is conscious effort to
think through the gender implications of teacher education staffing and programming. And
the Higher Education strategy speaks to equity as one its core values. It states: that each insti-
tution should develop its own equity policy and provide annual reports to this effect. But for
reasons that may reflect the complexity of gender values and norms in Afghanistan, gender
equity is not a constant thread that runs through education sector plans. Section C explores
these issues in more detail.
3.6 External Planning Frameworks
To execute the majority of Afghanistan‘s rebuilding reforms and innovations in the education
sector requires external assistance (see Section D). In the spirit and the practice of aid effec-
tiveness there is generally a broad fit between donor specific aid projects and programmes and
national education planning frameworks in Afghanistan. And forums such as the Education
Development Board have been established to promote and monitor this relationship. But the
fact remains that donors do have different ways of working and have their own education sec-
tor priorities, including in individual provinces.
These issues are examined more fully in Section D. The point being made here is that differ-
ent ministries in the education sector have to be conversant with what it is that a relatively
large number of donors can or cannot do. In essence, there is another tier of education strate-
gies and strategy papers to be connected and related to the mainstream of education sector
strategy.
33
Alignment may be intended but is far from being practiced fully.
A further complication is the association of the security forces with education reconstruction
and programming, a matter dealt with in Section C.
This then is the historical, developmental and policy and planning context in which edu-
cation sector programmes and activities are assessed in Section B.
33
It is not being suggested here that aid agencies do not prepare their strategies in consultation with national
ministries.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 15
B Taking Stock of the Education Sector
This core section of the ESA is organised around the provision made for the main groups of
stakeholders in the education system – from early childhood education through to TVET and
adult literacy; by way of general education, Islamic education and higher education. So the
section is about how education is delivered, the main focus being on the responsibilities of
MoE, but taking in other ministries, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and
donor agencies. It discusses, but does not give separate sections to those key elements which
enable the system to work, including school building, curriculum and teaching/learning mate-
rials, assessment and supervision.
4. Early Childhood Education (ECE)
34
4.1 Background
ECE refers to a broad range of educational, stimulation and early learning opportunities that
are designed to better equip children for primary school and beyond. Good quality ECE offers
both developmental and longer-term benefits.
35
For disadvantaged children, ECE has even
greater impact.
36
Given that such a large percentage of Afghanistan‘s school age population
can be considered disadvantaged and at risk, ECE offers distinct and significant opportunities,
especially in addressing the educational challenges which most critically affect Afghanistan‘s
school children: poor performance, low levels of academic progression and attrition.
4.2 Legal Framework
The legal framework for ECE is provided in the Afghanistan Education Law. Article Two
states ...The main objectives of this law are…to ensure and develop pre-school education in
accordance with the needs of the country’s children.
37
But ECE is not compulsory, lessening
perhaps the resources that are made available in a very competitive budgeting environment.
NESP II makes brief and seemingly contradictory references to ECE; both highlighting its
importance but clearly lacking the capacity to move it forward.
4.3 ECE within the MoE
ECE acquired prominence as a MoE policy issue in 2008, when Minister Atmar established
the ECE Working Group (within General Education) to assist policy development for ECE.
Save the Children/US was designated co-chair of the working group which included represen-
tatives from CARE, BRAC and the Aga Khan Foundation. In early 2009, a draft ECE policy
was formally presented to MoE. According to several working group representatives, al-
though the policy received initial endorsement by the MoE, it was neither acted upon nor im-
plemented.
34
In Afghanistan, the emphasis seems to be placed firmly on education and not on the wider concept of Early
Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) or Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which provide much
broader frameworks including health and nutrition.
35
Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise , study by RAND Corporation, Dept of Labor
and Population, authored by Lynn A. Karoly, M. Rebecca Kilburn, and Jill S. Cannon, MG-341-PNC, 2005,
ISBN: 0-8330-3836-2, web synopsis:http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9145/index1.html.
36
Janet Currie, Early Childhood Education Programs, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Volume 15, #2, 2001,
page 215.
37
Article 2, Point 10, The Education Law of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, Decree
#56, Islamic Year 1387.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 16
Notwithstanding this set back, the ECE working group continued to meet to develop an action
plan and to set priorities for the future development of the sub-sector in Afghanistan. With
technical support from UNICEF, the Group began to define national standards for ECE. And
at the behest of Deputy Minister Patman, a steering committee was formed under the ECE
working group.
4.4 New Developments
In the third quarter of 2009, ECE gained its own department within MoE, under the Private
Education Directorate. Three units were established within the department‘s tashkil: for cur-
riculum development, teacher education and policy development. Nineteen staff members
have been recruited
38
but no operational budget is available beyond the payment of salaries;
so neither policy development nor programme planning is moving ahead.
39
These developments have led to a disconnect between the ECE Working Group and the ECE
Department. While the Working Group is co-chaired by a senior MoE advisor, most members
are from the donor community. This is significant as the Working Group seems to have a
more important policy role than MoE‘s ECE Department, as it is spearheading ECE policy
and planning activities. Moreover, no member of the ECE Department sits on the Working
Group. To add to this confusion of roles, the ECE pilot programme is completely donor-
funded and not obviously coordinated with either the Working Group or Department.
4.5 ECE Pilot
Coincidental to the establishment of the ECE Department was an infusion of donor funding
from the NGO BRAC to develop an ECE pilot programme. Twenty Ministerial staff mem-
bers
40
are now in Bangladesh receiving a comprehensive five month ECE training course to
help to enable them to implement the ECE pilot programme. When they complete their train-
ing, they will work to develop ECE standards, curricula and teaching materials as well as the
ECE implementation plan. Only three of the twenty come from the ECE Department and few
have educational backgrounds.
The ECE pilot is envisioned as a one-year project, implemented by the MoE. Fifty ECE De-
velopment Centres will open in five provinces; there will be 10 Centres established in each
province, five in urban areas and five in rural locations. The ECE Department Advisor be-
lieves that the pilot program may be launched by the end of the 1389(2010). As there are no
national budget resources for the programme, however, the programme depends on donor
funds which are now being sought.
4.6 ECE Objectives
As mentioned, the ECE Working Group has developed objectives and an action plan for roll-
ing out the ECE programme nationally. Its goals are to: provide children with holistic devel-
opment through skills training in the areas of cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, physical,
cultural and values development.
41
The Working Group stipulates that all ECE educational
38
Most were moved from other departments within MoE, the ESA team was informed and are now in Bangla-
desh receiving ECE training.
39
Aside from the BRAC-funded pilot programme which is described subsequently.
40
The majority are MoE staff members, but a few are from MOLSAMD
41
These objectives are outlined in the Pre-Primary/ ECE presentation, developed by the Pre-School/ECE Work-
ing Group.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 17
activities should be conducted in an inclusive setting, according to the goals of NESP II and
the Rights and Need Assessment Road Map.
42
The working group has identified the following activities as priorities:
? The development and finalization of a national ECE policy
? The development of materials for the ECE programme, to be utilized on a national level;
? The development of an ECE national curriculum/teaching materials;
? The printing of standard, modern ECE learning materials;
? The development and conducting of teacher training for ECE teachers;
? The development of ECE Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms;
? The launching of an awareness-building campaign on the importance of ECE, aimed at both parents and
the general population.
4.7 Other Pre-school Initiatives
Currently, there are some early childhood education initiatives being implemented in Af-
ghanistan, on a limited basis, through private providers, as well as through some donor-
funded programming.
43
Some of the more prominent ECE initiatives are being implemented
by BRAC, IRC, Save the Children, Aga Khan Foundation and UNICEF.
Another important provider of preschool education is the mosque. There are mosque-based
pre-school teaching/learning initiatives throughout Afghanistan. For many families, these pre-
school programmes play a critical educational role. There is no reliable data on how many of
these activities exist across the country or the number of children attending them, but it has
been estimated that the vast majority of Afghan children attend some kind of mosque-based
programme, for some period of time.
44
Children have an opportunity to learn about their re-
ligion, to develop respect for the teachings of the Quar‘an and to gain awareness of their civic
responsibilities as Muslim citizens, and to interact socially.
MoLSAMD has for several decades, offered a pre-school/ day care programme referred to as
kodakstan (which normally is translated into ?kindergarten?). This appears to be a hangover
from the Russian period when free childcare was provided for all government workers. Since
the nineteen seventies, MoLSAMD has continued to provide childcare centres for the sons
and daughters of government workers. These are essentially day-care facilities, catering for
around 26,000 children, ranging in age from three months to seven years.
4.8 Quality, Access and Risks
Making ECE available to many more Afghan children is desirable, so the results from the
pilot programme will be important. Less clear is the extent to which ECE should be funded
directly from the MoE budget. NESP II places limited emphasis on ECE. This fact and the
failure to properly resource the new ECE Department suggest that there are higher priorities.
As in many countries, and influenced by international targets (MDGs), the priority in Af-
ghanistan is to provide good quality basic education of at least six and preferably nine years
42
The Needs & Rights Assessment Map was formulated by UNESCO and it was endorsed by the MoE in 2010 as
a binding strategy.
43
The private options are quite limited as there are only 240 registered private schools in Afghanistan, only a
few of which offer pre-school educational programmes.
44
There are no known statistics on this issue largely because these are neither formal initiatives nor are they
registered with the Government as educational centres. Moreover, they usually do not require students to offi-
cially enrol. These are simply neighbourhood programmes which offer religious education to pre-school chil-
dren.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 18
duration for every child. Until that goal has been achieved, it is realistic to argue that ECE-
provision be left to the private sector and NGO implementers. Necessarily this response
means that large numbers of needy children will miss out on the undoubted benefits that ECE
offers.
For ECE to be genuinely beneficial in the development of young, disadvantaged children, just
as much care has to be exercised in regard to the conditions of learning (environment, curricu-
lum, teachers and materials) as at any other level of the education system. In this regard, a
cautionary note has been sounded by some stakeholders that some of MoLSAMD
kindergartens create a negative learning environment, and that measures should be taken to
ensure that national ECE initiatives do not replicate these models. Since many of these ?kin-
dergarten‘ centres are extremely under-resourced, it is not unusual for two-three rooms to
accommodate 70- 200 children with extremely high student/carer ratios. In these environ-
ments, children‘s needs cannot be met.
One way to overcome this challenge would be to employ the community and/or follow home-
based ECE models which are being implemented by some INGOs. Save the Children US is
currently supporting 300 community-based play groups which rely on local resources. Non-
literate women are trained in the basic early childhood development concepts, as well as ten-
ets of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) and on practical educational activities,
such as making toys out of local materials. In this way, they can facilitate playgroups in their
houses. Parenting education programmes accompany the Early Childhood Development
(ECD) playgroups. Save the Children‘s reporting and longitudinal impact studies appear to
demonstrate that children who attend their ECD playgroups perform well in subsequent
school environments, with good attendance and retention. The model has the potential to be
scaled up, given it is cost-effective and relies largely on local resources. The Aga Khan
Foundation has established a number of ECD Centres, which also offer potential positive
models for ECE policy development.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 19
4.9 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? International donor communities in favour of
assisting/ implementing ECE
? Development of the ECE Pilot Project
? Many good models and lessons-learned from the
IOs & NGOs which have been providing ECE
? Many of the IO-NGO ECE programmes involve
education of mothers in Early Childhood educa-
tional values, health education, family values,
enhanced communications modalities, commu-
nity development skills; potential for MOE ECE
to replicate/ incorporate some of these good
practices
? Promoting ECE for both genders and learning at
an early age has proven to help boost retention
rate
? The training for 20 persons who will be leaders
of the ECE pilot programme,
? Large numbers of female ECE beneficiaries may
help close the gender gap of enrolment (assum-
ing they continue their with formal schooling)
? No formal policy for MoE has yet been developed
by the MoE (unclear whether MoE will attempt to
roll-out a national ECE program, following the pilot
programme or whether it will work to develop and
implement ECE policy of other providers);
? No resources for ECE in national budget
? Not considered a priority sub-sector and unlikely to
receive much funding in the future
? Ability/ capacity of ECE MoE staff to execute
programming remains unclear
? MoE‘s inability to implement and monitor ECE
programming will be weak in the absence of a na-
tional policy/ plan and ECE training for ECE MoE
implementers (beyond the five month BRAC train-
ing)
? No formal plan yet developed for launching even
the pilot programme, for curriculum development,
teacher training/ certification, etc.
? Most of the implementers training in Bangladesh
were largely recruited from other areas in MoE.
They lack ECE experience, were not (in most cases)
part of the ECE unit prior to training, and do not
(mostly) have backgrounds in education.
? Weak institutional arrangements for planning, man-
aging, regulating and financing programmes.
? MoE discrepancies in expectations regarding future
of ECE, from legislative and operational standpoints
Opportunities Threats
? Substantial potential for new labour opportuni-
ties for young women as ECE teachers (ECE
teaching is considered culturally acceptable by
even many of the most conservative members of
society which would not otherwise allow their
daughters to work; this option is also being pro-
posed by the Teacher Education Department)
? General threats of insecurity and war.
? The entire sub-sector is more donor-driven than
MoE-driven.
? In the absence of an articulated policy, pedagogical
trained staff and a substantial funding envelope,
MoE would attempt to roll out ECE and it would
become a MOSAMD daycare-replication pro-
gramme.
? Questions of how ECE would be offered at the
Provincial levels
? Questions related to whether ECE will replicate
some of the learning which takes place in first
grade, which runs the risk of replicating subsequent
learning and creating boredom among children who
completed ECE
? Without a national budget, a government-delivered
ECE programme cannot be sustained, or worse, will
not be sustained with the quality necessary to oper-
ate effectively
? Action plan very weak and provides a plan for the
Working Group but not for the operations of the
sector
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 20
5. General Education
Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations in the world. The United Nations Population
Division estimates that 45.8% of a projected population for 1389 (2010) of 29.12 million are
14 years or younger; 28% being between the ages of 5 and 14.
45
With the UN projecting a
total population of close to 40 million in 1399 (2020), the demand and the need for a basic
education of good quality for all young people in Afghanistan presents a political and devel-
opment challenge of major proportions.
By 1393 (2014), the Government of Afghanistan plans that 10 million children should be en-
rolled in General Education schools, over three million more than 1388 (2009) enrolment lev-
els. And by 1399 (2020), it is intended that Afghanistan should meet the Millennium Devel-
opment Goal (MDG) of ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary
schooling.
46
To achieve these and other more qualitative educational objectives is the primary
but not exclusive responsibility of government.
5.1 Definitions
The term General Education refers to Grades 1 to 12 in state schools; covering primary, lower
secondary and upper secondary levels of education. In 1388 (2009) there were 11,444
47
gen-
eral education schools serving 6.514 million students, 37.3% of whom were female, giving a
gender parity ratio (GPI) of 0.59.
48
These figures do not include over 9,000 Community Based
Schools (CBS) serving 312,600 students of whom 200,000 (64%) are girls (1387/2008).
49
Islamic schools are a separate category.
The first six years of general education is for primary schooling. The next three years, Grades
7-9, is classified as lower secondary. Together, the first nine years of schooling is conceived
as a complete cycle of basic education.
50
Grades 10-12 constitute upper secondary education.
There are 5,155 primary schools, 3,643 lower secondary schools
51
and 2,713 secondary
schools (1388/2009). In this regard, the 1386 (2007) Schools Survey: Summary Report notes
that the majority of lower secondary schools provide primary education and the majority of
higher secondary schools provide [both] lower secondary and primary education (p.13.
EMIS, 2008).
52
So, a school is classified by the highest grade level it offers.
45
The second draft of the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP II) in March 2010 uses a total population
estimate for Afghanistan of 33 million people for 1387/2008, also using data from the UN Population Division.
The figure of 29.12 million appears on the World Population Prospects: 2008 Revision Population Database.http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp
46
The Ministry of Education (Planning Department) interpretation of this target is that all Grade 1 school aged
children should be in school and stay in school for the first six years of the basic education cycle from 2015.
47
The total number of schools does not match the total of different types of general schools set out in the follow-
ing paragraph. This is but one instance of where data from different sources is not consistent.
48
As later sections show the numbers of children who are registered is not the same as children attending school
on a regular basis. In 1388 (2009) nearly 900,000 children were recorded as ?permanently absent,? 14% of the
enrolment total.
49
The actual number of Community Based Schools is debated, partly because it seems that some Community
Based Schools are counted in the statistics for general education schools. The sector analysis team could not
obtain data which would enable this contention to be resolved.
50
Basic education is compulsory in Article 4 of the Education Law
51
A figure that is lower for 1387 (2008) by nearly 300 lower secondary schools.
52
It is not possible from the 1386 (2007) and 1387 (2008) EMIS reports to disaggregate primary school children
by types of school. But in 1387, 53% of primary schools were mixed, 32% boys schools and 15% for girls. The
figures for lower secondary were 55%, 30% and 15%; and for upper secondary 38%, 45% and 17%.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 21
General education lies at the heart of the government‘s mission to rebuild and reform the edu-
cation system. Its core objective is that all school age children will have equitable access
without discrimination to quality education to acquire competencies needed for a healthy in-
dividual, family and social life, and to further their higher education.
53
In 1389 (2010), at the end of five years of NESP I, it is appropriate to assess the progress that
has been made towards better access, improved quality and greater equity in general educa-
tion, and to examine the factors that are facilitating or hindering progress.
5.2 Access
It is not easy to track progress on access, quality and equity indicators over time in Afghani-
stan‘s schools. As Textbox 4 outlines, despite major advances since 1386 (2007), considerable
difficulties remain in collecting, consolidating and analysing data. But this problem cannot
obscure the impressive gains that have been made in the numbers of children enrolled in
schools over the past eight years since the current government inherited a system that was
defunct and irrelevant.
54
In 1381 (2002), it is estimated that there were less than one million
children enrolled in school although some reports cite higher figures.
55
By 1388 (2009), total
enrolment at all levels of education had risen to nearly seven million, a seven-fold increase
since 1381 (2002).
56
Within these totals it is difficult to determine the proportion of school
aged children enrolled and participating in general education schooling. It is currently impos-
sible to calculate Net and Gross Enrolment rates although some attempts have been made. The
1387 (2008) schools survey report put the Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) at 65% for boys (in all
general schools) and 40% for girls.
57
Gaining access and staying in school is very much more difficult for girls than it is for boys.
Using gross enrolment data for children at the primary level of schooling (1386/2007), the
2010 EFA Global Monitoring derives a Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 0.63 (0.65 in the latest
1388/2009 data) which is the lowest in the world for countries for which data are available.
58
This is almost certainly the biggest challenge which Afghanistan faces, in both its efforts to
achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) and to enable girls to have the same opportuni-
ties to progress through the education system as boys. Section C examines more closely the
strategic responses that are planned to realise the rights of girls to education.
Table 1 provides data for the number of students enrolled at primary, lower secondary and
upper secondary levels of education for the period 1386-1388 (2007-2009).
59
These data show
a number of important short-term trends:
53
The overall goal of Sub-Programme 1 in the March 2010 draft of the National Education Strategy 1389-1393
(2010-2014)
54
p.10 Afghanistan National Development Strategy Education Sector Strategy 1387-1391 (2007/08-2012/13)
55
For example, on p.26 in the March 2010 draft of the National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan (1389-
1393/2010-2014), it is stated that there were 2.3 million students in general education schools in 1381 (2002).
56
The figure of seven million has been quoted in a number of recent MoE booklets. It suggests that approxi-
mately 700, 000 students are enrolled outside of MoE general education schools.
57
The Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) is the enrolment of the official age group for a given level of education, ex-
pressed as a percentage of the population in that age group.
58
The Gender Parity Index or GPI is the ratio (usually) of female to male for any given indicator. The figure
provided here is a national average, so, for example the GPI at the primary level for Kandahar Province is below
0.25 (1387/2008 data).
59
Data before 1386 (2007) is very difficult to find but see the effort that has been made to track figures in earlier
years at the beginning of Section A. There was a UNICEF supported schools survey in 2005 but a summary of
this data was not available to the ESA team.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 22
? There has been an apparent overall rise in enrolment in general education of over 830, 000 (or 14.8%)
over the three year period 1386-1388 (2007-2009) for all levels of general education, with very strong
caveats about the inclusion in these figures of absent and permanently absent students.
? Lower secondary schooling has increased most rapidly, by 58.8%, indicating the pressure that is being
exerted at that level of the system as more children transit from primary education.
? The Gender Parity Index (GPI) has improved modestly at all levels between 1386 and 1388 (2007 and
2009): from 0.59 to 0.65 at primary; from 0.38 to 0.50 at lower secondary; and from 0.33 to 0.39 at up-
per secondary. The fact remains that girls‘ chances lessen significantly with progress through general
education.
? Progression through the system more generally is limited despite the notable increase at the lower sec-
ondary level. For example, in 1388 (2009), for every 12 primary level students there were three students
at lower secondary level and one at upper secondary. These figures represent a steeply angled pyramid
of access to general education. And as the base continues to widen so the pressure to expand at higher
levels of general education will grow.
Textbox 4 Interpreting Educational Data
The establishment of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the Department of Planning
and Evaluation has led to important advances in the collection of administrative data for Afghanistan‘s educa-
tion system. This is reflected in part by the issue of the three annual education summary reports since 1386
(2007). But there are still significant obstacles to overcome before a more accurate situational analysis of the
education sector is possible. This can be illustrated by reference to data on general school enrolment and atten-
dance. Ideally, policy makers would know how many children of official school age are in school and complete
their primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education. Currently, this is extremely difficult to record,
for a number of reasons:
? First, there is no accurate data on population by age, although projections have been developed using
UN data or Afghanistan Central Statistical Office figures. The last National Census was in 1979. Ac-
cordingly, it is virtually impossible to calculate ratios using age at school grade data. No net and gross
enrolment ratios can be calculated with any measure of accuracy.
? Second, enrolment statistics are based on questionnaire based surveys conducted in schools each year
(since 1386/2007) with all the imperfections associated with one off survey data.
? Third, information is not available for all schools. The 1387 (2008) report, for example, records that
information on 1,782 schools is incomplete (17% of all general education schools).
? Fourth, enrolment data are based on attendance at the time of the survey with students being recorded
as attending school, absent from school or permanently absent from school. A student can be registered
as permanently absent for up to three years.
? Fifth, by totalling the number of students in each of these three categories (attendance, absence and
permanently absent) figures for the total enrolment in a school are calculated. So when the data for all
schools is aggregated it inflates the actual number of students participating in schooling.
? Sixth, schools may be tempted to inflate attendance figures because access to some resources is related
to enrolment levels (e.g. school grants from EQUIP); also, some children may be enrolled in different
schools in the course of a year.
These facts suggest that any attempt to calculate gross enrolment rates (GER) or net enrolment rates (NER)
60
is
deeply problematic. The draft of NESP II states that rough age specific data was collected from school princi-
pals in 1386 (2007).
Data in the EMIS annual survey reports suggest that between 800,000 and 1.2 million children are ?permanently
absent? from school. If these children are factored into GER and NER calculations then there is a major inflation
in enrolment and participation levels in general education in Afghanistan. In this regard, while the 1386 (2007)
Schools Survey provides both GER and NER data for all levels of general education (using CSO 1387/2007
projections) the 1387 (2008) report makes no attempt to do this.
60
For the NER see footnote above. GER is the total enrolment in a specific level of education, regardless of age,
expressed as a percentage of the population in the official group corresponding to this level of education. The
GER can exceed 100% due to early or late entry and/or grade repetition.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 23
Table 1 Enrolment in General Schools: 1386 -1388 (2007-2009)
Year Primary
(Boys)
?000
Primary
(Girls)
?000
Primary
(Total)
?000
Lower
Secondary
(Boys)
?000
Lower
Secondary
(Girls)
?000
Lower
Secondary
(Total)
?000
Upper
Secondary
(Boys)
?000
Upper
Secondary
(Girls)
?000
Upper
Secondary
(Total)
?000
Totals
(?000)
2007 2,930 1,738 4,669 534 202 736 203 68 271 5,676
2008 2,942 1,858 4,800 703 318 1,021 240 87 327 6,148
2009 2,958 1,899 4,857 835 416 1,251 292 114 406 6,514
Notes: Figures are rounded to the nearest ?000.
Sources: 2007: 1386 (2007) Schools Survey: Summary Report. 2008: 1387-1388 Education Summary Report. 2009: as yet
unreleased tables for the (1388) 2009 report.
The progress that has been made since 1381 (2002) has to be set alongside the fact that an
estimated five million school-aged children (42% - in some reports 46% - of the estimated
total) are not in school. This figure is almost certainly an underestimate. These are children
who have never been to school, or have dropped out, or who may drop in and out of school on
an irregular basis. Understanding the underlying causes for these different aspects of school
attendance and participation is central to defining policy and practice to achieve UPE.
If Afghanistan is compared with countries worldwide, it is one of just four countries in the
world with more than four million children out of school, India, Pakistan and Nigeria being
the others.
61
These national headline data on access require some unpacking. For example, it seems clear
that there are wide geographical variations in levels of access to schooling across Afghani-
stan; although once again the data is difficult to gather. Table 2 shows net enrolment for gen-
eral education schools (primary and lower secondary) using 1387 (2008) data. It contrasts
high and low performers (chosen on the basis of primary enrolment). While this data must be
treated with the utmost caution, it does suggest the widely diverging circumstances of differ-
ent Provinces. This, in turn, points to the need for differentiated policy, programme and in-
vestment responses if national targets on enrolment are to be achieved. The data also under-
scores the very low enrolment figures for girls even in the better performing Provinces.
Table 2 Net Enrolment in Six Provinces: Grades 1-9
Primary Lower Secondary
Nimroz 105 (M 119; F 90) 17 (M 25; F8)
Khost 92 (M 125; F 56) 22 (M 39; F2)
Herat 88 (M 94; F 83) 25 (M 29; F 20)
Hilmand 33 (M 55; F 9) 9 (M 15; F2)
Badghis 37 (M 52; F 22) 7 (M 10; F2)
Uruzgan 39 (M 65; F 10) 13 (M 24; F1)
Note: NER cannot exceed 100; this points to both unreliable population
and enrolment data.
Source: Table 2 EMIS 1386 (2007) Schools Survey
There are rural and urban differences in enrolment patterns too. Eighty two percent of general
education schools are classified as rural (1387/2008 data) with approximately 65% of all stu-
dents, although the vast majority of these are in primary schooling. As NESP I states, in rural
61
See for example the analysis of out of school children in the EFA Global Monitoring Report. 2010 Reaching
the Marginalised. UNESCO, Paris, 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 24
areas, girls’ participation declines precipitously. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for primary
education is 0.53 in rural areas compared with 0.71 in urban areas. These differences are ac-
centuated at lower and upper secondary levels. Isolation, poor facilities and insecurity com-
bine to limit access to school for rural children.
Lack of security and attacks on schools is also a significant constraint on children attending
school, especially in Southern Provinces. This problem has intensified since 1385 (2006)
(Textbox 5). The Ministry of Education reports that nearly 500 schools were closed for secu-
rity reasons in 1387 (2008) and 1388 (2009), although working with and through local com-
munities has meant that 200 schools have been re-opened. At best, children exposed to these
risks may benefit from home learning although support for this in terms of learning materials
and tutoring seems to be very uneven. Accelerated learning classes may also enable students
to ?catch up? and re-enter schools at an appropriate grade.
During the course of the preparation of this analysis, the Taliban issued a statement that edu-
cation should be protected. Similar statements have been made in the past but it is to be hoped
that this represents a new position for the country as a whole.
Textbox 5 Education under Attack
Between January 2006 and December 2008 1,153 attacks on education targets were reported, including the
damage to or destruction of schools by arson, grenades, mines and rockets; threats to teachers and officials;
the killing of students, teachers and other education staff; and looting. From January 2009 to June 2009, 123
schools were targeted and 51 received threats. At least 60 students and a teacher were killed and 240
wounded. UNICEF recorded 98 school incidents from May to June 2009. Twenty six schools were attacked
and partially damaged because schools were being used as polling stations on election day, 20 August 2009.
Source: pp173-178 UNESCO Education under Attack 2010
The Ministry of Education also categorizes its schools by climatic zone (15.3% are hot season
schools; 79.5% are cold season schools (with 82% of students); and 4.5% are coldest season
schools). There is no available data that relates enrolment to this grouping of schools. But it
can be assumed that for those schools that experience extremes of weather, that attendance
and participation will fall (see below under Quality). This was evident to the ESA analysis
team in Bamyan where heavy rain and extremely cold weather limit attendance at school, al-
though much of the winter is a school holiday.
Given the extraordinarily low base from which the education system has had to rebuild at the
beginning of the decade there has been significant progress. But Afghanistan is still a country
with some of the poorest school enrolment and participation figures in the world. To enrol at
least another three million children into general education by (1394) 2015, requires an expan-
sion of capacity (more schools, more and better teachers, more learning materials, better sup-
port) that will put an enormous strain on a system that struggles to implement its existing pro-
grammes.
5.3 Quality
The real measure of good schooling is the quality of learning outcomes. Many countries find
quality hard to define and hard to measure. Accordingly, quality is often discussed in terms of
the quality of inputs – buildings, textbooks and teachers – rather than the ability of individual
students, to read, to write, to learn how to think and to act as productive and responsible citi-
zens. Increasingly, there is a necessary pressure to define learning outcomes in terms of their
relevance to the skills, employment and the economic needs of local and national economies,
an issue which many education systems are not always adept in addressing.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 25
Clearly the quality of the teaching and learning process is critical but this too is often not well
understood or assessed systematically in many school systems. In Afghanistan a recent study
on the state of teaching quality in 300 schools in Afghanistan will be important in this re-
gard.
62
Perhaps the most compelling and disturbing indicator of the quality of education in Afghani-
stan is its levels of literacy. There are no accurate data on this issue, and literacy is notoriously
difficult to assess, but one estimate puts youth literacy (15-24 years of age) at around 34%
(18% for women) and adult literacy at 28% (13% for women).
63
Given that the education of
mothers is an important factor in children attending school, these low literacy levels are them-
selves a barrier to schooling.
In the absence of other learning outcome related indicators, school completion data for the
primary or basic cycles of education provide intermediate insights into the quality of general
education, as do transition rates from one level of education to the next. But this data is not
readily available over time. Table 3 gives some insights into the inability of the system to re-
tain students at all levels of the general education system for 1387 (2008).
64
It is almost cer-
tain that these data underestimate drop out and poor retention given that they include children
absent from school, many of whom do not return.
Table 3 suggests that for the first four years of primary school, numbers remain reasonably
steady. Thereafter, almost a fifth of primary students may be lost before the end of Grade 6.
As international research suggests, the chances of acquiring and retaining literacy and nu-
meracy are very limited without four to five years of good primary education, so many chil-
dren will fail to reach even minimum standards.
Table 3 Enrolment by Grade 1387 (2008) (in ‘000)
62
Referred to in the Teacher Education Department Report 1388 (2009).
63
Table 2 Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010.It should be noted that both the meaning of literacy
and how it can and should be measured is a contentious issue.
64
Comparing students by Grade for the same year is of course unsound methodologically. But the data shown
give some sense of the levels of drop and limited transition from level to level.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 26
Source: EMIS. Education Summary Report 1387-1388 (2008-2009)
The transition from Grade 6 to Grade 7 results in the apparent loss of one sixth of those stu-
dents who completed the primary cycle. Then, more than half the Grade 7 student population
fail to complete Grade 9. If the methodological inadequacies of this exercise are put aside,
less than one quarter of Grade 1 students can currently expect to complete Afghanistan‘s basic
education cycle of nine years. Less than 10% will reach Grade 12. These inefficiencies in
transition and completion are more marked for girls than for boys. In 1388 (2009), there were
375, 000 girls in Grade 1 and just 25,000 in Grade 12.
One recent study concludes that one significant reason for drop out at the primary level is that
poor attendance disallows children from progressing from one grade to the next. Attendance
that falls below 50% in Grades 1-3 means children cannot move to the next grade. In Grades
4-6, the attendance figure drops to 25%. When this marker is crossed students cannot take
final year examinations. These students and those who have left school are considered
mahroom – those who are denied the right to continue in the following year but can come
back into their old grade within three years. Based on sample evidence, the study estimates 7-
8% of drop out may be explained in this way with wide variations across schools.
65
Examination results serve as another imperfect marker of the quality of education, the most
notable statistic being that many students who are nominally registered or enrolled in school
do not sit or are not eligible to take school examinations (see above). In 1388 (2009), 22% of
general education students fell into this category. Of those who sat examinations from Grades
1-12, over 73% passed and 5.18% failed. The lowest pass rate is at the end of Grade 4, at
64%. This means that 65,000 Grade 4 children (36%) could not move on to Grade 5 plus the
nearly quarter of a million children who were absent from the exam altogether.
These are all indicators and signs of a system that is failing far too many students at great cost
to the country in terms of its human resource needs. Why is this so? What explains these pat-
terns? In large part, but by no means completely, they reflect the quality of the inputs into
schools.
Comparative analysis shows that the longer children spend in school over the course of a year,
the greater their opportunity to master the curriculum and achieve learning objectives.
66
And
at least 80% of class time needs to be spent on learning. Most countries mandate between 700
to 900 formal hours of instruction during each year of primary and lower secondary educa-
tion.
In Afghanistan, the Education Law mandates MOE to determine the beginning and the clos-
ing of the school year in different climatic zones and to set the number of weekly teaching
hours.
67
There is no readily available data on days in school and hours of learning but three
factors appear to suggest that Afghanistan is at the lower end of the spectrum of learning
time.
68
First, between 101 and 175 days are designated holiday periods, varying according to
climate zone. Second, 36% of all general schools operate more than one shift (1388/2009
data). Three hundred and forty six schools operate three shifts or more. Third, absenteeism
from the classroom, for a complex of reasons, by both teachers and students, necessarily inter-
65
Amir Mansory, 2007. Drop Out Study in Basic Education Level of Schools in Afghanistan. Swedish Commit-
tee for Afghanistan. Kabul.
66
See for example, Benavot, 2004. A Global Study of Intended Instructional Time.
67
Article 12 of the Education Law 1387
68
But the Teacher Education Department study (footnote 15) is to look at these questions.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 27
rupts and shortens learning time. Evidence from school visits tends to confirm the insuffi-
ciency of learning time which is as low as two and half hours for some primary grades. Even
for Grade 6 and above contact hours may be four hours or less. Even accepting that Afghani-
stan has a six day school week there is clearly inadequate classroom learning time in general
education schools in Afghanistan. This is a weak foundation for learning.
Textbox 6 highlights some shortfalls in the quality of some of the more important inputs into
general education schools.
Textbox 6 Assessing the Quality of Inputs
Inputs Status
Teachers Of approximately 170,000 teachers in all parts of the education system (1388/2009),
just 27% have the required Grade 14 qualification, as graduates of Teacher Training
Colleges. Nearly 12% have a Grade 1-11 education; just over 7% are graduates.
69
College specific data suggests very considerable wastage between the number of stu-
dents selected for TTC places and the number of teacher graduates actually teaching in
schools.
School Infrastruc-
ture
Based on information for 11,602 general schools (1388/2009), an extraordinary 48%
are said to have no buildings. Seventeen Provinces have more schools without build-
ings than with. There is a total unmet demand for 87,000 classrooms.
School Security For 9,188 general schools (1387/2008), 55% had no surrounding wall. Over 1,000
girls-only schools had no wall.
School Health Of 9,188 general schools (1387/2008) with information on over 33,000 toilets, ap-
proximately 10% are non-operational.
Learning Materi-
als/Equipment
EMIS Annual Reports have little or no information on the availability and use of
learning materials in general schools. But new primary textbooks have been distributed
and are being used (100 new books/86 teachers guides). New secondary texts are
scheduled for 1389 (2010). EMIS does record the availability of science laboratories.
The data suggests that at best 30% of (presumably lower and upper secondary schools)
have laboratories.
Source: Primary source: Education Summary Report: 1387-1388 (2008-2009). EMIS Department, MoE.
This rather bleak picture must be balanced against indicators of progress. NESP I planned,
ambitiously, that by 1389 (2010), 70% of teachers would have passed a competency test; a
new secondary curriculum would be being taught; national testing systems to assess learning
achievements would be operational; and that over 90% of schools would have appropriate
facilities for boys and girls, And progress, even if not at the rate intended has and is being
made.
The roll out of the new primary curriculum is mentioned in Textbox 6. This was a consider-
able achievement. A framework for monitoring its implementation and revision is in place.
The new secondary curriculum and the development of its attendant texts and guides are pro-
gressing even if the 1389 (2010) target will not be met completely. Work on learning assess-
ment and examination revision has moved more slowly with new targets set in NESP II for
1393 (2014). The establishment of a National Education Standards Authority (NESA), an
independent body to be responsible for standards and accreditation has not yet happened.
NESP I planned for 4,900 new schools (and 4,800 outreach classes). ANDS refers to the con-
struction and rehabilitation of 73,000 classrooms (70% in rural areas). The draft of NESP II
states nearly 5,000 schools were developed between 1381 (2002) and 1387 (2008). The Infra-
structure Department states 1260 schools were under construction in 1388 (2009) and that
69
See Teacher Education Department Report 1388 (2009)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 28
1260 classrooms were built. It is not easy to reconcile some of these data. And EMIS appears
to record schools in existence and not schools being built.
70
But some progress is being made.
There have been important developments too in teacher education, from continuing large-
scale recruitment to investment in improving teachers‘ educational standards [See Section 7].
This picture, like that painted for access, points to a general education system that knows
much of what is needed to improve quality but struggles to keep pace with need and to de-
velop the capacity at all levels, from schools upward, to make learning real for all children.
Investment in improving the quality of general education depends heavily on external assis-
tance. There is little or no financing available in MoE‘s own operational and development
budgets to meet the scale and the complexity of improving the quality of learning in Afghani-
stan‘s schools. As Section 16 of the ESA shows, close to 90% of an external development
budget of US$194 million (1388/2009) is devoted to investment in the general education sys-
tem.
This represents a large measure of dependence on external aid for improving quality, a situa-
tion that is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future. However, financial dependence does
not mean that strong partnerships cannot be forged and innovation introduced. It is not possi-
ble here to catalogue or investigate all of the quality education related projects and pro-
grammes in Afghanistan. And there is no evidence of a general evaluation of aid to education
in Afghanistan, outside of individual project monitoring and review. But it is apparent that
donors are working in areas of priority as these are set out in NESP I and draft NESP II
(Textbox 7).
Textbox 7 Two Projects to Improve the Quality of General Education
The Education Quality Improvement Program started in 1383 (2004) financed by ARTF, the World Bank
(IDA) and the Government of Norway. In its first phase, 822 school buildings were rehabilitated or constructed,
30, 000 teachers received training and well over 8,000 School Shuras were established to help to manage and
develop their own schools. Now, in its second phase, the focus remains on a multi-pronged approach to improv-
ing the quality of education through school grants, teacher and principal training and education and better moni-
toring and coordination. It moves money down to schools and their communities in support of the delivery of
school improvement plans, for school rehabilitation and construction and to mobilise and strengthen school
Shuras. The teacher training sub-programme operates at District level through local NGOs and DEOs. For
9,500 school principals the focus is on administration and leadership. And part of the programme is designed to
support the increased enrolment of women in teacher training.
The Textbook Printing and Distribution Project is a grant from USAID to Danish International Development
Assistance (DANIDA) beginning in March 2007 and continuing annually through February 2011. DANIDA
acts as the fiduciary agent for the printing of new curriculum textbooks for school Grades 1 - 6. DANIDA also
works with MoE to ensure that textbooks are distributed appropriately. The tripartite collaboration between the
U.S. Government (USG), DANIDA, and MoE helps to ensure that all Afghan students in primary schools have
better access to quality education.
Sources: EQUIP II World Bank PID, 2008 and World Bank press release April 14 2009. USAID:http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Activity.45.aspx
5.4 Equity
The sections on access and quality point to some major inequities in general level education.
Gender inequity is paramount but there are very considerable variations across the country in
70
The construction is the main activity of NATO/ISAF‘s contribution to education development. It is a focus for
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) across Afghanistan. And infrastructure represents about 32% of the
donors development budget (1388/2009).
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 29
terms of resourcing, the availability of teachers, schools under attack, and therefore, inevita-
bly, disparities in educational opportunities, outputs and learning outcomes.
Later sections of this report will return to the issue of gender and education and of ways of
being inclusive to ensure that no child is left behind (Section C).
This short section examines the degree to which policy statements address inequity. It can be
argued that most children in Afghanistan are disadvantaged and marginalised in all manner of
ways. Most children suffer multiple disadvantages. It is also clear that circumstance of geog-
raphy, language, poverty and insecurity manifest themselves in different ways in different
parts of the country.
NESP I recognised the need for policies and programmes that are responsive to the needs of
nomadic Kuchi children, those with learning disabilities, and those who have missed out on
school and want a second chance. There is attention also to the rural-urban imbalance in
school provision and to schools under attack. Targets were set for at least 35% of Kuchi chil-
dren being able to access special school programmes by 1389 (2010); an accelerated learning
programme for out of school children by 1386 (2007), and support for refugee children both
within and beyond Afghanistan‘s borders. Detailed activities were itemised and costs indi-
cated for a four year period 1386-1389.
Now, in 1389 (2010), it has not proved easy to assess what progress has been made against
these objectives and their associated targets. It is a weakness (which is perhaps understand-
able) that, to date, EMIS annual surveys have not been able to report on these important com-
ponents of the education system and service. In NESP II, the higher order objectives for 1389-
1393 (2010-2014) do not mention the groups referred to above. And there are no relevant line
items in the outline budget for NESP II.
The draft of NESP II does refer to the need to reduce Provincial disparities but this is de-
scribed purely in terms of construction. It is difficult to discern that attention has been given
in either Plan to the differential circumstances and needs of individual Provinces. The alloca-
tion of funds to Provinces in order to meet the scale and the nature of the challenges of deliv-
ering good quality general education does not appear to be based on any education-based cri-
teria but given the significant disparities in the educational performance of different prov-
inces, a much more needs driven strategy and allocation of scarce resources would appear to
be essential.
5.5 Stakeholders
Education – and schooling in particular - is a multi-stakeholder activity. Its first level stake-
holders are children – girls and boys. They are the consumers and the immediate beneficiaries
of a general education. Teachers and those who work directly in and near to schools follow
close behind, including families, households and local communities. Schools and everyone
associated with them are at the front line of basic service delivery.
In Afghanistan, with the school as the focus, educational stakeholders constitute a majority of
the country‘s population. So enabling local, community-based stakeholders to engage with
and support their schools is central to achieving national access, quality and equity objectives.
There is a strong body of evidence that suggests that local support is of real value in many
communities across Afghanistan and not just in Community Based Schools. Through various
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 30
assemblies, school management committees, parent teachers association and other groupings,
schools are sustained through self-help, in managing school grants where these are available
(e.g. through EQUIP) and in negotiating the safety and security of schools where this is
needed (see Textbox 8). In those parts of the country where communities are themselves un-
der great stress, the local school is an institution that represents a form of security and hope.
Textbox 8 Supporting our School: an Example of Good Practice
In Kushtak School (Grades 1-9) in rural Bamyan, there are three Shuras with distinctive functions. The first
involves teachers and parents in promoting school attendance and following up with parents when children
cannot come to school. The group also oversees the use of school management grants received through the
EQUIP programme and in this instance administered in the first instance by CARE International. It was de-
cided to use the $1000 grants for furniture and other equipment. The second committee looks after security,
involving the elders and religious leaders. The third (at the request of MoE in 1387) is about defending
children‘s rights. It involves students as well as parents and teachers. With an estimated number of just 20
children in the catchment area not enrolled in school, it appears that community support is strong and con-
stant.
The Constitution has nothing to say about communities and schooling beyond a general refer-
ence to the establishment of councils in Districts and villages to allow people to participate
actively in local administration. The Education Law is a little more specific. It states that the
law should provide (Objectives. Article 2/7) the opportunity for the participation of students,
parents/guardians and other member of the society in management affairs, and obtaining the
moral and financial cooperation for the promotion and development of education. Article 48
calls for the active participation of students, parents, teachers and local residents in the proc-
ess of education and training.
NESP I recognises that communities have demonstrated their support for their children‘s fu-
ture by establishing schools through community participation without waiting for outside
help. And it has a principal target that there are School Advisory and Support Councils
(SASCs) in all schools.
71
On condition of SACSs being established by 1387 (2008), small
non-discretionary expenditures would be made at the school level through the EQUIP pro-
gramme but the role of SASCs was also defined in terms of school management and the su-
pervision of teachers. NESP II is a little quieter about community engagement in schooling. It
does not figure in its overall objectives. It appears to be more centrist and technocratic in its
approach to community engagement. Some current discussions in the Ministry of Education
regarding a rationalisation of school based Shuras may reflect this also.
Comparative evidence from around the world points to the value of a strong community –
school axis. Some countries enshrine the rights of communities in law to engage in school
development and management. Others encourage flexible responses which are enabling and
supportive of community involvement in schooling according to context. Given the upsurge
of community demand and support for education since 1381 (2002), the Government of Af-
ghanistan would do well to think this issue through with some care as it embarks on its next
five year round of sector development.
Away from the frontline, the Ministry of Education is a key stakeholder, for it provides the
superstructure to make general education work. It is the service provider. It provides the fi-
nancial, technical and human resources to enable all children to learn. It is a complex organi-
sation with 216,000 employees working in a very difficult institutional environment.
71
Also called School Management Committees (SMC)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 31
Much is made in NESP I and NESP II of administrative reform and development (NESP I)
and of strategic management development in NESP II, both of which are seen as higher order
programmes in their own right. This requires close attention to the issues of capacity and fi-
nancing which are the topics for later sections.
Here attention is drawn to individuals in general education as stakeholders in their own right.
It draws in particular on the evidence of three short provincial visits made by the ESA in
April-May 1389 (2010) and on meetings with many officials in MoE Directorates and De-
partments in Kabul.
It is clear that there is a considerable array of talent and expertise within the Ministry of Edu-
cation working for general education. But this is scattered thinly across the system. It is evi-
dent too that the majority of ministry stakeholders have a strong sense of what needs to be
done, with less clarity as to how to do it in a complex multi-layered, political and often
opaque (at the least to the outsider) institutional environment. There are strong leaders at all
levels in the system – from the school principal‘s room, if there is one, to the Minister‘s of-
fice. These are champions for education and they make a difference but on their own they
cannot institute systemic change. There are some inspiring examples of new and innovative
practice but for most ministry officials there are too many constraints and too little space or
opportunity to manage change to rebuild and reform as distinct from administering the status
quo.
The barriers to individuals making a difference are formidable. People who wait for their ex-
tremely modest salaries for months are unlikely to sustain high levels of commitment.
72
Those
who teach without knowing how to teach may work against learning. Those who train to be
teachers but never enter a classroom are a poor return on scarce resources. Those who work in
classrooms and offices at school, District and Provincial levels in environments which work
directly against productivity, may manage to comply with central directives but they cannot
introduce and manage reform.
73
Those who are and/or feel insecure cannot be expected to be
proactive.
There are good examples of people and organisations working together whether in some of
the working groups answerable to the Education Development Board (now the Human Re-
sources Development Board) or through dynamic Shuras at the school level. Less obvious is
the interaction between people responsible for different facets of school education at all lev-
els. Infrastructure, teachers, curriculum, learning materials, supervision, and professional de-
velopment are parts of a single endeavour. They require specialist knowledge but they are not
separate enterprises in their own right. They need to be brought together in support of improv-
ing schools.
There is little question that there has been a new dynamic directed to better education for all
in the past six to seven years in Afghanistan. Equally it is evident that if this momentum is to
be sustained and expectations are to be met, much more attention will have to be paid to ways
of working, communicating and making things happen. There remains quite a strong centrist
approach to the planning and management of schooling, some of which is needed. But the
references to delegation and better support that appear in the National Education Strategic
Plans are not worked through. It is of course right to introduce systemic reforms (e.g. Pay and
72
The sector analysis team met people who had received no pay for seven months.
73
For example, in one provincial office five department managers worked alongside one another in a very
cramped room in a poorly maintained 60 year old building.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 32
grade and new recruitment procedures) but if Afghanistan is going to achieve its very ambi-
tious EFA and MDG goals it needs to empower people at all levels of its organisation to con-
tribute to what is a major mission to change Afghanistan through education.
5.6 Performance Monitoring
NESP I set and NESP II sets ambitious targets for general schooling as Textbox 9 shows.
Textbox 9 NESP I and II: Higher Order General Education Objectives and Targets
NESP I General Education by 1389 (2010)
Access
7.4 million in school from Grades 1-12
Access for minority groups and children with disabilities or
other special needs
4900 new schools and 4800 outreach classes will be estab-
lished: specific attention will be given to rural areas
Construction and rehabilitation of 73,000 classrooms – 70%
in rural areas and 30% in urban areas
Quality
School Advisory and Support Councils in all schools
Ensure all school children have a complete set of new cur-
riculum textbooks
New secondary curriculum and new textbooks and revised
primary curriculum
Write and print 150,000 textbooks and teachers guides
Establish a National Institute of Curriculum Development
incorporating a National Standards
Board for defining and evaluating teaching and learning
standards and accreditation
Strengthen institutional and staff capacities in curriculum
development
Develop and implement a nationally-administered annual
testing system for assessment of learning achievements for
primary and secondary students.
Establish and strengthen teacher training colleges in all
Deliver pre-service training to 17,000 new student teachers
using new curriculum, textbooks and teacher guides
Provide in-service teacher training to the existing 140,000
teachers
Establish a National Teacher Education Institute
Develop a national distance teacher training programme
leading to certification
Construction 18 Teacher Training Colleges with dormitories
for male and female students in each Province
Construction of 389 rural and urban District Education
Resource Centres that will serve as Teacher Resource
Centres, Community Learning Centres and District Educa-
tion Offices
NESP II (Draft) General Education by 1393 (2014) and
1399 (2020)
Access
10 million students will be enrolled in General Education
Schools and the number of schools will reach 16,500. The
net enrolment rate of girls and boys in Basic Education will
increase to 60% and 75% and gross enrolment to 72% and
90%, respectively. (1393/2014).
Gross enrolment rates in basic education for boys and girls
will increase to 104% and 103% respectively; and the net
enrolment rates will increase for boys and girls to 98%
(1399/2020)
12% of basic education graduates will continue their educa-
tion in Technical and Vocational Education programs (2020)
Seventy-five percent of general and Islamic schools, 100%
of technical and vocational schools, 75% of TTCs will have
useable buildings.
Quality
At least 80% of teachers will have passed the national com-
petency test (1393/2014)
At least 95% of teachers will have successfully passed the
national competency test (1399/2020)
The curriculum, syllabi and textbooks of General and Is-
lamic Education will be updated to meet the developing
needs (1393/ 2014)
Sufficient ordinary and development budget will be provided
for all education programs with a ratio of 75% for salaries
and 25% for non-salary costs 1393/2014.
The new Structure ?Tashkil? will be implemented based on
public administration reforms at central, provincial and
district levels (1393/2014).
A comprehensive EMIS system will be functional at central,
provincial and district level and will facilitate informed
decision making, transparency and accountability of educa-
tion services being provided (1393/2014)
The objectives set out in Textbox 9 are the higher order targets (many of which have sub-
targets). They are grouped here under the headings of access and quality but in the plans they
are listed under input related programmes. Equity related objectives are to be found primarily
in relation to access and gender.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 33
Each planning document notes how progress will be monitored. In NESP I it is stated: A
limited set of key indicators …will allow assessment of progress made and results obtained on
the basis of objective targets. Different types of indicators (relating to input, process, output
and impact factors) will be needed according to the level at which the monitoring is taking
place. At the highest central level, monitoring will concentrate mainly, if not exclusively, on
output and impact of the different programs. ... Special care will be taken to make sure that
all indicators are commonly agreed upon by the different stakeholders and development part-
ners in order to ensure smooth coordination and cooperation.
Five years on in the middle of 1393 (2010), the sector analysis team found it difficult to locate
a consolidated set of indicators to measure progress towards NESP I 1389 (2010) objectives
within MoE. It is not data that are held by EMIS.
74
And there was no evidence that this is
regular core business for the EDB.
But ANDS reporting does pick up Outputs against Commitments for the primary and secon-
dary sub-sector under three headings: Increased Quality of Education; Access to Education
and Equal Opportunity for All
75
. Twenty five general education commitments are listed which
largely match NESP I. Reasonably detailed reporting against commitment is provided for
1386 (2007) and 1387 (2008).
76
This matrix, kept year on year, could provide a useful plan-
ning tool.
At the Provincial level, at least on a sample basis, there is no evidence that reporting and
monitoring activities are located within the framework of the Plan. Data is collected but not
on a NESP programme basis. Provincial Directorates do not appear to set their own five year
NESP related targets.
77
NESP II (March 1389/2010 draft) states that NESP monitoring will consist of three broad
elements:
? Monitoring of progress against targets, by compilation of within year and annual progress reports with
information on the performance of each component towards defined targets as set in annual work plans
and budgets.
? Monitoring of resources use against budget, which will be based on expenditures compared to the
budget by programme (operating and development) including utilization of donor funding
? Monitoring and reporting on development partners‘ contributions through external budget projects. The
Ministry of Education, in consultation with EDB members, will develop monitoring and reporting for-
mats for projects/funds that are managed by partners outside of the government budget. The reporting
will be aligned with the NESP programme structure. EDB will consolidate such reports provided by
partners.
These proposals are an advance on NESP I in the intention to have a much closer link be-
tween targets, programmes and budgets and in providing HRDB with a higher order monitor-
ing function.
A very detailed Performance Assessment and NESP II Implementation Indicators (Program
Based) 2010-2014 has been developed by Programme with general education as sub-
74
In an effort to help the sector analysis team EMIS offered to contact individual programmes for their updates
but with limited success.
75
This data is based on Annex VII – Sector Achievements -1387 of Making a Difference: Transition from 1387
Planning to Practice. First Annual Report (2008/09). ANDS.
76
The sector analysis team did not obtain data reported on 1388 (2009) for ANDS.
77
The NESP team was unable to fully verify this fact.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 34
programme 1.1 requiring results, indicators, means of verification, responsible unit and fre-
quency. And this exercise is seen as guiding the strengthening and developing of a compre-
hensive EMIS M and E System.
A great deal of work has gone into developing this framework. In moving forward in this way
it will be important to be quite clear what can and cannot be reasonably expected to be col-
lected. At the unit of service delivery (school, TTC etc) it is better that there be a relatively
small set of indicators that are meaningful and manageable for those who work there. Indeed
at the national level too, there is a strong case for identifying a small set of access, quality and
equity indicators that give a good sense of achievement (or otherwise) across the general edu-
cation sub-sector.
Given that strong emphasis is placed on access and quality as primary policy goals, there is a
good case for focusing on four or five major indicators to get a clear sense of the health of the
sub-sector. These should be measures of enrolment, gender equity, completion, transition and
Grade 12 examination pass rates. This moves monitoring and reporting much more strongly
towards outputs and outcomes rather than a focus on inputs.
This does not mean that the delivery and quality of inputs is not important but these are not
the measures which will indicate success or otherwise in achieving ambitious general educa-
tion goals.
5.7 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Momentum created by expanding general school-
ing in the past six years
? Public demand for schooling
? The engagement of communities
? A gradual – if insufficient – narrowing of the
gender gap
? Advances in curriculum development and teacher
education
? The development of an EMIS data basis
? Insufficient learning time
? Unacceptable condition and facilities in many
schools and in District and Provincial offices.
? Low levels of teacher competency
? Weak implementation capacity at the sub-national
level
? Insufficient coordination across departments re-
sponsible for different inputs
? Poor financial management at sub national levels
? Poor reporting systems: too many input targets.
Not enough attention to outcomes
Opportunities Threats
? NESP II sustains progress
? Improving coordination at the national level
(HRDB)
? Continued donor commitment to improving the
quality of general education
? Building on the experience of schools having and
using grants
? Growing recognition of the importance of girls
education
? Unfulfilled expectations
? Poor quality dampens demand
? Continued insecurity
? Weak commitment and motivation in the educa-
tion service
6. Islamic Education
As noted in Section A, Islamic Education is deeply rooted in Afghan traditions, culture, his-
tory, law, order and economy. It is an important means of fostering cohesion and strengthen-
ing identity in Afghan society. But Islamic Education includes many different types of institu-
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 35
tion and instruction that varies across the country and changes over time. The kind of Islamic
education parents choose for their children depends in large part on what is available. If sev-
eral schools exist in the same area, students may test out the different alternatives.
6.1 Brief History of Islamic Education
Education is central to Islam. Jami'at al-Qarawiyyin in Fès (established in 859) is said to be
the oldest Madrassa in the Muslim world,
78
possibly, the oldest university. Other sources
point to Egypt in 1002 AD
79
or Iraq in the eleventh century.
80
Egyptian Madaris had libraries
and teachers for subjects like astronomy, architecture and philosophy. Versions of the first
curriculum developed in Iraq are still used in Madaris in Pakistan and India. By the end of the
18
th
century, Indian Madaris developed into centres of resistance against British colonial rule
and European influence. In general, Madaris (simply translated as ?schools?) have evolved in
diverse, context specific ways.
Both prior to the Islamic period and parallel to development of Islamic Education, non-formal
training and education have been practiced in Afghanistan for many centuries. The transfer of
skills needed for survival, maintaining cultural traditions and values has taken many forms
including through poetry, song, dance and stories. Many poems, with their origin in the clas-
sical Persian literature, are said to be known by heart by many in the Afghan population even
today.
81
6.2 Forms of Islamic Education
Formal Islamic education differs from more traditional non-formal instruction in several as-
pects: it takes place in a specific setting, most often in the ?education room? in the Mosque
with a special teacher, the Mullah, following the Quran and the Hadits but sometimes other
books and documents too. The most important Islamic Education institutions are the Halaq-
uas (Mosque Schools) and the Madaris.
Halaquas (Mosque Schools) offer informal learning opportunities for children from an early
age (usually about four). It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of boys and girls in
Afghanistan attend.
82
Usually, Halaquas are small with one instructor providing an elemen-
tary level of Islamic education. There are few administrative or institutional rules, no entrance
fees nor criteria for entry, and no examinations and certificates.
The pedagogy is straightforward: the teacher speaks while children listen, although questions
can be asked. Writing is taught by children copying what the teacher writes or from docu-
ments. Familiarity with letters and how letters can form words is gained. Some children learn
to read. There is very little difference between the Arabic letters and the letters used in Dari
and Pashto. Often simple arithmetic is taught as well.
78
Wikipedia.org
79
Saleem H.Ali Ph.D, Islam and Education: Conflict and Conformity in Pakistan and beyond; (manuscript un-
der review), December 2007; University of Vermont; (265 p.), see p.32. Here from Kees van den Bosch et al,
April 2008.
80
Nolan, op cit
81
Much of this presentation is from Karlsson, Pia and Mansory, Amir: Islamic and Modern Education in Af-
ghanistan - Conflictual or Complementary?, University of Stockholm, Institute of International Education, p. 5
ff. According to Karlsson and Mansory, the most well-known poet is Rumi, born in Balkh in 1207.
82
Stated by Karlsson and Mansory and confirmed by several informants to the ESA team during Febr-May
2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 36
While copying, repeating and memorizing might be considered to be passive learning, there
are examples of Mullahs trying other ways of teaching including older children teaching
younger children.
Children stay in the Halaquas until they reach the age when they can enrol in Madaris or for-
mal primary schools. If there are no such schools in the vicinity, many children continue for
many years in the Halaquas, although girls tend to leave around the age of 11-12. Some chil-
dren attend both the Halaquas and formal schools.
The Mullahs have several roles including teaching, being heads of the Mosques, providing
guidance to the villagers, and performing ceremonies. Sometimes the Mullah and the Imam
(who leads the prayer) is the same person. Often the Mullahs are paid from the Zakat sys-
tem
83
, where the poor do not have obligations to pay. Although Mullahs are respected in gen-
eral, there are examples of complaints made by parents and the local community, leading to
their dismissal.
Textbox 10 What is Learned in the Halaquas?
In Afghanistan, children should learn to read the Holy Quran, to memorize some minor parts of the Quran, the
five pillars of Islam, the prayers and the praying rituals as well as Islamic moralities and values. Before reading
the Quran, children often use an alphabet book, called Baghdadi Qaida, the Baghdad Principle. It is phonetically
organized and consists of Arabic phonemes and letters and the children learn all the phonemes one by one. Most
children learn to read the Quran in two to three years.
Traditional Madaris are found throughout the country, run by local communities. They ex-
clude girls. As the education is free, the government in Kabul has had relatively little influ-
ence on the structure and functions of these Madaris. Students learn at their own pace and
attend in their own time. The subjects taught are more or less the same everywhere but con-
tent and the quality of the instruction differs depending on the competence and capacity of the
teachers.
Madaris are designed to meet the needs of an Islamic society, so Talibs (students) study Taf-
sir, interpretations of the Quran; Hadith, the sayings by the Prophet Mohammed; Sira,
Prophet Mohammed‘s life-stories; Fiqha, Islamic duties, rights, and rituals; Tawhid, the unity
of God; Mantiq, rhetoric and logic (Socrates); and, Arabic and Pashto literature. A good stu-
dent may pass through and complete the entire training in ten years.
84
Students graduate from the Madrassa after completing a certain number of books in the dif-
ferent subjects. A special ceremony authorizes student to work as an Imam and Mullah.
85
Dif-
ferent religious degrees can also be pursued, including Shekh ul Hadith and Hafiz, as well as
qualifications to become a Faqi (Jurisprudence expert), or a Qazi (Judge). A Qazi has to be an
A‘lim/Sheikh ul Hadith and must know Fiqha (jurisprudence) of all the four Sunni Madhabs
with specialization on the Hanafi Fiqha in Afghanistan.
83
The Islamic concept of tithing and alms; an obligation to pay at least 2.5% of wealth to specified groups in
society when their annual wealth exceeds a minimum level. In addition, Zakat, one of the basic principles of
Islamic economics is based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth. (ANDS p. XVII)
84
Based on Karlsson and Mansory, op cit p. 8, but amended and updated.
85
?Anyone, who has studied Islam, can become Imam or Mullah, but to become Judge or Lawyer a particular
training is stipulated by the government. Principally, only graduates from the Sharia Faculty of the University
are allowed to work as Judges but graduates from traditional second level Madrassas have also been approved
and permitted to work as Judges?. Karlsson and Mansory, op cit
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 37
Some students continued to the Second Level of the traditional system in institutions of which
there were between 15 and 20. And there were some government-run second level Madaris
that existed before the current Government came to power. From Grade 12, students were
allowed to enter the faculties of Sharayat and of Law in Kabul University, to study to be
judges, government officials and teachers for Islamic schools. Some also worked as Mullahs.
The liberation war against the Soviet occupation as well as the decline of primary schooling
during the Communist era prepared the ground for the rehabilitation of modern Madaris. Dur-
ing the Taliban period Madaris were the only form of education encouraged by the govern-
ment.
Today, students in modern Madaris pass through Grades 7-12 following terms that cover nine
months of the year. Each day there are between four and six hours of study, about 50 per cent
of the time being spent on religious subjects. During the Taliban period, the Government
aimed at educating students into a correct and strict view on Islam, while also offering mod-
ern subjects. This allowed students to compete with the graduates from so-called secular
schools. Subjects such as English were included if a teacher was available.
The Teachers/Mullahs were sometimes from other areas and had often graduated many years
ago. During the last years of the Taliban regime, younger teachers trained in Pakistani Mada-
ris were recruited. Some Madaris were partly financed by government, some by private dona-
tion. In addition to boarding organized by the schools, many students lodged in private homes.
Student grants were provided and food was often given; this aid was an important incentive
for poor students to enrol. With the fall of Taliban, MoE continued to support these Madaris
and other Madaris were free to register with MoE.
6.3 The Constitution, Education Law and Islamic Education
The value that is placed on Islamic Education is reflected in the Constitution (1382/2003)
which states, in its first chapter, that: The state shall adopt necessary measures for the promo-
tion of education at all levels for the development for the religious education, and for organiz-
ing and improving the conditions of mosques, madrasas and religious centers.
86
Article 45
establishes that, The state shall devise and implement a unified educational curriculum based
on the provisions of the sacred religion of Islam, national culture, and in accordance with
academic principles, and shall develop the curriculum of religious subjects in schools on the
basis of the Islamic sects existing in Afghanistan.
Article Four of the Education Law states that formal Islamic Education in public education
and training institutions is free. MoE is charged with the duty to organize formal Islamic Edu-
cation (Article Seven). Chapter Four of the Education Law, refers to two levels of Islamic
Education: public educational Madaris and public Dar-ul-Hefaz. It states: Islamic formal edu-
cational level comprises grade tenth to the end of grade fourteenth, provided and expanded
free in the public educational Madrasas, in a balanced and equitable manner, in accordance
with the number of population and Kochis residing in the area and educational and training
standards for the graduates of the ninth grades of intermediate (basic) education level. It goes
on to state that Education in Darulhefazes comprises grade one to the end of grade twelve,
provided and expanded free in the public Darulhefazes.
The Objectives of Islamic education level are set out in Article 22. These are:
86
Year 1382 (2003), Article 17
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 38
? Gain principles, rules, religious precepts, academic and ethical orders of the sacred religion of Islam,
and their uses in the individual and social life, effective and useful participation in the household, Ma-
drasa and the community life.
? Train scholars, orators, preachers, Modrasan, and (memorizers) Hafezes of the Holly Quran, for teach-
ing, preaching, propagating, directing and leading prayers (Imam).
? Train professional teacher for Islamic knowledge and Arabic language to teach in Madrasas and public
and private educational institutions.
6.4 Islamic and Formal Education Structures
Error! Reference source not found. juxtaposes Islamic education alongside the state system.
t is important to underline that the horizontal axis does not represent numbers of children or
importance of different parts of the system. And vertical axis, showing ages and grades is not
a reflection of the age grade participation.
Figure 3 Education Systems and Levels
Yrs.in
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Quran or Mosque School
For all children in the neighbourhood of the Mosque. It is non-formal, not regularized and
has no specific administrative or institutional rules. No entrance admission criteria, no fees,
no examinations, and no certificates.
87
For probably 80-90% of all children.
ECE
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(crèches) and
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(nurseries). Few
and only available
in urban areas
4
87
According to Pia Karlsson & Amir Mansory… If no school exists in the neighbourhood the boys can continue for many
years in the mosque school, with irregular attendance but girls tend to quit when they are around eleven to twelve years old.
Students pass through individually in their own pace.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 39
6.5 Islamic Education in NESP I
The overall goal stated in NESP I was to develop a modern broad-based Islamic education
system for all Afghans
88
. Madaris were seen as having played a vital role despite occasional
misuse for political purposes, retaining a unique influence over Afghanistan‘s educational,
political and social milieu. NESP I further recognised that these were institutions that had
served multiple roles both as centres for advanced learning in Islamic studies and as a source
of Afghanistan‘s political leaders.
6.6 Islamic Education in ANDS (2008)
NESP I was written and approved before ANDS, so ANDS refers to NESP I. On Islamic Edu-
cation
89
ANDS states that the vision for the education sector is to provide competent religious
services and raise religious awareness of the public in order to promote their participation in
the development programmes of the Government. This will ultimately lead to poverty reduc-
tion and the development of Afghanistan.
In the Chapter on Governance, Rule of Law, Justice and Human Rights, ANDS lists several
priorities which directly and indirectly have reference to Islamic Education: (i) to improve
infrastructure for religious affairs, such as mosques, shrines, holy places, and religious
schools; (ii) improve the training and capacity of Imams, preachers, religious teachers and
other scholars to raise public awareness and to teach; (iii) finalize a comprehensive culture
curriculum for primary and higher education; … (v) support efforts of the other government
agencies to improve literacy, dispute resolution and to contribute to strengthening of the na-
tional solidarity. The expected results include: (a) reforms implemented in line with Islamic
values; (b) improved infrastructure and financial sustainability of religious affairs, particularly
of the religious education system.
Among the achievements listed in ANDS, since the coming of the current Government, are
the establishment and rehabilitation of Islamic Madaris and Dar-Ul-Hefazs. In its needs as-
sessments, however, ANDS points to: The rehabilitation and construction of religious schools
is the most pressing need for the sector. Additionally there is a need to improve the Islamic
female education system and to hire an adequate number of Imams. It also lists a set of Chal-
lenges and Constraints:
? Lack of qualified scholars‘ - and lack of proper training for the scholars;
? Lack of qualified cadre in religious education;
? Weak coordination among the different religious government and non-government institutions;
? Low level of professional capacity: lack of adequate facilities and competent professionals which hin-
ders the effective implementation of programmes;
? Uncertain funding and the dependence of the religious institutions on private charities. A lack of ade-
quate funding is one of the major constraints in the realization of the sector programmes, which mini-
mize the ability of the government institutions to implement their projects;
? Security problems: continued insecurity is a barrier to the implementation of the programmes in some
parts of the country.
90
Other priorities include reforms in the teaching methods in public and private Madaris and
reforming and improving the coordination of the Sharia faculties of Afghan Universities
91
88
NESP I page 72
89
ANDS page 14
90
ANDS page 68
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 40
Among the results achieved ANDS notes that the increase in the number of reformed religious
schools that teach a broad-based Islamic education curriculum (336) and the establishment of
the National Islamic Education Council to oversee and monitor the delivery of Islamic educa-
tion across the country.
92
6.7 Islamic Education in NESP II (2010)
NESP II refers to Madaris as Islamic Schools and to Dar-ul-Ulums, Islamic Colleges. Four
Programme components are specified: Access to Islamic Education, Student Services, Aca-
demic Supervision, and Management and Coordination. Islamic school construction is de-
scribed under Programme 5, which covers all schools.
6.8 Islamic Schools 1389 (2010)
While considerable registration work is currently underway, Islamic education is not well
documented. A large part of the contemporary development of the Madaris is a result of ac-
tivities beyond Afghanistan‘s borders. Hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals are study-
ing in Madaris in other countries, mainly in Pakistan, because of the lack of access to schools
in Afghanistan. Parents may consider the quality of Afghan schools to be inferior to what is
found abroad or they may not be able to afford to feed them at home. School which offer food
and accommodation free of charge are attractive.
Grade 13 and 14 of Islamic education is called Dar-ul-Ulums. This level is only provided in
central locations in the provinces. As of 1389 (2010) MoE had established 45 such institu-
tions. Most of these colleges have more than 1000 students and increasingly provide accom-
modation, food and clothing. On average, 500 students in each province receive this type of
assistance. Over the past three years between US$0.8 – 1.0 million has been used for this pur-
pose. Dar-ul-Ulums have comparatively good infrastructure including computer rooms and
boarding facilities. MoE believes that these institutions will attract students and their families
and lessen the flow to Pakistan and other countries.
MoE data shows that there are 421 Madaris under government auspices in 1389 (2010), cov-
ering Grades 1-12 Grade (from 6 years of age). There is at least one Madari in each District,
established by Decree of the President. After graduation students can continue studies in Dar-
ul-Ulums.
There are 73 Dar-ul-Hefaz Basic schools in Afghanistan (1389/2010) for Grade 1-12 stu-
dents. The main aim of these schools is memorization of the Holy Quran and all related sub-
jects: Tajweed (phonemes), Lahja (accent) and Qera‘at (recitation). Other subjects include
Fiqa (jurisprudence), Aqayed (belief/catechism), Surf (morphology), Nahw (syntax), Balaghat
(Oration) and other subjects that are taught in Madaris. The pursuit of these subjects depends
on the ability of the students and the time that is available. Graduates from Grade 12 should
know other subjects besides having memorized the Holy Quran.
Dar-ul-Hefaz Special are institutions for the blind, which follow a special curriculum from
Grades 1 to 8. This curriculum focuses on memorization of the Holy Quran and related sub-
jects only. Another category of school under MoE is the Elhaqia, satellite schools (outreach
class (es)) of a hub Madrassa in areas where the establishment of a Madrassa is not possible
91
ANDS page 69
92
ANDS page 114
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 41
because of remoteness of the area or because students cannot travel long distances due to poor
security.
Overall, according to the Deputy Ministry for Islamic Education, there are 593 Islamic educa-
tion institutions under MoE (mid April 2010).
93
Added to which MoE is responsible for
Madaris in Pakistan (two in Peshawar cater for refugees). MoE has the full responsibility for
these institutions, except that local contributions and support are significant.
Table 4 Islamic Schools (MoE) 1386-1389 (2007-2010)
94
1386 (2007)
1387 (2008)
1388 (2009)
1389 (2010)*
Total Number of Islamic Schools 336 485 515 593
* Verbal information from Deputy Minister of Islamic Education. Basis for this figure not known.
The Ministry of Hajj and Endowment also controls some educational activities; approximately
100 Madaris spread across the country, found mainly in local Mosques. The organisation of
these activities is described as relatively loose. They do not have the same curriculum as MoE
schools and they have been characterized by some informants as archaic. Ministry of Hajj and
Endowment informed the ESA team that they wish to terminate these activities.
According to Afghanistan‘s Constitution there is general freedom for anybody to establish
Islamic schools. And there are private Madaris in addition to the categories listed above.
Some of these are registered with MoE, others not. Those not registered and not following
MoE‘s curriculum cannot receive MoE certificates for their graduates.
6.9 Service Delivery Capacity
According to NESP I MoE‘s overall strategy was to make quality Islamic education accessi-
ble to boys and girls across the country. To do this, the Ministry planned to build a Madrassa
(Grade 7-12) in each of the 364 districts in Afghanistan, construct 34 Dar-ul-Ulums (Grade 7-
14) and dormitories for boys, and 34 higher secondary Madaris and dormitories for girls, in
each of the provincial capitals. The implementation of these plans would make quality Islamic
education accessible to approximately 90,000 students by 1389 (2010).
The EMIS report for 1388 (2009) records that of 450 Islamic Education schools under MoE,
179 schools had buildings, while 254 did not. In 1386 (2007) 82 schools reported to have
buildings while 249 did not. These data are unreliable although they do suggest that Islamic
Education schools are in a poor state in terms of infrastructure.
6.10 Islamic Education and Gender
Mosque schools are for both boys and girls. Madaris have traditionally been for males. The
question of equity has resulted in some donors being unwilling to assist the sub-sector. MoE
and other stakeholders maintain that much effort is underway to open up and make this part of
the system more attractive to females. Statistics from recent years (Table 4) show that while
93
Information to the ESA team from Deputy Minister for Islamic Education in April 2010
94
Basis for data: for 2007: (EMIS )1386 (2007) School Survey Summary Report January 2008, Table 7, page 26.
2008: (EMIS) 1387-88 Education Summary Report, Table 2.3, page 62. 2009: EMIS department – received 22/4
2010.
April 2009, MoE reported: ?Currently there are 511 Official Madrassas in the country. Only 7 of them have
buildings and only 222 out of 511 are partially Functional.?.. and..? In addition there are 400 private Madrassas
in the country.? MoE Concept Paper on Islamic Education in Afghanistan, April 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 42
both male and female enrolment is increasing, the male rate is increasing faster, hence the
widening of the gender gap.
Table 5 Male and Female Students in Islamic Schools (MoE) 1386-1388
95
* Verbal information from Deputy Minister of Islamic Education. Basis for this data is not known.
6.11 Stakeholders
Traditionally the main stakeholders in Islamic Education have been the Mosques, the Mul-
lahs, local communities, private and institutional donors, MoE and the Ministry of Hajj and
Endowment. Given that the development and improvement of Islamic Education is a sensi-
tive issue, MoE undertook extensive public consultations and discussions, starting in
1387(2006).
96
It brought together key Afghan political and academic figures in the religious
community in an effort to build consensus and political support for this process. The outcome
of these first discussions was very positive and laid the foundations for further dialogue with
MoE underlining that all developments would be conducted through international, national,
provincial and district level consultations. Close cooperation between MoE and the Ulema
council was established.
6.12 Finance
Traditionally, Islamic Education has been financed by the local communities, the Mosques
and by individuals. In the 1990s Government started to provide some funds for modern Mada-
ris and even stipends for the students. Today such financial assistance has been maintained
and extended. While by tradition there is considerable local community involvement in Mada-
ris, this sub-sector does not seem to have established school related institutions such as PTAs
and SMC to the same extent as the formal schools. Hence there might be an untapped re-
source for these schools.
The costs of Islamic Education and General Education are compared in Table 6 but these data
do not enable any sort of unit price to be calculated as there are many costs not covered, for
instance, textbooks and infrastructure.
95
Basis for data: for 2007: 1386 (2007) School Survey Summary Report January 2008, Table 7, page 26. 2008:
1387-88 Education Summary Report, Table 2.3, page 62. 2009: EMIS department – received 22/4 2010.
96
Information from: A Strategy for the Development of Afghanistan’s Centres of Excellence Model Schools for a
Holistic Education, MoE, Kabul 2006, p.7
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 43
Table 6 Budget 1388 (2009) Islamic and General Education
Sub-Sector
Budget for General and Islamic Education
1388/2009
(000 Afs)
No. of Students
1388 (EMIS)
Opera
tional
Development Total
General Education 6,878,
926
277,362 7,156,287 6514000
Islamic Education 349,8
88
0 349,888 129375
Total 7,228,
814
277,362 7,506,176
6.13 Curriculum and Standards
MoE‘s intention is that formal schools and Islamic schools should follow the same curriculum
for Grades 1-6. From Grade 7 Madaris will emphasise the Islamic curriculum, as formal
schools place more weight on subjects such as Mathematics and Science. The curriculum for
Dar-ul-Ulums in Table 7 shows 33 subjects, many of them with small time allocations
97
.
Table 7 Subjects Taught in Dar-ul-Ulums by Grade and Periods Per Week
Subjects 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1. Holy Quran 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4
2. Hadith 3 3 3 3 4 4
3. Fiqa 5 5 3 3 3 3 4 4
4. Theology 2 2 2 2
5. Principles of Fiqa 2 2 3 3 4 4
6. Principles of Hadith 2
7. History 2
8. Seera 2 2
9. Legacy/Tradition 2
10. Islamic Morals and Ethics 2 2
11. Language 2 2 2
12. Literature 2 2 2 2 3 3
13. Arabic Language 2 2 2 2 2
14. Oratory and Public Speaking 2 2 2
15. Logic 2
16. Sciences of Quran 2
17. First Language 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
18. Second Language 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
19. Science 3 3 3 2 2 2
20. Social Studies 2 2 2 2 2 2
21. Maths 3 3 3 2 2 2
22. English 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
23. Sports 1 1 1
24. Computers 1 1 1 2 2
25. Wisdom of Shariat 2
26. Pedagogy of Islamic Studies 2
27. Rules of Fiqa 2 2
28. Research Method 2
29. Principles of Invitation to Islam 2
30. Psychology 2
31. Methods of teaching 2
32. Examination and evaluation 2
33. Practical Teacher Training 2
Total 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36
97
Information received from MoE, Curriculum Department 12 May 2010
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 44
6.14 Outputs, Outcomes and Relevance
In accordance with national priorities formulated in the Constitution and in other national
strategy documents, Islamic Education is highly regarded in Afghanistan for developing basic
Islamic values and attitudes. It is a fundamental assurance that the future development of Af-
ghanistan will be based on Islam.
Halaqua provide a first and basic introduction to Islam as well as developing a sense of disci-
pline, expression, working alone and together, and establishing respect for Islam and for peo-
ple. As Halaquas are found throughout the country, enrolling large numbers of girls and boys,
they represent a setting in which children can be together and develop during the hours of the
day when parents and other relatives have other duties.
Higher level Islamic institutions develop competencies in areas where there often are no other
schools and for poorer groups in society. They produce local and national leaders, teachers,
local representatives and private sector entrepreneurs.
MoE plans to strengthen and improve the quality and broaden the scope of the curriculum for
Dar-ul-Ulums in order to attract Afghan students currently studying abroad (notably in Paki-
stan and Iran). The ESA team was informed several times that this intention is beginning to
bear fruit. In the Islamic High School visited in Herat, school management indicated that a
considerable number of the students were previously studying in Iran, and the fact that the
school was operating in Herat reduced the number of new students leaving the country.
6.15 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Islamic Education has strong support from many
parts of the population, in particular in rural areas
and among poor people.
? Islamic Education functions, systems and institu-
tions are well established
? Islamic Education produces personnel for Islamic
religious functions as well as to government
? Parts of IE are community based. Community
ownership of these activities is important and
valued
? Islamic Education has a long tradition in Afghani-
stan
? Low enrolment of females
? Many of the teachers do not have updated compe-
tence in pedagogy or in subjects taught
? Local financing is a strength but could also be an
weakness in localities with limited resources
? Extreme decentralisation on the one hand, and
Governments intention to improve and contribute
on the other, can lead to problems of cooperation
and of management.
? There are issues related to standards and quality
control mechanisms. Training not related to the
need of the modern labour market.
Opportunities Threats
? Dar-ul-Ulums have proved able to attract Afghan
students abroad to come home for their studies
? Widespread and well understood systems
? Local community involvement and private sector
contributions are important assets
? General threats due to current insecurity and war.
? Some Islamic Education institutions have been
used for political purposes
? International and in particular Western govern-
ments and donors seem often not to be willing to
contribute and support Islamic Education.
? Conflicts between different groups of Islamic
Education
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 45
7 Teacher Education
Teachers are the lifeblood of every school system. They work at the frontline. If they do not
teach effectively then children do not learn and the whole rationale for schooling is under-
mined. And if teachers are not well educated, trained, supported and advised then they cannot
be effective teachers.
98
There are 170,000 teachers working in schools under the auspices of MoE. Thirty per cent of
those are women. In (1380) 2001 there were 20,700 teachers in general schools, all of whom
were men. At that time there were four teacher training colleges (TTCs) with an enrolment of
just 400, all men. Nine years on there are 38 TTCs (with one in every province) where over
42,000 students are being educated and trained (38% female).
Under NESP II, as the expansion of the schooling system continues, there is the need for an
additional 119,000 teachers by 1393 (2014) and upgrading of the 60% of existing teachers
with schooling only up to Grade 12. This presents an enormous challenge for teacher educa-
tors and teacher education but one which MoE and specifically its Teacher Education De-
partment, with external support and working through NGOs, is addressing with some vigour.
Work is being carried out on a number of fronts, seven of which are briefly reported on here.
First, it is recognised that not enough is known about the quality of teaching and learning in
schools, including the impact of aid assisted project interventions. A baseline study of 300
Grade 4 classrooms with an appropriate urban-rural mix has been planned.
99
This is informa-
tion and data that does not currently feed through from the Provincial and District school
monitoring process. It is an activity that needs to take place on a regular basis, across various
grade levels. Teacher education, both pre-service and in-service, needs to be grounded in this
reality.
Second, the rapid expansion of the teaching force requires additional teacher training capacity
so that it is possible to run pre-service programmes for 50,000 trainee teachers and 60,000 in-
service teachers. This means four new TTCs being operational by 1393(2014); and 200 well
staffed satellite District level TTCs with the capacity to provide both pre- and in-service pro-
grammes for teachers and administrators. This in turn will require an additional 2,200 perma-
nent teacher educators; a very scarce resource, especially if they are to join TTCs only if they
have proven success as teachers at the level for which they will be training future teachers.
Private TTCs will be registered in accordance with government guidelines.
Third, in-service training is now embedded in the National Programme for In-Service
Teacher Training (NPITT). There are two related programme tracks. The USAID supported
Building Education Support Systems for Teachers (BESST: 1385-1391) has played a lead role
in the development of INSET training packages and provided funding for the roll out of the
programme. Over the past two years, working through six NGOs, 50,000 teachers have re-
98
There are of course similar arguments that can be made for safe, health and environmentally friendly school
buildings and for a pedagogically sound and relevant school curriculum but time and space do not permit a simi-
lar brief elaboration.
99
It is not clear at the time of writing whether this work has been or is being undertaken.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 46
ceived the first round of INSET training and follow up in 11 provinces.
100
A variety of other
training and support activities are organised, including in-school teacher support activities and
school improvement planning. The basic delivery structure comprises 25 senior trainers, 165
team leaders and 1,365 District based trainers. Radio, television and video are being used.
The second track (NPITT-DDT3) working through the World Bank supported EQUIP pro-
gramme also works through NGO organised and managed District Teacher Training Teams
(DT3). They provide in-school support designed to meet the priority needs of teachers and
school principals. This programme is being rolled out across 23 provinces utilising the ser-
vices of three NGO consortia each with one lead agency; what are called three ?packages.?
This work started in April 2009. The intention is that all teachers will work through INSET 1-
4 programmes; every General and Islamic teacher completing INSET 1-3 by 2014 and 50%
working on INSET 4. Teacher circles will be encouraged in schools. And by 2014 50% of
teachers should have access to distance learning opportunities. Small-scale professional de-
velopment programmes, such as that supported by the Aga Khan Foundation in Bamyan, offer
insights into whole school development approaches which are well field-tested in countries as
far apart as Pakistan, Tanzania and Kenya.
The two large, interrelated programmes have much to commend them. One particular virtue is
to bring professional development opportunities very close to schools, a process which should
help to foster teacher commitment and motivation. Another is the creation of District based
teams although it is not entirely clear as to the ways and means by which District Education
Offices are integrated into the programme. There are quite complex quality control issues in
this type of approach to teacher development programmes. But the involvement of 42 provin-
cial monitors in (NPITT-DDT3) supported by experts from BRAC and from the BESST pro-
ject has gone some way in ensuring that a raft of monitoring tools are in place.
Fourth: there is a need to radically improve the capacity and the performance of the Teacher
Training Colleges (TTCs). One college visited by the ESA team had an alarming wastage
rate: of 300 students selected by MoE to start the teacher training programme, a mere 20 be-
came classroom teachers. NESP II plans a complex of measures to upgrade the TTCs and
hence the quality of their output. Apart from additional facilities and staff, the new teacher
education curriculum is being introduced (linked to the general education curriculum) with
400 new textbook titles. An accreditation system for TTCs is to be introduced and the new
National Teacher Education Academy will provide programmes for TTC staff and all those
engaged in teacher education as well being a teacher policy and evaluation centre. An
autonomous National Institute for Teacher Education will be created by 1390 (2011) respon-
sible for teacher education in General and Islamic Education and providing support for other
programmes. These and other measures represent a real push to upgrade teacher education.
Fifth: given that good quality training is not the only incentive to recruiting, training and
keeping teachers motivated and committed in the classroom, some financial incentives can
help to make a difference. To attract and keep more female teachers is major objective, so a
programme managed by IS-GTZ has been initiated whereby a girl student who has completed
Grade 9 or above can receive a scholarship of US$60 per month for her two year TTC course.
Thereafter she is guaranteed teaching employment in her community. In addition, TTCs (25 in
the scheme) who prove effective in retaining girls will receive a grant for US$2000 (or more).
100
In addition, 2,000 school administrators have received training per month for two y and 10,000 teachers have
had subject content training. 1,200 university graduates provide the training.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 47
Unfortunately this programme has been subject to long delays with some of the 1300 girls
enrolled doubting that their scholarship will materialise.
Another incentive based programme focusing on poor security and/or remote Provinces where
TTC lecturers are reluctant to serve, is providing regional allowances ranging from 8,000-
10,000 Afs per month. But this is seen by many lecturers as insufficient, so only 50% of the
needed number of lecturers has been recruited in 20 ?high risk? Provinces.
Targeted schemes of this nature can make a difference but usually only as part of a wider
range of support measures, including professional support and advice, and housing and family
allowances.
Sixth: a major programme is underway to assess the competency of teachers in post. This is
part of, and prior to, the implementation of the pay and grading reforms that are taking place
across government service. Teacher competencies (with the support of USAID technical ex-
pertise) have been established for subjects and Grade levels (1-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12). Re-
lated competencies have also been developed for school administrators. After a pilot test in
June 2009, over 45,000 secondary school teachers with Grade 14 and above took the test in
November 2009. All but eight provinces had pass rates of over 90%. Grade 12 level teachers
were tested early in 2010 with similar results. All teachers will be covered by the end of this
year. These results will enable the pay and grading levels of teachers to go ahead as well help-
ing to identify teaching training and professional support needs.
Seventh: The Accelerated Learning Programme for Teachers supported by BESST is for
teachers who have completed Grade 6 but not Grade 12. It enables them to get through high
school while teaching. This programme plans to get about 40,000 teachers (one third women)
up to Grade 12 level and eligible for TTC in about four years.
Together these and other activities represent an enormously ambitious teacher development
reform strategy, concentrating what many countries would take ten years to undertake into a
much shorter period. It is a programme that operates in a complex institutional environment.
There are multi-layered partnerships (MoE - centrally and sub-nationally, donors, external and
national technical assistance, teachers and teacher training institutions, implementing NGO
agencies, etc) all needing to come together in a coordinated and coherent way.
101
There is too,
the scale of the challenge, meeting the needs of teachers and schools across a country beset by
insecurity, and characterised, in many areas, by remoteness and inaccessibility. And there are
delays in receiving allotments; and procurement procedures (both the donor agencies and the
government) are time consuming and overly procedural.
102
This is reflected in the Teacher
Education Departments apparently poor expenditure performance figures.
Of necessity, it is a programme that is dependent on aid. In this regard it appears relatively
secure given that BESST has two years to run and EQUIP II is newly underway. The General
101
This puts very heavy pressure on the staff of the General Directorate of Teacher Education, to the point that
programme delivery can be threatened.
102
The General Directorate of Teacher Education Annual Report for 1999 appears to show very low expenditure
levels against allotments and budgets, to a point that it is not entirely clear how the programme can function. In a
presentation to the EDB 16 March, on budget execution it was noted that under current financial regulations a
two to three year aid budget of the sort that the Directorate receives is required to be included in a single budget
decree. This would of course give rise to serious under- expenditure if Year 2 and 3 budgets were all included in
Year 1.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 48
Directorate of Teacher Education has strong leadership but it is the scarcity of core national
human resources and expertise that could be the biggest constraint in moving forward.
7.1 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Core leadership
? Sound conceptual foundations
? Good donor support and expertise
? Variability in the quality of implementing agen-
cies
? Low levels of budget expenditure
? Procurement and staff recruitment delays
Opportunities Threats
? Building on the commitment of teachers
? Capacity building of District level systems
? Increasing teachers sense of their empowerment
? To develop clear understandings of best practice
in classroom teaching
? To develop the leadership skills of school princi-
pals
? Over ambition
? Unsustainable systems
? Insecurity threatens national coverage of TTC
staffing and INSET programmes.
8 Higher Education
Afghanistan needs a strong higher education sector. Without the knowledge, skills, applied
research, consultancy capacity and broader cultural contribution which higher educational
institutions can deliver Afghanistan‘s ability to develop a strong economy and deliver high
quality public services will be constrained. There are critical shortages of engineers, techni-
cians, administrators, accountants, agriculturalists and business leaders
103
. As the ANDS
Education Sector Strategy puts it …in higher education there is the need to transform the
monolithic system into a modern system of independent well-managed universities.
104
Like other parts of the education sector, higher education is in recovery and rebuilding mode.
The introduction to the National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014 makes clear that
a system respected in the region 30 years ago was destroyed by war and by violence. The
shell of a system remained. The culture of research was lost. By 2001 there were just 7,800
students representing one of the lowest enrolment rates in the world.
8.1 Higher Education Capacity
There are 22 tertiary level institutions in Afghanistan in 2010 (Error! Reference source not
ound.).
105
Nineteen have reopened their doors since 2001. Fourteen have the status of univer-
sities; eight are higher education institutes. Half of these institutions have a student population
of below 1,500; six with under 1,000 students.
As the new National Higher Education Strategy 2010-2014 makes clear, the tertiary education
sector is confronted by a formidable set of challenges if it is to both expand and provide
higher of education of good quality, relevant to the needs of the economy, both at the same
time. Textbox 1 provides a summary of some of the major challenges.
103
World Bank, 2007. Country Summary of Higher Education
104
P3 ANDS Education Sector Strategy 1387-1391 (200708-2012/13)
105
Institutions in the public sector
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 49
Textbox 11 Challenges Confronting Higher Education
Infrastructure: inadequate (electricity and water supplies insufficient or not functioning). Rudimentary labora-
tory and library facilities. Lack of basic computer facilities. Ad hoc rehabilitation and facility planning.
Financing: a budget of US$35 million 1388(2009) for the 22 institutions barely covers basic costs. Budgets for
learning materials (internet access, textbooks, journals etc) are almost non-existent. Universities are disallowed
from raising and keeping revenue; this in a system where university education is free up to the post-graduate
level. Budgets are based on past allocations not on need. Incentives for efficiency and innovation are lacking.
Governance: Higher education institutions have had no autonomy and must follow externally-generated regula-
tions and rules. Strategic planning within institutions is generally absent or weak although recently six universi-
ties developed well reviewed strategic plans (with World Bank assistance). Pay grades have been based on civil
service scales but were modified and almost doubled in 1388 (2009).
Efficiency: Small institutions are not cost-effective and limit the ability to improve quality. Student teacher
ratios are as low as 4:1 in some universities.
Quality: Many faculty members lack appropriate qualifications and credentials (see
Curricula, teaching materials and pedagogy are very outdated. Dictation of notes is common. There is no qual-
ity assurance system in place except in teacher education where self-assessments are underway and MoHE ap-
proved standards are in place. High age profile of faculty: limited ability to change.
Relevance: Poor linkages with economy – few links with and engagement of employers.
Sources include: National Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014: World Bank 2007. Country Summary of Higher
Education. Plus personal communication from HEP.
The National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014 is seen as the main vehicle for ad-
dressing these challenges.
106
Its implementation will be greatly facilitated when the new
Higher Education Law has been passed and comes into effect. This will enable the creation of
a High Council of Education Institutions and the establishment of an academic accreditation
board. Reforms are also planned to form a department of private higher education institutions
within the Ministry of Higher Education. And for this year‘s budget (1389, 2010) the Ministry
of Higher Education proposed that the four Kabul universities receive their budgets as ?Inde-
pendent Budgetary Units.?
107
These are important steps towards greater institutional inde-
pendence and for the raising of quality.
106
The Ministry of Higher Education plans to hold workshops for chancellors and heads of private higher educa-
tion institutions on the implementation of the strategic (as of February 2010)
107
The decision of the Ministry of Finance on this is not known to the sector analysis team.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 50
Table 8 Higher Education Institutions in Afghanistan
Universities Faculties Students Faculty Members
Kabul Founded in 1931. 15 faculties 13,350 (3,369 women) 541 (129 women)
39 % with Masters/ PhD
Polytechnique Independent higher education
institution in Kabul established
in 1969. Five faculties.
2536 (100 women ) 173 (19) 72% with Mas-
ters/PhD
Kabul Medical Opened in 1932. In 2004 cre-
ated as an independent univer-
sity. Four faculties
1,410 (485 women) 219 (39 women) 68%
with Masters/PhD
Kabul Education Established in 2003; previously
a teacher training and then
pedagogical institute. Six facul-
ties.
7053 students (2361
women)
176 (45 women)
46% with Masters/PhD
Albiruni In Kapisa Province. Initiated in
1998. Seven faculties
1,745 (117 women) 70 (6 women )
12% with Masters/PhD
Balkh Established in 1986. Eight
faculties
5,781 (1,479 women) 259 (60 women )
34% with Masters/PhD
Herat Established in 1988.
Eleven faculties
6,466 (2506 women) 267 (47 women )
37% with Masters/PhD
Nangarhar Established in 1963 Ten facul-
ties.
7.050 (271 women) 248 (9 women) 47% with
Masters/PhD
Khost Established outside of Afghani-
stan during war. Instituted in
2003. Seven faculties.
2,518 (0 women) 132 (0 women) 22% with
Masters/PhD
Kandahar Established in 1993. Six facul-
ties
1,863 (18 women) 131 (5 women) 8% with
Masters/PhD.
Takhar Officially registered in 1993.
Five faculties
1,835 (372 women) 51 (4 women) 16% with
Masters/PhD
Paktia Established in 2005 in Gardiz.
Two faculties
942 (372 women) 46 (0 women) 6% with
Masters/PhD
Bamyan First established 1996. Two
faculties
904 (109 women) 64 (3 women) 9% with
Masters/PhD
Jawzjan Established in 1994. Five facul-
ties
2,256 (307 women) 69 (26 women) 22% with
Masters/PhD
Higher Education
Institutes
Baghlan Two faculties 1,348 (140 women) 47 (6 women) 4% with
Masters/PhD
Faryab Institute of pedagogy from
1987. Two faculties
1,214 (274 women) 42 (11 women) 5% with
Masters/PhD
Kundoz Became an institute in 1994.
Two faculties.
1,139 (190 women) 30 (6 women) 7% with
Masters PhD
Ghazni Two faculties 368 (57 women) 16 (0 women) 12% with
Masters/PhD
Badakhshan Institute of pedagogy with one
faculty
385 (146 women)) 25 (3 women) 4 % with
Masters PhD
Parwan Promoted from teacher training
college in 1999. One faculty
1,237 (137 women) 43 (6 women) 19% with
Masters/PhD
Samangan One faculty 212 (47) 8 (0 women) I masters
degree
Helmand Two faculties 200 (100) n.a.
Source: National Higher Education Strategic Plan; and Ministry of Higher Education website
8.2 Expanding Access
There were there are over 60,000 students in higher education (1388/2009), 21% of whom are
women; almost a nine fold increase in eight years. Nearly 40% of the student population is in
Kabul. Seventy one percent of students are in six of the 22 higher institutions. The proportion
of women enrolled in tertiary education is much lower in the smaller institutions outside of
the main cities. The numbers of women faculty members follows a similar pattern.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 51
Compared with other regional countries, higher education opportunities are still very limited.
Nepal, with a comparable national population, has 320,000 students in higher education.
The target for 1393 (2014) is 115, 000 higher education students, 30% of whom should be
women (a relatively modest increase on current levels). Annual enrolment will grow from
20,000 a year to 38,500 a year. This planned increase represents almost a doubling of the stu-
dent population in five years; an ambitious target. According to MoHE this will require a
doubling of our physical and intellectual resources
108
. Two thousand new faculty members
will be required and 800 additional staff.
The estimated cost of implementing the strategic plan is US$564 million over five years, ris-
ing from US$21 million in 1389 (2010) to US$192 million in 1393 (2014). Even assuming
that the Government provides more funds for the higher education sub-sector, a large financ-
ing gap has to be filled. The Government of Afghanistan is seeking external support, request-
ing that at least 50% of aid should come direct through the core budget.
109
Unlike some low
income countries donors have been relatively supportive of the expansion of higher education
in Afghanistan (see Section 16).
Interestingly, the National Plan has determined that increased access to higher education op-
portunities should be limited to the expansion of existing universities and institutions and
should not include the building of completely new facilities. It states: the Ministry of Higher
Education has no choice but to avoid setting up new universities so that it can focus its scarce
resources on the expansion of its universities and institutes to a reasonable size and provide
them with adequate infrastructure. This is not a universally popular decision, especially in
those parts of the country where there is no local higher education provision. It also places a
very considerable burden on individual institutions in planning and managing their own ex-
pansion.
There is a partial exception to this rule. It is proposed that community colleges should be es-
tablished (taking close account of comparative experience in other parts of the world) to pro-
vide specialized post-secondary education and training short course opportunities.
110
Some
course credits would be transferable to university level education. Although not fully formu-
lated yet, the initial Plan proposal is that there should by over 60,000 students in community
colleges by 1399 (2020) able to access short course, certificate and diploma programmes. By
1393 (2014) there should be 5,000 students in five community colleges.
111
Within the existing 22 institutions some of the expansion can clearly come from greater inter-
nal efficiency. The Plan target is an average of one faculty member/instructor for every 25
students. There will be greater use of working in shifts (after a good number of difficult man-
agement issues are addressed) and classes at different times of the day. But even if internal
efficiencies are taken into account, there will have to be an expansion of infrastructure and
facilities. Fifty seven per cent of the proposed five year budget is accorded to construction and
108
Speech by Acting Minister of Higher Education 7 February 2010.
109
A request has been made too that the World Bank SHEP project and the USAID HEP project be extended
beyond 2010.
110
Suggestions include: science, math, languages and computer science; mid-level training in business, law,
pharmacy, medicine; introductory university level course; business specific programmes; office skills, librarian-
ship, photography, carpentry, plumbing, electrical skills, specialized motor mechanics, TV and computer repairs,
tourism.
111
It is not easy to see in the budget lines of the Plan where Community Colleges are provided for.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 52
maintenance costs. It seems likely that this budget line will be heavily dependent on external
assistance.
Another avenue for meeting the exponential demand for higher education is through the pri-
vate sector. The Plan states: the Ministry of Higher Education will encourage the develop-
ment of quality private education – especially in non-profit institutions. This is at an early
stage in working through appropriate regulatory policy but clearly demand on the scale that
has been planned cannot be met by the public sector alone. The plan suggests that private in-
stitutions should be encouraged to locate campuses in rural areas where access to higher edu-
cation is limited; which seems unlikely. Pilot activity in the area of open and distance learning
is also mooted.
Urgency and ambition runs through the new Higher Education Strategic Plan. The recognition
that neither demand nor the needs of the economy can be met by a one-track approach to ex-
pansion is obviously wise. To make this happen the pressing short term need (apart from ex-
ternal funds) would appear to be wider agreement across government to provide the enabling
environment for the expansion of a diversified system to move ahead.
8.3 Improving Quality
Expansion without significant improvements in the quality of higher education will not serve
Afghanistan well. The poor quality of teaching and learning and the inadequacies of the study
environment have to be improved dramatically. The strong emphasis of the Strategic Plan is
to confront this issue. But given the scale of the problem, the current plan can only start the
process. This is a longer term endeavour which requires action on a number of fronts.
The work for this analysis unearthed very little quantitative data on quality (and cost effi-
ciency) of student throughput, pass levels in different disciplines and where graduates go
within the private and public economy of Afghanistan. Consequently, in this short section
attention is focused on a) the quality of the process by which new undergraduates are re-
cruited; b) accreditation of higher education institutions; c) the quality of faculty and curricu-
lum and d) the benefits of wider international engagement.
Quality control of tertiary institutions in Afghanistan is at an early stage.
112
ANDS endorsed a
proposal for a new accreditation system which will place more stringent requirements on in-
stitutions to meet basic quality criteria. The emphasis will be on institutional accreditation and
not that of individual departments. Poorly performing institutions will be subject to closure; a
very significant change in the culture of higher education.
113
The quality of the student intake is also important. MoHE administers the Kankor examina-
tion, the conduit through which prospective students are admitted to tertiary institutions. One
in four prospective students gets through this gateway. In a more established system the selec-
tion process would be the responsibility of individual universities but it is unlikely that a
transfer of this function will take place in the lifetime of the present plan.
Anecdotally the system is subject to abuse and it appears relatively complex in the way in
which it sets the grade levels which are required for different disciplines and the allocation of
112
Work is most far advanced in teacher education with the approval in November 2008 of Standards for
Teacher Education in Higher Education Institutions.
113
The plan is to establish a Quality Assurance Agency within MoHE, with its own budget line and autonomy
within five to six years.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 53
places to students who do not reach their subject benchmark. Some account of these weak-
nesses is apparently being met by looking at greater equity for Arts students and a closer fit
between the needs of the wider economy and the pattern of subject offers into different disci-
plines.
Across all higher education faculties (2008) 5.5% of a total faculty of 2,526 have PhDs, a fur-
ther 30.1% had Masters‘ degrees and nearly 64% had Bachelor‘s degrees. Nearly 51% of fac-
ulty are Teaching Assistants. This profile cannot be improved quickly. And with older mem-
bers of faculty it is not a cost effective investment. The plan rightly recognises that a step by
step approach is required: focus first on the larger universities in disciplines where appropriate
expertise exists and utilise international scholarships and short term academic attachments.
Much will depend on the new generation of faculty to change the culture of tertiary institu-
tions.
Equally pressing though again difficult to change quickly is the outdated curriculum which
exists in many subject areas. The decision to undertake a consultative assessment (with the
private sector and other ministries) of the needs of the labour market seems a wise precursor
to conceiving a new curriculum framework.
In advancing these and other quality related strategies the value of link programmes and pro-
jects with universities around the world is of considerable benefit. The main thrust of the Na-
tional Higher Education Plan is to start moving tertiary education on to a higher plane as
quickly as resources and capacity allow.
8.4 Resourcing the Plan
Almost certainly the biggest challenge to advancing the goals of the National Plan is to secure
predictable and sustainable funding from Government and from donor agencies. Higher edu-
cation in Afghanistan is being ?run on the cheap.? It cannot continue this way. But as well as
looking for additional finance the time will come sooner or later when the state‘s commitment
to free tertiary education at the undergraduate level will have to be reconsidered. It is an un-
derstandable position for a progressive government to take but as many systems around the
world have discovered it is an untenable one, especially in an expanding system targeting
quality. An early review of this strategy should happen, drawing on a vast amount of com-
parative experience and knowledge, including on how to safeguard the interests and opportu-
nities of financially disadvantaged students.
In addition there is a need to act quickly on enabling tertiary institutions to raise, earn and
keep revenue for their own development.
114
There is little incentive to be proactive within the
wider community when it is known that all revenues go to the central treasury.
114
There is a tentative agreement that institutions will be able to keep funding earned and gifts received by the
MoHE, MoF, MoJ and the Presidency.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 54
8.5 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? A coherent well thought through strategic plan that provides a
framework for action
? Plans to develop a higher education data base as an aid to
policy and planning
? Some good overseas institutional links
? The lack of a clearly thought through
gender strategy for higher education
? The continuing inheritance of a shat-
tered system
? Lack of a management culture in
higher education institutions
? Insufficient to the needs of students
distant geographically from higher
education opportunities
? Lack of attention to the internal effi-
ciency of the system
Opportunities Threats
? The opportunities afforded by the higher education law to be
enabling of a better governed, better quality assured and more
diversified higher education sector.
? Some growing cross government dialogue and consensus on
the need for skills development strategies
? A failure within government to find a
sufficiency of financing
? Ingrained conservatism in higher edu-
cation
? Political pressure to build new institu-
tions
9 Skills for Development: Vocational Education and Training (VET)
and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
9.1 Definitions
Skills development is used here as an umbrella term to cover the full range of education and
training activities designed to develop skills to enhance employment opportunities and con-
tribute to economic growth and development. TVET is used in Afghanistan largely in relation
to the work of MoE: VET is applied to a much broader range of government, private sector
and NGO programmes.
Internationally, the United Nations International Center for Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training (UNEVOC) states that TVET is concerned with the acquisition of knowl-
edge and skills for the world of work.
115
This inclusive definition encompasses all forms of
work including the informal sector, although UNEVOC recognises that some elements of
TVET
116
are formal and organised.
The Afghanistan National Skills Development Program Strategy (NSDP) defines Vocational
Education and Training (VET) … as an umbrella term to encompass a number of skills devel-
opment activities. Those activities have, as their common objective, the provision of knowl-
edge and skills that lead to either wage- or self-employment. Thus the term VET covers short
and longer term training, formal and non-formal, as well as training across all sectors (agri-
culture, commerce, services, construction and industry). It also encompasses the whole area
of second chance skills development (and integrated underpinning education), for those
115
Web-page of UNEVOC
116
Including ?Apprenticeship Training, Vocational Education, Technical Education, Technical-Vocational Edu-
cation (TVE), Occupational Education (OE), Vocational Education and Training (VET), Career and Technical
Education (CTE), Workforce Education (WE), Workplace Education (WE) etc.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 55
women and men whose self-development opportunities were seriously curtailed during the
years of conflict.
117
A further broad distinction is that while VET trainees receive pre and/or in-service training on
for specific skills usually on short courses, TVET (MoE) students study in a formal secondary
education environment which leads to further training and higher education.
9.2 The Skills Deficit
As Section A has made clear, there is an acute shortage of skilled labour to meet the needs of
a growing economy. For the purposes of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Afghani-
stan the shortages of skilled labourers, technicians and managers presents an urgent challenge.
And as the economy expands areas such as agriculture, mining and tourism will require a
wide range of competencies.
At present, low levels of general education, lack of sufficient training facilities and low levels
of literacy are major handicaps. Conflict and war has led to an exodus abroad of many quali-
fied technicians and professionals, leaving the country increasingly reliant on technicians and
skilled labour from neighbouring countries. In addition, during 30 years of insecurity Af-
ghanistan has lacked international professional exchange on developments in VET and TVET.
In this context providers of training services are under very considerable pressure: from the
population in general and young people in particular, demanding better and more relevant
competencies and skills in order to be employable in the work marketplace; from employers
urgently requiring employees with relevant skills; and from donors trying to identify where
best to invest their funds. Within the formal education system huge waves of students are
coming through primary and secondary education, putting even more pressure on the provi-
sion of technical training.
Textbox 12 The Demand for VET
A census carried out in 2009 by the Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development
Program (AREDP) of over 1,708 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in 33
provinces identifies amongst others two major obstacles to private sector enter-
prise growth: a shortage of business expertise and weak access to formal credit.
More than 60% of the SMEs surveyed indicated a need for knowledge-based
business training support, in particular technical (40%), business management
(37%), and financial management (20%).
118
With the increased specialization of labour markets, both governments and the private sector
in most countries tend to prioritise vocational education through publicly funded training and
subsidized apprenticeship. Most industrialized countries have gone through generations of
different technical and vocational education strategies. For a country like Afghanistan, there
are benefits to be derived from building on comparative experience, especially in relation to
new technologies, and adapting new delivery models. With the appropriate use of ICT, ?quan-
tum leaps? in technical, vocational and skill competence development can be expected.
119
117
NSDP Strategy page 3
118
World Bank, AF Rural Enterprise Development Program, Project Information Document (PID), Appraisal
Stage, Report No.: AB4800
119
Parallel to this is the development of telephone system, where large parts of the Afghanistan population now
can use mobile phones, and do not need to go through all the technology development stages including wired
connections.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 56
Currently the Afghanistan VET and TVET sub-sectors use about 50 different standards to
measure qualifications. In part, this reflects the introduction and application of standards by
NGO providers drawing on their home country knowledge, ways of working over which the
Afghan government has little control. And different ministries maintain different curricula,
approaches and standards. Ongoing work to develop a National Standards System is clearly
important in bringing about some greater consistency of standards and oversight.
The Labour Force
Data on labour force and the skills deficit are meagre.
120
Some supporting or more general
sources of information are also useful.
121
And the documents in Error! Reference source not
ound. provide a useful resource,
122
although they are an insufficient basis for forecasting dif-
ferent skill needs. As Section A has suggested longer term growth and employment scenarios
are needed to guide the education and training planners.
Table 9 Labour Force and Labour Market Documentation
Author Year Title Purpose
Agnew, M 2003 Afghanistan Labour Market Informa-
tion Survey, prepared by the Interna-
tional Rescue Committee in association
with the MOLSA
To provide (skills development) programmes... with
reliable and valid data on which to base (IRC)
decisions regarding supporting appropriate kinds
of training...
ALTAI Consulting 2004 USAID Strategy: Private Sector Needs
Assessment
An evaluation of needs of the informal sector and
entrepreneurs as a means of strengthening the urban
private sector
ALTAI Consulting 2006 Integration of Returnees in the Afghan
Labour Market, study commissioned by
ILO and UNHCR, funded by the EC
To provide profiles of the refugees who have re-
turned, to gauge the impact they have on the labour
market and the effectiveness of past and current
support programmes and to recommend policy
options to facilitate into the labour market.
Beall, J. & Schutte.
S
2006 Dwindling Industry: Growing Poverty:
Urban Livelihoods in Afghanistan, a
report for AREU, funded by EU
Scope: The report draws on the findings of five (5)
individual studies conducted earlier that same year
in them main urban population centers.
International
Security Assistance
Force
2007 Provincial reconstruction Team Hand-
book
To consolidate information available from the
Government, ISAF, CFC-A, UNAMA, and interna-
tional agencies, to outline guiding principles and
proven best practices that PRTs should draw upon
MoWA 2007 Women and men in Afghanistan: A
Handbook on Baseline Statistics on
Gender
To establish a statistical data base that would help
strengthen advocacy, planning and policy making
from a gender perspective, especially within gov-
ernment
Patel, S. & Ross. S. 2007 Breaking Point: Measuring Progress
in Afghanistan. Centre for Strategic and
International Studies, Washington
To provide a balanced perspective incorporating
local voices to obtain a measure of those elements
that matters most
USAID, 2007 Labour Market, Livelihood Strategies
and Food Security in Afghanistan: a
special report by the Famine Early
Warning Systems Network
To gain better understanding of labour markets and
labour-based livelihood strategies
Wickramasekara, P.
Et al
2006 Afghan Households in Iran, Profile and
Impact, commissioned by ILO from
UNHCR and funded by EC
To gain greater insight into the dynamics of the
Afghan population and their impact in Iran, espe-
cially in the Iranian labour market.
120
See, for example: NSDP, 2007, A study of Human Resource Supply and Labour Market Demand?
NSDP, October 2008; An Urban Area Primary Source Study of Supply & Demand in the Labour Market
NSDP, December 2009, An Urban Based Study of Labour Supply and Demand, and Public Opinion, Covering
the Media, Tourism and Hospitability Sectors.
121
Government of Afghanistan/EU, 2009, National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. Central Statistical Or-
ganisation.
AREA, Asia Foundation and other institutes and organisations
122
References and comments on purpose are from NSDP, 2007, A study of Human Resource Supply and Labour
Market Demand.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 57
Issues deserving early attention include:
? Assembly and study of all available documentary information related to human resource capacity and
the mapping of different growth and employment scenarios for the next 20 years;
? Collection of data from trades, industries, and the public economy.
? Comparative study of labour forces and markets in countries in the region.
? Shaping these findings for use by policy makers and planners, through the creation of a national data
base.
Much of this forward looking work is premised on the development of a thriving private sec-
tor with local training institutions becoming attuned to the needs of their local economies and
to responding accordingly.
123
MoE‘s primary responsibility is to strengthen basic education to improve the employability
and quality of the future labour force at all levels. Graduating students from basic and secon-
dary education having good basic skills and knowledge provides the platform for further edu-
cation and training with maths, sciences, and languages key in this regard.
9.3 Legislation, Regulations and Policy
ANDS
The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) presents human and institutional
capacity as a cross-cutting issue, identifying low capacity as a major constraint for develop-
ment. Development of institutional mechanisms to support capacity development is seen as
primary responsibility of the public sector but the strong involvement of the private sector is
also seen as a necessity pre-requisite. Error! Reference source not found. sets out more spe-
cific objectives, activities and responsibilities in ANDS.
According to ANDS…the key priority in the vocational training subsector is to align voca-
tional training and skills development programs with the needs of the economy through im-
proved coordination and implementation capacity at the National Vocational Education and
Training Board (NVETB).
124
The Ministry of Education
The Education Law
125
(which is for MoE) states that secondary, technical-professional, voca-
tional, and artistic education should be provided free. MoE has the duty to organize, establish,
issue licenses and supervise private (educational) institutions in accordance with their needs.
123
MoLSAMD, NSDP, A Study of Human Resource Supply and Labour Market Demand, 2007, page 6
124
ANDS page 14
125
Education Law, The General Provision, Article 4 and 7. Further (Article Eight) MoE is to issue graduation
certificates to the graduates of different educational levels. MoE is further (Article Twelve) to set forth curricu-
lum, educational plan, evaluation system and examination of different educational levels, as well as admission
requirements, number, level of educational standards of teachers, lecturers, and Modrasan, and the principle
method of evaluation and examination and their other academic, professional and specialization.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 58
Table 10 VET and TVET in ANDS; Objectives, Activities and Responsibilities
Vocational Education
Objectives or
Outcomes
Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible
Agency
Improved
quality of
vocational
Education
Proposal to formalize existing apprenticeship arrangements and
expand the system. Ensure that a recognized qualification is pro-
vided to people undertaking apprenticeships who have achieved
specified basic competencies.
Legislation
1387
NSDP
Expand the capacity and improve the quality of Vocational Educa-
tion and Skill Development
Institution
Building
1389 NSDP
Improve the capacity of the national VET system to manage and
deliver market driven skills training and linkages to micro-credit and
business development support services is planned to have increased.
Institution
Building
1389 MoL/NSDP
Within the next 12 months, establish an independent National Voca-
tional Education and Training Authority with the responsibility for
managing and co-coordinating national VET policy will be estab-
lished. Teaching and operation of individual VET institutions to be
contracted out.
Institution
Building
1387-TBD it
is a contin-
ued
Program
NSDP
Improved
Access to
Vocational
Education
Target the most vulnerable women and youth in the selection of
training and provision of employment opportunities
Institution
Building/
Gender Cross
Cutting
Issues
1386-89 NSDP
Develop an accessible, regional network of TVET schools and
training centers, including 17 new schools and a school for those
with special needs
Development 1387-1388 MoE/TVET
Dept
Establishment of job-placement centers in all 34 provinces Development 1387-1389
(2010)
MoL/NSDP
The NSDP will procure the services of a variety of training providers
(private/public) for the provision of training to 150,000 unemployed
Afghan women and men through competitive bidding procedures
Development 1385-1389
(2010)
MoL/NSDP
Disaggregate by sex all human related statistics Institution
Building/
Gender Cross
Cutting
Issues
1386-89 MoL/NSDP
Chapter Five of the Education Law covers Technical- Professional, Vocational and Artistic
Education specifically. It is prescribed
126
that:
? Technical-professional, vocational and artistic education level comprises Grade tenth to the end of
Grade fourteenth, provided and expanded in public educational institutions in a balanced and equitable
manner, considering the number of population and Kochis residing in the area and educational and
training standards for the graduates of the intermediate (basic) educational schools;
? Technical – professional vocational and artistic education comprise short terms courses in order to de-
velop and provide professional skills in accordance with societal needs, in the educational institutions
of the ministry of education.
The objectives of the sub-sector are to:
127
? Technical – professional vocational and artistic education comprise short terms courses in order to de-
velop and provide professional skills in accordance with societal needs, in the educational institutions
of the ministry of education.
? Train human resources in the technical- professional, vocational and artistic fields needed by the soci-
ety and international market considering national and international standards, with special concern to
the woman needs
126
Article Twenty-Three
127
Education Law Ch.Five, Art. 24
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 59
? Develop and expand knowledge and skills in the technical- professional, vocational and artistic section,
through theoretical and practical manner, in the needed fields.
? Provide special education for the blind and disabled students in appropriate and needed fields
? Prepare students for admission into the educational institutions and universities.
Vocational and professional occupational skills are also mentioned
128
in relation to literacy and to
basic practical education. This covers large-scale skill training under MoE‘s literacy programmes.
NESP II gives expression to these requirements placed on MoE for the next five years. It
stated goal is to ...provide relevant and quality technical and vocational education for both
males and females in order to enable them to meet the requirements of the labor market in
Afghanistan and the region, and to contribute to the equitable and balanced development of
the country.
129
A specific target for 1399 (2020) is that 12% of basic education graduates will
enrol in Technical and Vocational Education programs to continue their education.
130
More specific objectives include to:
? Increase access to TVET by expanding TVET regional institutes from 16 to 32; TVET provincial schools
from 38 to 102; and establishing 364 TVET district schools.
? Increase enrolment in TVET institutions from 19,500 in 1388 (2009)to 150,000 in 1393(2014).
? Increase enrolment of girls in TVET programs to 30% of total enrolment by 1393 (2014).
? Increase enrolment of children with disabilities in TVET schools to 1,000 by 1393 (2014).
? Develop basic skills of teachers, males and females, to improve the quality of teaching and increase
learning achievements of students
? Develop modern quality curriculum and learning materials to improve teaching and increase student
learning achievements
? Equip the existing schools and TVET centers according to modern TVET standards
? Enhance the capacity of TVET teaching and administrative staff
And its strategy points to the need to:
? Cooperate with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to conduct a study of the labor market
? Support the establishment of private TVET centers and encourage major industries (e.g. business, min-
ing, construction, manufacturing) to set up training units where Grade 9 graduates can enroll and ob-
tain vocational training.
? Work toward a policy of establishing one TVET school in each district
? Improve quality of TVET in-service short-term training courses on teaching methodology for all TVET
teachers will be increased.
? Revise all policies, regulations and guidelines of TVET,
? Reform of supervision and reporting mechanisms
? Develop a database in the TVET program.
NESP II divides TVET into six main components.
131
An autonomous National Institute for
Curriculum Development (to be established in 1390) will improve the quality of curricula
developed for all MoE programmes. This will include responsibility for the coordination of
curriculum development for TVET.
132
NESP II‘s coverage of vocational training as part of the
literacy programme is also mentioned.
128
Under Chapter Ten, Article Twenty-Four
129
NESP II, Page 14
130
NESP II, Page 5
131
NESP II from page 90 to 96 presents the details of TVET under the following 6 Priority Program Compo-
nents:Access to Technical and Vocational Education, Student Services, Develop and Revise Learning Materials,
TVET Teacher Education, Academic Supervision and Management and Coordination.
132
NESP II, Page 11
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 60
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
There are different laws, regulations and codes covering the responsibility areas of MoL-
SAMD. The 2007 Labour Code covers aspects of VET. It includes the objective of continu-
ously improving relevant skills and capacities for the development and consolidation of the
national economy
133
. Chapter Six of this Code covers vocational training and skill develop-
ment of in-service employees. Article 76 declares that employers are responsible for profes-
sional short and long term training courses individually and in groups to improve the profes-
sional levels of the employees, get them experienced and develop their work related skills.
It states too that MoLSAMD in collaboration with the respective organizations will take nec-
essary measures to establish and develop professional training centers at the capital and in
the provinces”. These are designed to cover the promotion of vocational knowledge and spe-
cialization of employees; of professional teachers and instructors; of youth who have been
deprived of education; and of employment and rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
Employers have to bear training costs (Art. 77), while MoLSAMD (and other organisations
with in-service training centers) will have to facilitate in holding on job training programs for
their employees in the capital and provinces. The duration of training is not to be more than
two years. Outstanding employees might be able to continue their education at institutes of
higher vocational, technical and professional secondary institutions in or outside the country.
The Code specifies norms and regulations for Training Centres based in industrial organisa-
tions.
In terms of strategy, one of the five goals and objectives for MoLSAMD is to facilitate Skills
Development Programs [in] ... priority areas ... of direct relevance to VET:
134
? To support the implementation of Afghanistan Compact benchmarks, ANDS and the Afghanistan Mil-
lennium Development Goals.
? To impart trainings in skill development with priority to the Martyrs, Disabled and women.
? To formulate and implement policies, programs and projects which will increase employment opportu-
nities for the labor force, enhance their welfare and build their skills
135
.
MoLSAMD prepared a draft Strategic Plan three years ago.
136
This is being updated to reflect
new realities.
137
The strategy for social protection needs streamlining and review and although
the groundwork for a National Employment Strategy has been undertaken, it needs to be final-
ised.
NSDP lies within MoLSAMD and is considered a primary instrument for the VET and TVET
sub-sectors. It is a product of the National Priority Programme (NPP) for Skills Development
and Market Linkage (SD&ML) announced in 2004 by President Karzai after an extensive
consultative process. Located within the MoLSAMD compound, NSDP functions with rela-
tive autonomy. The NSDP Project Implementation Unit (PIU) reports to a Steering Commit-
tee that comprises 11 ministries (although the Steering Committee is chaired by the MoL-
SAMD Minister).
138
133
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/MONOGRAPH/78309/83636/F774573068/AFG78309.pdf
134
MoLSAMD web-page
135
http://www.molsamd.gov.af/index.php?pageId=1
136
National Skills Development Program Strategy for the ANDS. (May 2007)
137
Information from MoLSAMD 2010 03 22
138
Peter Jensen, DFID: Sector Wide Approach Assessment of the Suitability and Readiness of SWAp Develop-
ment Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase II, p 20.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 61
Financial support for the VET and TVET subsectors comes primarily from the World Bank
and ARTF through the Afghanistan Skills Development Project (ASDP). This flows into
components of NSDP, for instance in establishing a regulatory and quality assurance frame-
work (covering all three education sector ministries) and training (under MoLSAMD). It also
supports MoE in establishing the National Institute of Management and Administration
(NIMA) and its TVET department.
Ministry of Higher Education
The MoHE‘s new strategic Plan gives refers to a National Needs Assessment involving both
the public and private sectors with an emphasis on science and technology and special needs.
This is an assessment that will be coordinated with the private sector on labour market needs
as well as with the Ministries of Education and Labour (see Section 8).
9.4 Access
No comprehensive review of VET and TVET provision in Afghanistan has been located.
139
Table 11, draws from a variety of sources, to give an idea of the scale/ range of provision.
Table 11 VET and TVET: Providers and Activities
140,141
Actors Students Activities
NGO 30,000 Basic vocational skills courses. Many hundreds
Private sector 150,000 Computer literacy and English courses, academic courses in management
and accounting. In the range of 500-700.
Some international/dedicated VTCs. Apprenticeships
Public sector
MoLSAMD About 12,000
enrolled in
2007
142
20 Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), a number of specialized training
centres for public sector employees, mainly short term courses. Variable
quality of training.
MoE, Deputy
Ministry
TVET
Capacity of
16,000
143
Class 9/10
entry require-
ment
51 technical high schools and institutes offering three or five-year courses
respectively. Examples: mechanical high schools (auto repair, machines,
electrical fields), agricultural and veterinary high schools, National Institute
of Management and Administration, commerce high school, vocational
school for women, music high school, school for blinds. Concentration in
Kabul. Limited capacity, lack of infrastructure and variable quality of the
training.
MoHE 65,000 Academic institutions including Polytechnics, Medical, Agricultural and
Economics fields, etc
Ministry of Education
The Deputy Minister for Technical and Vocational Education oversees three departments:
Technical and Vocational Programmes, Vocational Teacher Education, and Vocational Cur-
riculum Development.
139
There are ongoing processes in cooperation between MoE/TVET, UNAMA and others, to map the current
situation.
140
MoE/TVET and UNAMA note Overview of Skills Development Sector with Assessment of Funding Require-
ments.
141
Donors involved in TVET include CIDA, USAID, Norway, Denmark and Netherland. Among the multilateral
agencies, WFP, UNICEF, UNESCO and ILO are involved in TVET. International Financial Institutions includ-
ing the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are providing grants and loans for programmes which
directly or indirectly relate to TVET.
142
Qualified guess – from 2007
143
But see footnote 144.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 62
Of the 51 TVET schools, 15 are found in Kabul City (one of which is not formally ap-
proved).
144
There are seven such schools in Balkh and Herat. Twelve Provinces are without
TVET schools.
145
Table 12 shows MoE TVET students by grade and gender.
Table 12 MoE TVET Students: Grade and Gender 1387 (2008)
146
The figure shows a large gender gap although the male drop-out rate is higher than for female
students. The number of males in Grade 14 represents about 23% of males in Grade 10; the
figure for female students is 45%. Some caution is needed in drawing hard and fast conclu-
sions as these are data for just one academic year.
All 107 female students in Grade 14 in 1387(2008) were studying in Kabul City but there is a
gradual increase in female participation across the provinces. This increase is dependent on
infrastructure improvement. Twelve TVET schools are without surrounding walls and 14
have walls that require rehabilitation.
147
In addition, toilet facilities are of a low standard; of
45 TVET schools for which data are available at least 14 do not have operational toilets
148
.
Subjects on offer also influence female participation.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and the Disabled
The main beneficiaries of MoLSAMD VET programmes are unskilled workers. And priority
is given in MoLSAMD‘s work to orphans, the families of Martyrs and the disabled.
Recent developments include the establishment of 22 Vocational Training Centres (ASDP)
and further expansion is planned. Currently there are over 5000 trainees studying in these cen-
tres. NGOs are financing MoLSAMD Technical Colleges, and one is a Korean initiative. The
centres are designed to provide courses that respond to market needs. Typical courses include
computer technology, auto-mechanics, plumbing and electronics.
In 1388 (2009) MoLSAMD proposed 28 projects to MoF for financing but only five received
support. A sum of US$5 million was allocated for the projects of which US$ 2-3 million was
received.
144
EMIS, July 2009, page 93 (subsequently updated by the Planning Directorate MoE)
145
EMIS, July 2009, page 71 Source for raw data: EMIS, July 2009, page 116.
Data from the Deputy Ministry TVET provided at the end of the ESA mission gives higher figures than the
EMIS data and from Planning Department: 64 TVET Institutions with a student population of 31,429 of whom
5,761 are females. This is a another instance of incompatible data.
146
Source for raw data: EMIS, July 2009, page 116
147
EMIS, July 2009, page 108
148
EMIS, July 2009, page 113
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 63
In addition to its own activities, MoLSAMD emphasises the importance of the participation of
the private sector. Recent research points to increasingly good practice by NGO and the pri-
vate sector are providers, as Textbox 13 illustrates.
149
Textbox 13 Example of NGO Skills Related Programme
NSP (especially its Human Capital Development (HCD) sub-projects which
focus on women), and international and national NGOs (AKDN,
DACAAR, Afghan Aid, Hand in Hand, etc) have supported the develop-
ment of a range of skills and small enterprises in villages. In total some
8,000 groups of different types (e.g. Common Interest Groups, Enterprises,
Farmer Association, Self Help Group) have been formed.
150
MoLSAMD clearly faces problems associated with limited financial and qualified human
resources and a paucity of technical equipment. Its organisational structure has been charac-
terised as being out of date and its management capacity weak.
The Ministry of Higher Education
The MoHE Strategic Plan
151
includes the establishment of 5 Community Colleges intended to
fill a gap in Higher Education training. This development is described in Section 8. MoHE
also has an important role in providing teachers for Secondary Education TVET institutions.
Other Ministries
Most other line ministries have responsibility for the training of their own staff and some min-
istries have projects and programmes with significant elements of skills and vocational train-
ing. One such programme is the Rural Enterprise Development Programme under the Minis-
try of Rural Reconstruction & Development, where men and women who engage in income
generating activities can collectively access technical expertise.
152
9.5 Quality
TVET is designed to provide practical training with appropriate materials, tools and instru-
ments in a realistic setting, reflecting societal and labour market demands. Due to lack of eco-
nomic resources, low political priority, low level status and the lack of training for trainers
and teachers, the tendency in Afghanistan has been for formal VET and TVET course to be
theoretical, based on teacher led, rote learning in traditional classrooms. Where the trainers
and teachers do not have practical experience this situation is exacerbated.
With the rapid global development of technology, the VET and TVET sub-sectors find that it
is impossible to keep pace with updated technology in school workshops. Therefore, closer
relations to industry have often been considered as an important option, with the alternative
that industry takes over the training of its staff from basic levels. This is happening in the
automotive industry. But in many other trades, the level of technology in practical work has
changed dramatically. New work processes, new improved materials and tools, automatic and
computer based systems are developing at a rapid rate. As a result, some people are becoming
?functionally illiterate? in their own field of work. This can be observed in many Government
offices, where computers are taking over, and many untrained officers are left without mean-
ingful roles.
149
NSDP Baseline Data for the Quality of TVET Provision in Afghanistan, May 2009
150
World Bank, AF Rural Enterprise Development Program, Project Information Document (PID), Appraisal
Stage, Report No.: AB4800
151
MoHE, HESP, 2010-2014, p.7
152
Program Document, for Rural Enterprise Development Program, WB webpage.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 64
There tends to be a difference in terms of the relevance of the subjects taught and the tools
and equipment that are used, between Government and private/NGO providers. The latter
cannot survive unless they answer to the demands of the market. The Government TVET and
VET sub-sector are more supply driven.
The qualifications of 1,113 MoE TEVT Teacher and Administrative staff are set out in Table
13. This shows an overwhelming majority of teachers in the Grade 12 to Undergraduate cate-
gory.
Table 13 Qualifications of TVET Teachers and Administrative Staff
9.6 Monitoring and Evaluation
Apart from the data produced by EMIS on MoE/TVET, statistics on the number of institu-
tions, trainers and trainees are sparse and unreliable. In general data and documentation on
TVET is very limited
153
. Even within the same ministry, written and oral sources describing
the same phenomena vary greatly. There are also examples of research based surveys and
studies which are producing results that prove to be very far from accurate. Over the years
consultants coming and going, and referring to each other‘s data and statistics (without refer-
ence to baseline and original sources) has created much confusion.
The willingness and ability to undertake thorough monitoring and reporting varies between
Ministries, but also between departments and sections within the same ministry. Often results
are not shared or discussed across vertical structures and lines, but only reported upwards in
the system. The ESA team has not learned of any thorough, independent evaluation covering
the VET or TVET sub-sectors.
9.7 Stakeholder Cooperation
Cooperation between stakeholders involved in VET or TVET could be improved. This is ac-
knowledged by representatives from ministries and other institutions involved. Cooperation
should be needs-based and not prescribed externally. The NSDP strategy paper has a rela-
tively harsh descriptions of VET and TVET: ...the current situation in the vocational educa-
tion and training sector is one of chaos, with a myriad of unregulated, unqualified and inex-
perienced organizations, providing what is often an arbitrary range of vocational education
and training activities which ignore the needs of labour market, waste resources and lead to
disillusionment of the trainees. And there is a“…fractured provision having no solid founda-
153
Peter Jensen, DFID: SECTOR-WIDE APPROACH, Assessment of the Suitability and Readiness of SWAp
Development Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase II, p 18.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 65
tion or framework, nor links and bridges.
154
There have been some improvements since
NSDP was established but there is a long way to go.
The establishment of an HRDB TVET working group chaired by UNAMA is a necessary and
welcome step although its activity level could be improved. Established in 2009, the Group
includes representatives from MoE, MoHE, MoLSAMD, the Chamber of Commerce and
Industries, the Committee on Education and Skills Policy (CESP), UN agencies, donors and
NGOs. An overview document has been developed that focuses on funding needs rather than
discussing how to address the fragmentation of the sub-sector.
155
The ESA formed the impression that there was more cooperation between stakeholders at
Province and District levels than in Kabul.
The ongoing Afghanistan Skills Development Project (ASDP 2007-13) represents a source of
funding and a frame of cooperation which can be characterised as a ?programme in a pro-
gramme in the sub-sector.? But this does not seem to include building competence and capac-
ity within MoLSAMD. In MoLSAMD, the project is an add-on to the NSDP-programme
which implements its activities in parallel with MoLSAMD. The component of ASDP which
is channelled through NSDP to MoE/TVET does, however, have capacity building elements.
154
NSDP page 10
155
Jensen, Op.cit
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 66
9.8 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High motivation
? Private sector potentially has
capacity and own interest to
provide
? International donor communi-
ties in favour of assisting in
VET and TVET
? Some VET and TVET activi-
ties have potential of being fi-
nancial sustainable
? General lack of competence in Government institutions
? Current concentration in urban areas
? Many VET projects running parallel to government structures, with-
out coordination
? Collaboration with Government actors is formally established at the
highest Ministerial levels, but is not well reflected downwards in the
Ministries
? MoLSAMD has not had PRA process
TVET
? Poor quality of existing training - training tending to be theoretical,
training facilities dilapidated, programs are time-based not compe-
tency based, lack of skills standards, lack of quality control mecha-
nism like accreditation, absence of a national technical teacher train-
ing facilities)
? Training not related to need of the labour market, supply driven sys-
tem, curriculum outdated and theoretical, little industry input in the
formation of curriculum
? EMIS reports 5 TVET/MoE schools having no buildings and in 8
schools there is no information about buildings
156
VET
? Weak institutional arrangements for planning, managing, regulating
and financing training opportunities
157
Opportunities Threats
? Private sector potentially has a
capacity and own interest to
provide
? International donor communi-
ties more in favour of assisting
in VET and TVET
? General threats due to current insecurity and war.
? Bureaucratic, nepotistic, old fashioned, and inefficient structures
? Questions related to trainability of entrants to TVET
? TVET Sub-sector is considered expensive in terms of investments and
running costs
? The Sub-sector suffers from perception that main stakeholders con-
sider other education Sub-sectors to be more directly relevant, for in-
stance to MDG and EFA targets
? Low status in society as more and more emphasis is on academic
fields
10 Literacy
10.1 Understanding the Issue
Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. According to UNESCO, Af-
ghanistan has a literacy rate of 26% for persons above the age of 15, with male literacy being
39% and female estimated at 12%.
158
In absolute terms, this means that there are 11 million
persons over the age of 15 - more than half of the young adult and adult population - who are
illiterate.
159
In rural areas, where three-fourths of all Afghans live, 90 percent of the women
and more than 60 percent of the men cannot read or write.
160
156
EMIS July 2009, page 100
157
From MoE/TVET and UNAMA‘s Overview of Skills Development Sector with Assessment of Funding Re-
quirements.
158
UNESCO utilizes the NRVA 07/08 figures
159
This figure has been cited by multiple sources, including MoE/ Deputy Ministry for Literacy and on the
USAID website (updated 10 April, 2010):http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Program.23a.aspx ; population figures
based on Sept. 2009 population data from the Afghanistan Central Statistics Office of 22.5 million inhabitants
160
USAID website (updated 10 April, 2010):http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Program.23a.aspx.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 67
10.2 An Historical Perspective
As noted in Section A, current levels of literacy contrast unfavourably with civilizations
which have utilized written languages for thousands of years. Even in recent history, the
Royal government was a strong advocate of expanding the educational system and the promo-
tion of literacy. King Amanullah Khan (reigning from 1919 – 1929) mandated education as a
constitutional requirement in Afghanistan‘s first Constitution.
161
In the 1950s, literacy courses were initiated under King Zahir Shah. During the 1970s, a more
comprehensive, government-sponsored literacy programme was launched.
162
Then, in the
1980s a national literacy campaign was initiated by the PDPA,
163
though this was met with
fierce resistance due to the other ideological elements of the campaign that accompanied these
efforts. Although progress was uneven, literacy training continued after the fall of the Com-
munist government; as literacy resources and materials developed and improved, a conscious-
ness about learning to read and write began to take root, although still predominantly as an
urban phenomenon. But then, under the Taliban regime, many of the literacy gains were lost,
suggesting that, for many people, their hold on literacy was fragile.
After the collapse of the Taliban, a new Western infusion of literacy programmes sprang up
across the country, implemented by a wide variety of IOs and NGOs.
10.3 Ministry of Education: Literacy Goals and Challenges
Bringing literacy to Afghanistan is a key objective of the MoE. It is one of NESP II‘s five
programme areas with a Deputy Ministry devoted entirely to the achievement of national lit-
eracy goals. A total of 4,576 people are employed across Afghanistan under the MoE/ Deputy
Ministry for Literacy,
164
with a presence in every province.
Literacy is defined by MoE as writing, reading and counting in order to enable the society to
take part in the national/ public participation.
165
According to MoE, Afghanistan has 11 mil-
lion people without basic literacy skills. The Ministry has pledged its commitment to achieve
the Afghanistan Education for All goal of increasing the national literacy rate from 26%
166
to
48% by 2014. The achievement of this goal would require making 3.6 million persons literate
in the next 4 years, a hugely ambitious task.
NESP I had already set a number of ambitious targets for literacy to be achieved by the year
1389 (2010):
? Literacy rates would be improved to 48% [now reset to 1393 (2014)];
? 60% of the learners would be female;
? Minority groups such as Kuchis and persons with disabilities would be specifically targeted;
? A national partnership programme of literacy and non-formal education would be built which would in-
clude government, mosques, private and non-government actors;
161
Article 68 of the first Afghan Constitution mandated compulsory elementary education, under King Amunul-
lah Khan, according to many sources including Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan
162
From the website of Women‘s Literacy in Afghanistan, citing their source as ?documents received from the
Ministry of Education‘;http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Women's_Literacy_in_Afghanistan
163
Government of the Communist People‘s Party of Afghanistan.
164
1387 (2008) figures provided by the DM Literacy in April 2010.
165
Definition provided to the ESA team on 21 April by the Head of Curriculum Development for Literacy.
166
MoE estimated average, as cited in A Journey of Education: Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Chal-
lenges and Priorities, informational handbook produced by the Ministry of Education, May 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 68
? 17,000 teachers and 3,500 mullahs would be trained in the delivery of literacy courses;
? 398 Community Learning Centres in rural and urban districts would be established to deliver literacy,
vocational training and social services.
There has been uneven progress towards achieving these goals; only the second has been fully
realised. The MoE cites several critical challenges affecting their ability to work towards and
achieve these goals, the most significant of which is resource limitations.
In 2004, the MoE engaged UNESCO to formulate a standard literacy curriculum. The curricu-
lum was developed after comprehensive consultation. A nine month life-skills based course
was developed involving six months of literacy training (two hours daily) and three months of
post-literacy skills reinforcement. The curriculum is designed to provide the progressive ac-
quisition of practical skills in reading and numeracy within the framework of culture, family
life, livelihoods and Islamic values. The MoE adopted the course as the national literacy cur-
riculum and, since 2004, it has been in use. Many beneficiaries have praised its effectiveness
in providing valuable tools for improved life skills and enhanced understanding of the citi-
zen‘s place in terms of family, professional and community responsibilities.
10.4 Access, Quality and Management
The MoE implements literacy courses throughout Afghanistan, supported by literacy offices
in every province and in many districts. In 1388 (2009), 7,610 literacy courses were provided
for 228,300 students utilising 3,805 MoE literacy tutors.
167
A critical programme management weakness is the lack of established uniform standards
(other than the adoption of the literacy curriculum itself) or minimum requirements pertaining
to the provision of literacy courses. MoE has not taken a lead in this regard nor has it estab-
lished any internal or external overseeing body to set such standards, provide guidelines on
course offerings or to conduct monitoring on the achievement of course objectives.
168
The
UNESCO-developed literacy curriculum is not recognized as an agreed standard. As a result,
there are over 100 international organizations and NGOs implementing literacy training pro-
grammes which utilize a wide variety of curricula, training methodologies, and resources for
courses that range in duration from six weeks to 18 months.
The second largest implementer of literacy courses in Afghanistan, after UNESCO, is UN
HABITAT which runs an 18 month literacy course designed to provide literacy and business
development skills. The World Food Programme implements a literacy programme which has
received mixed reviews because of its use of food incentives for would-be learners to register.
It has been reported that many sign up for the course, but that completion rates are low.
169
The fact that there is such disparate implementation is certainly understandable in Afghani-
stan‘s environment, but stronger MoE management and involvement in the definition and
observance of standards is needed urgently.
167
It needs to be noted that some challenges have been raised about this figure. UNESCO, which is a partner for
the implementation of literacy courses and tracking the number of courses and beneficiaries provided nationally
towards EFA achievement, indicates that ministry initiatives trained only 70,000 persons in 1388 and that the
combined efforts of all literacy courses (MoE, IO & NGOs) = 270,000 beneficiaries.
168
The MoE/ Literacy Deputy Ministry has this authority, but it has experienced challenges in management
capacity to act in this regard. Moreover, many of the literacy implementers have not looked to the Literacy DM
for this guidance, with many not having registered their literacy activities with the MoE
169
UN HABITAT was not interviewed for this assessment due to time constraints. It is recognized that they
would likely have a different perspective on this issue.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 69
For those who acquire initial literacy, there is no structure to ensure that materials are made
available to cement their gains in the post-literacy period. Monitoring and evaluation is identi-
fied as a weak point in both MoE and IO/NGO-implemented literacy courses. Lack of re-
sources to travel to classes is the usual justification given. With little or no monitoring of
courses, there are many reports of classes that do not exist and inflation of class size. In one
case, a PED Department Director reports that he tried to verify the 600 reported literacy
classes which were reported as occurring in his province, but he could only substantiate that
18 of them were active. Literacy departments in the provinces have indicated that they do not
receive adequate support from their MoE counterparts which, in turn, affects their ability to
perform their duties effectively.
One of most critical weakness of literacy program management is perhaps the most funda-
mental: there is no definition pertaining to the specific objectives constituting the acquisition
of literacy. As a result, it is difficult to determine the specific level of literacy skills which are
being acquired by the tens of thousands of persons who are ?graduating‘ each year.
Lack of capacity in the Deputy Ministry for Literacy, weak monitoring and evaluation and
lack of coordination among literacy players are significant challenges towards the accom-
plishment of literacy goals. To strengthen the management of the Ministry and provide sup-
port for attaining its goals, the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), the global literacy
framework led by UNESCO, was adopted in 2008 as the national literacy framework. LIFE
aims to provide support to enable all stakeholders to promote literacy education in a more
effective and collaborative manner. Since the adoption of the framework, the LIFE Coordina-
tion Working Group has met every month at meetings co-chaired by UNESCO and the Dep-
uty Ministry for Literacy, and attended by stakeholders such as UN agencies, NGOs, and
other ministries working in the field of literacy. LIFE has helped the development of: a Needs
Assessment Report for Literacy; the National Literacy Action Plan to achieve NESP II goals;
and, the LIFE Action Plan for 2010. The LIFE Action Plan focuses on achieving five goals: 1)
coordination between the literacy stakeholders, 2) advocacy 3) campaign 4) capacity devel-
opment and quality improvement, 5) resource mobilization.
To rectify the issues surrounding the discrepancies of beneficiary numbers reported and veri-
fication of data, UNESCO and the Deputy Ministry for Literacy are currently developing a
Literacy/Non-Formal Education management information system, NFE-MIS. This will facili-
tate the collection of all relevant information pertaining to literacy interventions and activities
throughout the country. UNESCO expects that this system, if properly utilized and effectively
monitored and maintained, will improve the Ministry‘s capacity in strategic planning and
management. JICA has also launched a literacy programme in two provinces, aimed at en-
hancing the monitoring and supervision of literacy programming.
10.5 Relevance
A key complaint from literacy graduates is that their skills are not recognized as being valid
or transferable to other educational or vocational initiatives. Adult literacy learners cannot
enrol in regular MoE schools following the completion of their courses because of age stipu-
lations. Eighty-six ?supplementary schools‘ for adult learners (largely literacy programme
graduates) exist in Afghanistan, but the majority of these schools are in Kabul. These schools
are the only educational avenues for literacy graduates to pursue further studies and obtain
their high school degrees. The demand for these schools across the nation far exceeds the
supply. The supplementary school visited by the ESA team in Herat was so over-crowded that
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 70
26 women were attending classes in a small bathroom (on the floor and sitting on the win-
dowsills). Yet, the students interviewed were excited about their opportunities to pursue their
education and several walked one to two hours daily to attend the school.
Literacy graduates are also unable to enrol in TVET or vocational classes, so there is an acute
need for bridging programmes to allow literacy ?graduates‘ an opportunity for their skills to
be evaluated as potential candidates for further vocational studies.
The national security organizations are running their own literacy programmes with MoE re-
sources. According to the British Military
170
, these courses are invaluable since the ANA has
depleted its pool of literate candidates which can be recruited for officer level.
10.6 Measuring Progress towards NESP Goals
Meeting the modified NESP II goal requires that basic literacy be acquired by at least 3.6 mil-
lion persons in the next five years; 720,000 persons must gain literacy in 1389 (2010) and in
every year thereafter. According to MoE statistics, 302,817 students were enrolled in literacy
classes in 1387 (2008)
171
, less than half the number needed to reach the EFA goal. However,
only one-sixth of these students - 46,133 - had graduated by the end of 1387 (2008). It may
be that a larger proportion of those enrolled students actually graduated in 1388 (2009), but
there are no data to support this contention.
In assessing these figures, a number of questions arise regarding the reliability of MoE‘s fig-
ures. UNESCO, a partner in the implementation of literacy courses, has indicated that MoE‘s
reported numbers of literacy beneficiaries is three times the number verified by their own
tracking data. Hopefully, these data discrepancies will soon be resolved by the implementa-
tion of the NFE-MIS data collection system.
Regarding the NESP I goal, (60% of the learners should be female), progress has been made
and targets surpassed. In 1387 (2008), according to the MoE, 79% of all literacy learners were
female with 240,292 female literacy learners, compared to 62,525 men.
172
This can be attrib-
uted in part to the targeting of female learners, although it is recognised internationally that
persuading men to join literacy classes is difficult.
Progress in relation to the third NESP goal, (minority groups such as Kuchis and persons with
disabilities would be specifically targeted) has been slow. There are some literacy courses
targeted at Kuchis and persons with disabilities, mainly implemented by the IOs and NGOs.
The MoE is currently in the process of developing a policy to provide literacy training spe-
cifically for Kuchis.
With regard to the NESP I goal of establishing 398 Community Learning Centres throughout
Afghanistan, only 12 have been established to date. These have been established with support
and funding through JICA and the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan
(NFUAJ).
170
Relayed to the team by former UK Embassy Liaison to the British Military.
171
This statistic includes all literacy students in Afghanistan: all students attending MoE Literacy classes, in
addition to all those attending classes implemented by any of the other organizations that are registered with the
MoE.
172
The percentages of female learners in 1388 (2009) fell slightly compared to those for 1387 (2008), with 58%
of literacy learners being female. This is still quite close to the 60% target.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 71
As with most other developmental programming in Afghanistan, the number of literacy
courses offered in urban areas is far higher than those offered in the villages and more remote
locations. Many rural, remote, under-served, and more insecure areas – with the lowest rates
of literacy - have little or access to literacy programmes. This issue of equity and access is
recognized by both the MoE and the donor community. However, finding modalities and re-
sources to solve this issue remains a challenge. Little work has been done, outside of IO and
NGO-led efforts, to provide literacy to persons with disabilities.
10.7 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High motivation of learners, particularly
women
? Sustained support from some donors and in-
ternational organisations
? Many IOs & NGOs capable of providing liter-
acy programmes and able to penetrate areas
where GoA/ MoE has limited access
? Large numbers of women beneficiaries
? Promotes Afghanistan‘s goals of increasing
gender equity as literate women can take a
more active role in civil, political, professional
and community affairs
? Literate persons promote education for their
sons/ daughters
? Increased long-term potential for labour mar-
ket development
? Literacy combined with skills-development,
such as in the NSDP program, seems to be
yielding a significantly greater impact than
providing literacy only
? Integration of literacy and skills development
is also being promoted by UNESCO and UN-
Habitat through their programming
? Weak MoE capacity (to execute and manage, super-
vise, monitor and coordinate programmes). Lack of a
data base.
? Imbalance of access: under-served remote communi-
ties not benefiting
? Inadequately resourced at all levels
173
? MoE-approved literacy curricula not enforced
? No clear means of assessing literacy skills
? Shortage of literacy tutors; teacher training weak and
not standardized
? Better advocacy campaigning required
? Weak linkages to further opportunities through ac-
creditation and bridging programmes
? Multiple curricula and modalities. Lack of post liter-
acy support.
? Literacy teachers drain small pool of qualified teach-
ers.
? Lack of facilities for Literacy Departments on the
provincial & district levels
174
? No budget for construction of Community Learning
Centres
? Insufficient emphasis on the quality of the learning
Opportunities Threats
? High motivation of learners
? Work of UNESCO supported LIFE pro-
gramme
? Lessons to be learned from other countries
? Use of consultants or TAs to raise manage-
ment capacity.
? The comprehensive curriculum review (start-
ing in June 2010).
? Literacy Information Management System, to
assist in management, tracking and M &E.
? UNESCO, JICE & MoE exploring ways in
which literacy learning can be accredited or
applied towards further educational or voca-
tional opportunities.
? Insecurity and war.
? Questions related to quality of learning/ literacy skills
gained by literacy learners
? Literacy courses expensive in terms of investments
and running costs ($100/ learner & $600 if combined
with technical/ vocational skills through the NSDP
programme)
? Little perceivable benefits in terms of immediate
future opportunities—either work or educational
? If more effective follow-on/ maintenance program-
ming is not provided, those who acquired literacy will
lose their skills
173
MoE Deputy Ministry of Literacy Annual Report for 1388; Cited in ?Challenges‘section, page 4 (Dari ver-
sion)
174
MoE Deputy Ministry of Literacy Annual Report for 1388; Cited in ?Challenges‘section, page 4 (Dari ver-
sion)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 72
11 Community Based Education (CBE)
11.1 History and Context
Maktabe Dehate, or home-based schooling, was developed during the time of King Zahir
Shah. Developed initially as mosque-based programmes, these local initiatives offered educa-
tional opportunities for communities without government schools. The focus was on Islamic
education. From the beginning, these activities sought to involve both genders. Gradually,
they expanded to include more academic subjects, in many cases through the assistance of
NGOs and IOs, and they moved from being mosque-based to home-based initiatives. Many
were successful in providing education throughout the repressive years of the Taliban regime
because they were operating ?under the radar screen.‘
Former Minister of Education Yoonus Qanoni decided to capitalize on the success of home-
based schooling when launching MoE‘s first Community-Based Education (CBE) pro-
gramme. This programme was further invigorated under Minister Atmar, as it proved to be
successful in providing education to remote and underserved areas of Afghanistan. Accord-
ingly, NESP I stipulated the establishment of Community Based Schools (CBSs), or ?Out-
reach Classes,‘ as one of its principal goals. MoE would work through implementing partners
(UN and INGOs) in order to provide educational services in those areas not being serviced by
government schools. It was planned that by 1389 (2010), 4,800 CBSs would be established
throughout Afghanistan, a number nearly equal to the 4,900 traditional schools NESP envi-
sioned as a target for the same year.
CBE schools were established primarily to cover Grades 1- 3, anticipating that children would
be ?mainstreamed‘ into the nearest MoE school from Grade 4. In practice some CBSs are now
offer schooling beyond Grade 3 when the nearest MoE school is too distant or there are secu-
rity issues in the area.
It was initially envisioned that the CBE programme would run for four years, but it was ex-
tended to a fifth year, with a slated completion date of December 1390 (2011). At this point, it
is planned that MoE will have absorbed the management of all CBE schools.
CBE schools are generally accepted, supported and well-integrated in their local communities,
making a contribution to stabilisation and better security. And, as shown below are an impor-
tant means – in a ?low key? way - to attract more girls into school.
10.1 Access
CBSs are proving to be one of the more effective and innovative educational initiatives of
MoE. They have increased children‘s access to educational opportunities within local com-
munities, resulting in increased school enrolment, particularly for girls. MoE statistics record
242,562 students benefiting from CBE; this represents 5% of all children enrolled in school in
Afghanistan, most of whom previously had no educational opportunities. This reflects greater
parental willingness to let their children attend school when the school is in a safe location
and close to home.
The ratio of girls benefiting from CBE, compared to boys, is 1.25: 1. This is significant be-
cause the programme does not target girls. And yet it is the one educational initiative that pro-
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 73
vides education to as many girls as it does boys.
175
This shows that significant interest and
commitment to girls‘ education does exist in Afghanistan. It demonstrates too that the issues
and challenges which contribute to girls‘ low enrolment rates in MoE schools can be over-
come.
According to the MoE‘s Department of Basic Education there are 7,269 Community-Based
Schools (2009) as Table 14 shows.
176
Table 14 Community Based Schools 1388 (2009)
Community Based Schools 7,269
Teachers 7,247 4,954 male
2,293 female
Students 242,562 107,979 boys
134,583 girls
Source: EMIS 1388 (2009).
10.2 Management
NESP stipulates that while the CBSs or outreach classes should be supported by NGOs, they
are a MoE programme. As such, CBSs are required to use MoE textbooks and curricula,
which, in turn, MoE is pledged to provide. According to NESP I, the CBSs should be con-
nected around a ?hub (MoE) school.‘
177
The ?hub school‘ is supposed to take a lead role in
monitoring and supervising the educational activities of the CBSs and is tasked with reporting
CBS data to MoE, including enrolment, class size, number of teachers, etc. According to
NESP, all outreach classes (CBSs) will also be eligible for all Ministry-supported school sup-
ply distributions and will be included in all school assessment programs. And CBE teachers
are eligible for MoE in-service education programmes and they can seek accreditation and
employment by MoE subject to assessment of their qualifications.
MoE has entered into agreement with the following partners for the implementation of Com-
munity-Based Education: PACE-A, BRAC, Save the Children/Sweden-Norway, Swedish
Committee of Afghanistan, UNICEF and Save the Children/UK.
ESA meetings with a variety of stakeholders indicate that CBSs are providing a valuable and
needed service in previously-underserved and under-resourced areas of Afghanistan. Never-
theless, some irregularities are apparent, largely relating to the management and quality of
CBE. Many CBSs report that MoE resources, texts and support have not been received. They
are often made to feel that their needs are subordinate to their traditional MoE counterparts.
Management oversight and monitoring through the ?hub schools‘ seems to be occurring ir-
regularly, if at all. The Chief of Party of one CBE implementing agency indicated that over
several years of CBE programme management, he was not aware of any MoE oversight, man-
agement or data collection at the field level on the CBE schools in his area.
Discrepancies in field level reporting are highlighted by MoE data which reports 242,562 stu-
dents as participating in the CBE initiatives, set against data from implementing partners that
puts the number at over 400,000. While EMIS reporting is supposed to reflect statistics of all
175
There are more female literacy beneficiaries than men, but that is related to the fact that many of the programs
and implementers are specifically focusing on women.
176
Provided by the Director of Basic Education in May 2010.
177
National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,
page 52.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 74
CBE schools, the apparent weaknesses of monitoring and reporting and the large discrepan-
cies in basic data raises issues that deserve further attention.
There are concerns, too, regarding disparities in the quality of CBE teaching and learning.
This reflects a lack of over-arching management, implementation of standards as well as the
availability of inputs. The pool of qualified persons in rural Afghanistan who can serve as
teachers poses a largely fixed constraint. Given these constraints, CBSs are allowed to ?bend
the rules‘ regarding teacher qualifications and to hire the most appropriately educated persons
available to do the job. In many CBE schools, high school students are attending their classes
in the afternoon shift and serving as teachers for CBE morning shifts. There are also reports of
students far younger than high school-age serving as teachers. One implementing partner re-
ported that he found sixth graders serving as teachers in one of his rural Bamyan CBE
schools. He remarked that while the lack of qualified teachers is regrettable, there are no more
qualified persons available to serve. At the same time, such findings demonstrate a very evi-
dent dedication to learning among volunteer teachers in rural areas.
178
Other disparities in quality appear to reflect the different management styles of different im-
plementing partners. Although the MoE has established a CBE policy, the reality is that CBE
is not utilizing a consistent framework. There are variations in the quality/ quantity of training
provided by the Implementing Partners (IPs) to CBE teachers and in relation to the standards
demanded and the resources that are provided.
It is also reported that the transition of CBE students into the MoE schools at Grade 4 has not
always been seamless, as not all MoE schools have been ?accepting? of the CBE students
even thought they have been accepted in school. It is not clear whether this is the result of a
negative perception on the part of the local MoE officials who do not view CBEs as legitimate
educational entities and/or there is perceived to be sub-standard performance on the part of
the CBE students. CBE implementers provide assurances that it is not the latter. They provide
evidence (mostly anecdotal and qualitative) of the high academic performance of CBE stu-
dents. The Director of Basic Education who oversees CBE within the MoE also sees CBE as
being effective in providing education to students who would otherwise be deprived. No ap-
parent differences have been detected between the performance of the mainstreamed CBE
students who join the MoE in Grade 4 (and sometimes later) and the students who were pro-
vided with regular MoE education for the first few years.
Although there may be disparities in the quality of the teaching in CBSs, this may be offset by
increased availability of educational resources, compared to MoE schools. While, as men-
tioned, there may be challenges in CBE schools accessing MoE resources, these schools are
typically well-resourced by their implementing organizations. CBE students‘ access to sound
and up-to-date educational resources may be one reason that, despite potential disparities in
the quality of education, the performance of these children is reported to remain on-par with
their peers.
178
CBE teachers are all supposed to be part of the MoE system and are therefore supposed to be paid. However,
there are several issues surrounding payment. One is that the various implementing partners all offer different
pay scales. Many of the teachers get paid very little (with some receiving approximately. US$50/ month), and
many more say that they have not been paid in months. It is not clear what kind of salary (if any) is received by
schoolchildren who also serve as teachers. Hence, it seems fair to say that many of these are de-facto volunteers.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 75
10.3 Equity
CBE schools can be found in 32 of Afghanistan‘s 34 provinces and in 292 of the 408 districts,
but the distribution of the CBE network is far from proportionate. The majority of the CBSs
are concentrated in Central Province, then going East into Nangarhar and extending into the
northern areas of the country. There are generally few CBSs in the security-challenged areas
of Afghanistan where educational services are so critically needed. There are none in Zabul or
Helmand, for example, and relatively few (compared to the population and needs) in Kan-
darhar. There have been discussions (for two years or more) among the implementing organi-
zations of the need to map demand to determine where the most acute educational needs exist.
This exercise, while critical, has not yet been initiated.
10.4 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High motivation on the part of communities
? Modality proven successful in underserved rural
areas
? NGOs have capacity
? Donor support is available
? Many CBE schools are better resourced than
some government schools
? CBEs are secure because of low profile, location
and community ownership
? A successful model for providing education for
girls
? Parents more willing to let children attend CBE
schools because of proximity and safety
? Flexibility of the system: able to utilize what-
ever community resources are available
? Able to respond to teacher shortages by utilizing
lesser-credentialed teachers, in places where
there are none available
? Lack of capacity of MoE to manage or monitor the
CBE schools
? No uniform geographic coverage; concentrated
largely around Kabul and in the East and North
? Weak coordination between MoE and implementing
partners and between the IPs themselves, particu-
larly at field level.
? Absence of monitoring and quality control
? Standard setting and enforcement variable; depends
on the implementing partner
? Great variances of teacher salaries and qualifica-
tions.
? Questions raised about teacher credentials and
minimum teacher qualifications in CBEs‘ use of
lesser-credentialed persons, where others are not
available
? Weak and contradictory data, particularly concern-
ing beneficiary numbers.
Opportunities Threats
? High motivation
? Private sector potentially has capacity and inter-
est to provide
? Has potential to offer education in the insecure
areas by operating ?under the radar‘ in ways the
traditional government schools cannot.
? Insecurity and conflict, limiting CBE ability to meet
needs in most underserved area.
? Questions on the quality of CBE schools; the readi-
ness of students to enter mainstream education
? Major educational stakeholders consider CBE ir-
relevant or even inferior
? CBE teachers do not have the status in society or the
?credibility‘ of MoE teachers
11 The Private Sector
Private education refers to educational services not administered by local, state or national
government. Private providers retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole
or in part by charging their student‘s tuition fees.
179
In Afghanistan, private education is pre-
sent from pre-primary to tertiary level institutions.
179
Wikipedia ?Private schools?
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 76
NESP II reports that 159 private schools have been established with 37,180 students; but not
all private schools have been registered by MoE although registration is free of charge. A new
policy allows for registration at the provincial level and not just in Kabul.
180
Only when
schools are registered can they receive textbooks and assistance from MoE.
A subcategory of private schools is religiously affiliated and denominational schools. NESP II
states that ... If these schools align their activities with the formal curriculum, the Ministry
will issue permits for them to operate as private schools.
181
This category probably includes a
considerable number of unregistered private schools.
A further category covers TVET and VET institutions which exist all over the country (but
mainly in urban areas). For example, NESP II mentions that there are seven private VET insti-
tutes in Kabul and Balkh.
182
MoE is encouraging the establishment of 50 such institutions by
1393(2014) (see Textbox 14).
Textbox 14 NESP II and Private TVET Institutions
“In line with the national Constitution and the Education Law and strategies to strengthen the private sector for
the provision of technical and vocational education, the Ministry has made the registration process for private
schools easier, and will provide support for them. Among the plans and programs to increase the number of
private technical and vocational schools will be the establishment of private-public joint ventures; facilitation
of donor support for private schools; and the provision of curriculum, syllabi and educational plans to private
institutions. The Ministry will also develop a policy regarding the provision of scholarships for Grade 9 gradu-
ates to enrol in private TVET institutions.”
11.1 Stakeholders
This sub-sector of education is relatively small in terms of its stakeholders and service pro-
viders although it is expanding quite quickly. Now GoA is looking for more interest from the
private sector in general and from private education and training institutions in particular.
MoE is encouraging the setting up of private Teacher Training institutions.
183
Major stakeholders include NGOs, employers, individual entrepreneurs and donors and on
occasion local communities and CBOs. In 1388(2009) MoE established a Division for Private
and Special Education with 100 officials although at present its precise role is unclear.
11.2 Legislation, Regulations and Policy
Article Forty-Six of the Constitution declares ... The citizens of Afghanistan can establish
higher, general, and vocational educational institutions and literacy courses with the permis-
sion of the state...and ...the state can also permit foreign persons to establish higher, general
and vocational educational institutions in accordance with law.
184
The conditions for admis-
sion to state higher education institutions and other related matters are to be regulated by law.
The 1387 Education Law
185
refers to private education in three chapters (Textbox 15). This
make clear that private education should use the unified national curriculum (with an exemp-
tion for private international educational institutions), and that teaching shall be in Pashtu and
180
NESP II, page 63
181
NESP II, page 35
182
NESP II, page 48
183
NESP II, page 72
184
The Constitution of Afghanistan, Year 1382 (2003)
185
Education Law, Decree #:56, Date: 31/4/1387, Official Gazette: Serial # (955)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 77
Dari. Private employers are mandated to provide literacy and practical education for illiterate
employees.
Textbox 15 Reference to Private Education in the Education Law
Ch. 8, #30, (2): ?A unified educational curriculum shall apply in all public and private educational and training institutions.
Private international educational institutions, stated in article (11) of this law, are exempted from this provision.?
Ch. 8, #32, (1): ?Teaching in the public educational institutions, stated in this law, national private educational institutions
and educational and training programs and centers for literacy and basic practical education, shall be taught in one of the
state official languages (Pashto and Dari).?
Ch. 10 #37 Compulsory Learning of Literacy and Basic Practical Education.
(1) Teach literacy and basic practical education to the illiterate and less literate for contractor of employees of the public
and private organizations are compulsory.
(2) The ministries and public and private organizations shall provide grounds for literacy and basic practical education
programs with cooperation of the ministry of education in their related departments.
(3) Method to implement literacy and basic practical education programs in their related ministries and private and public
departments, shall be prepared in accordance with separate rule and be approved and organized by the ministry of education.
(4) Ministries and public and private organizations stated in paragraph (2) of this article are obliged to provide the station-
ary, place to teach and employ the literacy and basic practical education teachers.
(5) The ministry of education shall prepare and provide books, learning materials and grounds of learning for literacy and
basic practical education teachers of the ministries and public and private departments, stated in paragraph (2) of this
article .
In 1385(2006) regulations for private educational institutes were developed and approved.
186
ANDS refers to expanding the scope for private education in the context of economic growth.
187
NESP II emphasises MoE‘s assistance to private education provision;
188
highlighting registra-
tion, evaluation, and the provision of technical support. The Higher Education Strategic Plan
(HESP) also underlines the importance of quality private higher education institutions in
meeting the increase in demand which public provision cannot meet alone.
189
It proposes gov-
ernment support for non-profit making tertiary level institutions in acquiring land, duty-free
imports of educational material and equipment, and access to scholarships and research fund-
ing in critical areas.
11.3 Financing
Tuition fees paid by students are the main income for private education institutions. Tuition
levels fluctuate greatly, reflecting patterns of supply and demand. MoE indicates, for instance,
that fees for nursery schools can vary from 300 to 2000 Afs per month.
190
While the Govern-
ment and MoE subsidize these institutions in terms of the provision of books, courses and
seminars, and inspection, very little is known about the economic structure of the private edu-
cation subsector.
191
11.4 Quality
In the private education market place, potential trainees and their families have little basis for
specifying their needs and demands let alone be able to assess quality. Computing and English
are popular subjects for private education institutions to deliver but the extent to which poten-
tial clients can establish what competencies they need is problematic. It appears that some
private institutions are operating to very low standards. On the other hand there are percep-
186
NESP II, op.cit. page 18
187
ANDS, 120
188
NESP II (5 January 2010) page 17 and 22
189
HESP p.21
190
Interview with Directress of Private Schools, 3rd of March 2010.
191
The ESA team was not able to assess this inspection.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 78
tions that some private education institutions are of a better standard than governmental ser-
vices.
Private schools covering the same subjects and grades as government institutions use the same
textbooks and curriculum. In some private schools supplementary books and materials are in
used to improve the quality of learning. In a school visited by the ESA team supplementary
material was considered especially important and a major reason for the schools‘ popularity.
Teachers in private education institutions are normally well qualified and experienced and
their salaries are usually higher than their government counterparts. In private schools of a
high standard MoE inspectors are instructed to check whether teachers are graduates or not
and may advise them to take higher education programmes as necessary.
NSDP has undertaken a comparative study of 498 technical education and training institutions
-NGOs, private and government institutions.
192
One criterion for comparison was Training
and Learning. NGOs scored best (136 marks) followed by private providers (123) and with
the public sector last (111). The main findings are presented in Textbox 16.
Textbox 16 Comparison of VET and TVET Institutions
193
Training and Learning
Indicators
Assessment
Institutional Objectives NGOs clearly defend the project objectives and implementation strategies. Pri-
vate sector set up clear objectives and expansion plans, institutional objectives on
market needs. Public sector teach the same skills regardless of tested demands –
chances for introduction of new and market oriented skills are limited.
Curriculum NGO curricula either copied from other countries or developed by experts with
little attention to the Afghan context.
Private sector adjust curricula based on the need of the market ... tries to include
new subjects
Public sector curriculum is not regularly reviewed and not revised. Is old and not
based on the need of the market. But some exceptions
Syllabus Only the more academic parts of the private sector syllabuses are regularly up-
dated.
Instructional Materials NGOs provide some support to develop up-to-date instructional materials and
teaching methodologies and this has influenced students‘ learning in a positive
way
Most higher academic private centres use adequate instructional materials.
Public: use very outdated instructional materials. However some exceptions as
the Afghan Korea Vocational Training Centre and those developed by JICA
Teaching Methods and
Techniques
International NGOs have often tried to adopt innovative teaching methods, but
this is not the case with majority of local NGOs.
Most higher academic private centres use improved teaching methods and tech-
niques.
Public sector lacks effective methodology (there are exceptions)
Other Related Teach-
ing/Learning Indicators
In general the training institutions have not developed effective systems to moni-
tor and evaluate training and learning processes and to assess their effectiveness
and relevance
The study also included (i) Governance and management, faculty and staff, research and de-
velopment, extension, consultancy and (ii) Linkages, resources and support for students. In
192
Baseline Data for the Quality of TVET Provision in Afghanistan, National Skills Development Program. May
2009, page 16-17
193
Based on and copied from National Skills Development Programme, op cit.page 16-17
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 79
general, and for most of these aspects, NGO institutions had the best scores followed by the
private sector.
11.5 Private Education and Equity
An important consideration is how the growth of private schools will impact on access to, and
quality of, the formal government school system. Private schools of good standard will inevi-
tably charge high tuition fees. The consequences will be that only students from more affluent
segments of the population will be able to access these schools while the poor have no other
option but to send their children to MoE schools or to community based schools. This might
reinforce and develop further socio-economic differences in society, not only due to the tui-
tion, but due to the segregation of highly qualified teachers with higher salaries and more ef-
fective education in the private schools, and teachers with less qualification and sometimes
lower quality infrastructure in the formal government schools. In many developing countries
this is leading to a reduction in social cohesiveness with, for example, senior civil servants
failing to use the government-provided systems within which they work every day for their
own children. Government schools should never be seen as safety net schools for the poor.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 80
C Three Special Issues
This section highlights three dimensions of educational provision in Afghanistan which can
properly be regarded as impacting across the whole sector. The first (Inclusive Education)
explores the needs of groups frequently excluded from schooling as a result of factors beyond
their control, for example, young people with disabilities and the children of nomadic pastor-
alists. The second section (Education, Security and Peace) emphasises the very particular con-
text and circumstances of trying to develop, from a very low base, a modern education system
which can be grown in an environment where stability is often still elusive. Finally, (Advanc-
ing the Gender Agenda) documents the scope and scale of perhaps the most important chal-
lenge for Afghanistan – that of ensuring that girls and women are able to make their full con-
tributions to the development of the society. Planning for, and resourcing, these areas need
creative and sometimes unconventional approaches. If Afghanistan is to achieve its aspira-
tions in respect of UPE/EFA/MDG targets, then the needs of all the children identified here
will have to be met.
12 Inclusive Education
12.1 Defining Inclusive Education
Inclusive Education typically refers to the ability of educations systems to meet the needs of
populations vulnerable to exclusion from and within the education system. It draws on rights-
based frameworks which stipulate that all children – those with disabilities and other groups
vulnerable to exclusion -- should receive education in the same setting and utilizing the same
resources as other children.
In communities which are struggling to develop and/or post-conflict settings, children are
excluded from education for many reasons: because of their gender; being a part of a tribal,
nomadic, ethnic or religious minority; through deep-seated poverty; conflict; isolation; dis-
ability and just the absence of schools.
The ability of a government to be inclusive is dependent on political will, resources and the
capacity to respond to inequity and disadvantage. Identifying vulnerable groups is often prob-
lematic and laced with political overtones. All countries, whatever their economic status, have
groups which are vulnerable to exclusion both from and within their societies, which have
created obstacles to their realising the benefits of education.
12.2 Afghan Context
In Afghanistan, the Afghan Constitution and the Education Law provide the legal framework
for providing education to all sectors of the population. Afghanistan has further embraced the
goal of Education for All which stipulates a comprehensive educational service delivery
which is able to meet the needs of all special categories and groups of children, including the
disabled, the economically vulnerable and other potentially-marginalized groups.
Many educational specialists argue for mainstreaming all children within the framework of a
general education for all. In Afghanistan, however, with at least five million children out of
school, this approach is far from a reality. Given the circumstances of geography, lack of
population data, mobility, and cultural issues, even identifying vulnerable populations and
their educational needs becomes a major task.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 81
12.3 MoE Commitments
The current Minister of Education has embraced Inclusive Education (IE) as a goal to which
Afghanistan is strongly committed. Speaking at the 2008 International Bureau of Education
Conference, he said The Constitution and the Education Law of Afghanistan guarantee all
children the right to education regardless of their gender, their abilities and disabilities, as
well as their backgrounds and circumstances.
194
He pledged Afghanistan‘s commitment to-
wards the establishment of inclusive and child-friendly pilot schools, in addition to a number
of other Inclusive Educational goals
195
.
Earlier, NESP I made a number of strong commitments on Inclusive Education. It recognized
that one of the first essentials was to identify populations which might be vulnerable to exclu-
sion and assess their needs. It stated ... an effective school mapping survey is urgently needed
in order to identify underserved communities.
196
‘
In addition, NESP I committed to:
? Develop policies and guidelines for education of disabled children, in coordination with MMD, MoL-
SAMD, and other government organizations;
? Establish and equip special schools/ resource centres for disabled children and provision of supplies,
special sports materials and equipment for children with disabilities in the formal schools;
? Develop specialized learning materials for children with special learning needs including gifted chil-
dren, nomadic children and children with physical or learning disabilities;
? Attain, by 1389, a net primary school enrolment rate of 45% and 30% for boys and girls with disabili-
ties, respectively;
? Establish and operate, by 1389, 35 provincial resource centres for children with disabilities;
? Meet the needs of Kuchi children, conduct survey and research to identify travelling routes, stay loca-
tion and duration and number of school age children in coordination with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
to develop policy and guidelines for the education of Kuchi children;
? Provide 35% of the Kuchi children with specially-adapted programs of formal education;
? Provide wheelchair ramps for 20% of all schools constructed.
In 1389 (2010), the Ministry accepted the UNESCO-developed Needs & Rights Assessment:
Inclusive Education in Afghanistan as a framework for developing Inclusive Education policy
and planning. The assessment provides a comprehensive framework for meeting the needs of
all segments of Afghanistan‘s school age population, with a focus on the specific needs and
ways of working to best provide education to groups which may be vulnerable to exclusion.
12.4 Moving Commitments into Practical Realities
MoE has a section devoted to Inclusive Education as part of its Directorate for Private Educa-
tion with two persons in the section, although there is provision for four positions in the tash-
kil.
197
But a recent decision is that Inclusive Education will be elevated to the status of a Unit
and placed within the Directorate of Basic Education. The TORs for the Unit have been
drafted by UNESCO and are under review by the MoE.
194
Address of the Minister of Education in Nov. 2008 at the International Conference on Education, 48th ses-
sion, 25-28 November 2008 Inclusive Education: The Way of the Future.
195
Ibid.
196
National Education Strategic Plan, 1385 – 1389, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, p.
62.
197
The remaining two positions have been vacant for some time. There are no current efforts to recruit for the
vacant positions, according to the Head of the Directorate who oversees the Unit who argues that IE needs to be
elevated to a Directorate able to meet the needs of providing inclusive education for all Afghan children.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 82
The existing section‘s focus has been on children with disabilities, in the absence of a stronger
human and financial base. Support is being provided to the School for the Blind in Kabul (one
of only two government schools dedicated to serving the needs of the disabled). Also, 12
schools have been equipped with wheelchair ramps. The IE section has not been involved
with developing policy or programmes for other vulnerable populations because of their man-
date and resource availability. Kuchi education is covered by another section within the MoE.
The IE section is also supporting a UNESCO, UNICEF and MACCA-supported pilot pro-
gramme, dedicated to introducing IE to 29 MoE schools. The schools focus on meeting the
needs of all disadvantaged children living within their catchment areas and providing support
to the teachers to adopt IE and child-friendly principles. Six booklets on Inclusive and Learn-
ing-Friendly Environments (ILFE) serve as teacher training guides to introduce the principles
of IE and their practical application. These guides were developed by UNESCO and are part
of their global Toolkit for Inclusive Education. They have been translated into Dari and
Pashto and are currently being adapted to suit the needs and condition in Afghanistan.
An active Coordination Working Group on IE is dedicated to moving IE goals and objectives
forward and is co-chaired by MoE and UNESCO. In order to develop a greater understanding
of IE, UNESCO organised a conference (1388/2009) in which several senior Ministry stake-
holders participated. The conference attendees identified 12 groups most likely to be excluded
from educational opportunities in Afghanistan, and therefore, in need of special programmes.
The groups are listed in Table 15 below. Girls were identified as the group most likely to be
vulnerable to exclusion from education.
UNESCO and the Inclusive Education Coordination Working Group have since implemented
a series of discussions with MoE personnel to raise awareness of the need to expand their
concept of IE to include these marginalized populations. However, as the Table 15 suggests,
there is a long way to go in first obtaining accurate data and then to developing the appropri-
ate strategies.
13.5 Vulnerable Groups
Girls’ Education
Many IE specialists would be reluctant to include a gender-related category on the grounds
that mainstream education is for all children. But the circumstances in Afghanistan largely
dictate that girls are vulnerable and require targeted action. The education of girls is discussed
more comprehensively later in this section.
Children with Disabilities
There are no reliable data on children with disabilities which is compounded by a deep and
pervasive stigma regarding disability. This often results in parents with disabled children be-
lieving that they are judged negatively by their community. Hence, many children with dis-
abilities remain hidden within family compounds.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 83
Table 15 MoE’s Identified Priority Groups for Inclusive Education
Groups Available Data Strategy
Girls Approx. 6 million school age
children are girls
Girls Education Working Group developing
strategies to more effectively reach girls
Children Affected by
Conflict and War
No reliable data; 400+ schools
remain closed
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children Affected by
Drugs
No reliable data No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children from Ethnic,
Language, Social &
Religious Minorities
As many as 3.6 million chil-
dren
198
belong to Ethnic, Lan-
guage, Social & Religious Mi-
norities
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children from Poor
Economic Backgrounds
Approx. 8.4 million school age
children live in poverty or sub-
standard conditions
199
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children in Conflict
with the Law/ Children
in Incarceration
4,000 – 5,000 children are in
custody of the Ministry of Jus-
tice, according to MoE sources
200
MoE, in conjunction with Ministry of Justice,
is responsible for providing education to this
group
Children Living Far
Away from Schools/
Villages where there are
no schools
No reliable data until school
mapping occurs but likely a large
percentage of the 5 million
school age children not attending
school
MoE addressing this issue effectively through
Community-Based Educational initiatives
Children Living on the
Street/ Homeless Chil-
dren
No reliable data, but homeless-
ness not prevalent in Afghanistan
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children Suffering from
Neglect, Abandonment
and/or Abuse
No reliable data No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children with
Disabilities
No reliable data MoE Inclusive Education Section responsi-
ble: Kabul-based activities are occurring*;
Also MoLSAMD implements some educa-
tion for children with disabilities through
the orphanages they operate.
Nomadic (Kuchi) chil-
dren
1.0 – 1.5 Million Kuchi Chil-
dren
201
MoE/ Kuchi Education responsible: limited
educational activities are occurring*
Working Children No reliable data No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Note: *To the extent that these populations are available/ reachable within the catchment centres of the
UNESCO, UNICEF and MACCA -sponsored Pilot Schools for Inclusive Education (which are all located within
the Kabul area), these populations are targeted through these initiatives.
For most children in Afghanistan, the trip to school involves a long walk across difficult ter-
rain, perhaps, dodging sewer trenches and oncoming traffic. This is challenging enough for
able-bodied children. For children with disabilities, a daily commute of this nature is rarely
possible. Resources are scarce for children with disabilities in terms of child-sized crutches,
wheelchairs and appropriate prosthetics; such resources are even scarcer outside of urban cen-
tres. Few schools have ramps or special seating or toilets able to accommodate children with
disabilities. The production of books in Braille is very limited as well; therefore, only a small
minority of children with visual impairments have access to educational resources. Few
teachers have knowledge of the Afghan Sign Language. Hence, the ability of the education
198
?Needs & Rights Assessment: Inclusive Education in Afghanistan? estimates that 20 – 30% of children can
be defined as minorities, depending on how widely the term minorities is applied, MoE/UNESCO, 2009, page 13
199
Estimate from the Needs & Rights Assessment: Inclusive Education in Afghanistan. 2009.
200
MoE/ Deputy Ministry provided this estimate in meeting w/ ESA team, April 2010.
201
Estimate from the ?Needs & Rights Assessment: Inclusive Education in Afghanistan,? 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 84
system to offer quality education to children with visual or hearing impairments is quite lim-
ited.
202
Rough estimates suggest that 75% of children with disabilities are not attending
school.
203
The Inclusive Education section believes that is not uncommon for children with disabilities
to be denied access to school by the principal or District Education officials. This is particu-
larly true in remote, rural areas where physical disabilities are often misunderstood and as-
sumed to be indicative of other cognitive disabilities. The IE Head of Section tries to inter-
vene and raise awareness of school officials about the value of Inclusive Education when he
can, in Kabul. But Moe‘s IE section has no authority to overturn a school‘s decision to deny a
disabled child his/ her education.
204
According to UNESCO, there are also a number of exam-
ples where principals have begun to welcome children with disabilities into their schools, both
with and without the intervention of the IE section or the Master Trainers for IE.
That said, there is clearly a need for MoE supervisors to be trained to identify and mitigate
failures within the system. Public awareness campaigns and training programmes at district
and provincial level are also needed. And a review system is needed whereby a school offi-
cials‘ decision to deny a child access to education is reviewed by a higher body.
Kuchis
Kuchis are pastoralists who raise and herd livestock. There are an estimated three million Ku-
chis in Afghanistan,
205
of whom 1 – 1.5 million are children.
206
They have been identified by
the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan as one of the most vulnerable popula-
tions in Afghanistan. Years of war, coupled with successive drought seasons have threatened
the lifestyle of Kuchis, many of whom have been unable to find suitable pastures for their
livestock and have lost large numbers of their herds as a result. Moreover, due to their ex-
tremely low levels of literacy and inability to settle easily into sedentary lifestyles, they are
ill-equipped to adopt other livelihoods; only 2% of [Kuchi] men and 0.05% of women (are)
able to read and write and only 6.6% of boys and 1.8% of girls attend school.
207
NESP I committed MoE to ensuring that at least 35 percent of Kuchi children would have
access to formal education by 1389 (2010).
208
Resources, however, have been quite inade-
quate to meet this target. Kuchi community leaders have indicated that only a tiny proportion
of Kuchi children in southern and eastern Afghanistan have access to formal schooling, and
that government education efforts are not enough.
209
But senior stakeholders in MoE have
indicated interest in formal education among the Kuchis is weak.
202
Data from UNESCO
203
Rawa News Service, 21 Oct. 2008; carried by IRIN News
(http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/10/21/afghanistan-disability-deprives-children-of-
education_9843.html)
204
The IE section described the case of a girl whose family was informed that they could no longer send her to
school because of a skin disorder which school officials feared might be contagious. The IE section was unsuc-
cessful in their efforts to persuade school authorities to re-enrol the child.
205
Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuchi_people
206
Using the USAID livelihoods guideline of approximately seven persons per Afghan household.
207
Children in Crisis website report:http://www.childrenincrisis.org/files/additional/fact_sheets/AfghanistanFactSheet.pdf
208
National Educational Strategic Plan 1
209
Afghanistan: Mixed report on Kuchi education, 17 Feb. 2010, IRIN News Service:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/6ecd7908be11c6d0af340126544e04ae.htm
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 85
Nonetheless, there seems to be significant discrepancies over the number and quality of the
educational initiatives provided for the Kuchi population. In February 2010, the MoE reported
to IRIN News Service that they had established ten schools for Kuchis in the South and the
West of the country, as well as 26 learning centres.
210
Other evidence suggested that many of
these Kuchi schools were not being used.
211
The former Head of the Independent Directorate of Kuchi Affairs (IDKA) shared with IRIN
that the ...the government claims it has built schools for Kuchis in some provinces but those
are empty buildings with no teachers, no books and no other facilities.
212
In a May 2010 inter-
view with the ESA team the Head of Education for the IDKA, gave a more positive account,
stating that MoE had built approximately 100 primary schools which were attended by an
estimated 42,210 Kuchi children, including an enrolment of 30% for girls. When asked if he
considered these schools ?functional,‘ he indicated that only eight schools had buildings, the
rest were on open ground.
While it is a positive development that MoE is providing educational services to Kuchis, these
initiatives appear to be reaching, at best, only 10% of their NESP targets. There also appears
to be significant disparity pertaining to the quality of the education being provided.
13.6 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High potential commitment from donors.
? Strong commitment by UNESCO and the IE Work-
ing Group
? High level of commitment to IE
? Pilot schools with positive results: replication po-
tential throughout the country
? Master Trainers (specializing in Inclusive Educa-
tional approaches) have demonstrated positive re-
sults in reaching populations which are vulnerable
to exclusion
? Where IE has been introduced, those schools and
communities are experiencing a consciousness shift
about the way they view populations which are vul-
nerable to exclusion
? IE has been introduced as a subject matter for stu-
dents at the Kabul Education University.
? General lack of capacity, resources and person-
nel devoted to IE within MoE
? Challenges in identifying and meeting the needs
of populations vulnerable to exclusion
? Prevalent negative perception about populations
vulnerable to exclusion in Afghanistan
? Marginalized groups often hidden and stigma-
tized
? Not a shared commitment to IE in mid and lower
MoE levels (PEDs, DEDs)
? Commitments are being made at a high level but
are not translated into practice
? Schools do not understand the concept of inclu-
siveness and equal access
Opportunities Threats
? Good prospects of funding from the International/
donor community
? Elevation of IE to Unit status within the MoEGains
in development image by embracing IE
? High Level Round Table Discussion (3 June 2010)
and a National Conference on in July 2010.
? General threats due to insecurity and conflict.
210
Ibid.
211
Ibid.
212
Afghanistan: Mixed Report on Kuchi Education, IRIN News Service, 17 Feb. 2010;http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/6ecd7908be11c6d0af340126544e04ae.htm
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 86
14 Education, Security and Peace
14.1 Historical Context
Many political theorists have emphasized the critical importance of education in maintaining
state stability... while it is theoretically possible for a state to remain stable without the citi-
zens being properly educated … it is extremely unlikely. The way education helps to maintain
order may be understood by examining how the lack of proper education contributes to disor-
der.
213
Education is well-established as a key to building stability. An educated population is one of
the most powerful foundations for fostering peace and mitigating conflict. While many of the
international donors are re-evaluating their commitments to Afghanistan, the one area where
commitments will likely remain strong is in the area of education, because of its pivotal role
in peace-building. In the words of Cornelia Pieper, Germany's Minister of State at the Federal
Foreign Office, Only educated Afghans will be able to drive forward their country’s develop-
ment and foster peace. (The statement was made in reference to Germany‘s investment of 110
Million Euros in education and culture in Afghanistan.)
214
14.2 Education and Security
In Afghanistan, as in other countries, investment in education is an investment in the devel-
opment of the individual and his/her community, human capital, labour market development,
and national peace and stability. According to Asia Foundation‘s 2009 Survey of the Afghan
People, Afghans rated insecurity —attacks, violence, and terrorism—as the biggest problem
facing the country, followed closely by unemployment, poor economy, and corruption.
215
This
survey, conducted yearly, for five years now, is the largest public opinion poll conducted in-
country; the 2009 survey involved interviews with over 6,000 Afghans in all 34 provinces.
Not surprisingly, the top-listed challenges are all inter-related. In the provinces and districts
where insecurity poses the biggest problems, there are correspondingly high levels of unem-
ployment, weak economy, lawlessness and corruption. There are some obvious reasons for
this, as well as some factors which may not be as apparent. Environments which are insecure
or lawless often pose challenges to the free movement of goods and persons. As access to
markets and jobs is restricted, negative economic consequences are manifest. Correspond-
ingly, in tandem with the disintegration of the rule of law, bribery and corruption become
normative measures to effect transactions in this limited-access market.
In Afghanistan, the relationship between security and economic vibrancy is very apparent. It
is hardly disputable that Balkh and Herat are among the most stable and economically-
prosperous provinces outside Central Region while Helmand, Kandarhar and Uruzgan are
near the bottom in both categories. As economic vibrancy is closely related to investment in
human capital,
216
it is not surprising, then, that Balkh and Herat have among the highest per-
centages of children enrolled in school in the country.
213
Anderson, Jeremy, Pg 96, ?The Role of Education in Political Stability,?http://fs6.depauw.edu/~jeremyanderson/research/EducStabilHS.pdf
214
110 Million Euros represents Germany‘s total investment in education and culture in Afghanistan from year
2001 until the end of year 2010.http://www.german-info.com/press_shownews.php?pid=2253
215
Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People, The Asia Foundation;http://www.asiafoundation.org/news/?p=2027
216
Education & Economic Growth, Robert J. Barro;http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/5/49/1825455.pdf.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 87
The issues surrounding security, peace and education interact in a highly complex manner as
do the relevant actors. The stakeholders involved - the Afghan government, the international
and national security forces, educational institutions, communities, students, and the govern-
ments of the international donor community—all have very divergent interests and motives
pertaining to these issues.
First, there are the interests of the international organizations which are providing stability in
Afghanistan. The G-8 countries, NATO and ISAF have committed to investing in Afghani-
stan in the interests of peace, stability, economic improvement and trade development. The
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in particular, have a mandate to assist the Afghan
Government provide goods and services on the provincial level, with a specific focus on edu-
cation.
217
While their objective is to strengthen the capacity and legitimacy of the Afghan
government, there is a certain degree of perceived contradiction in this role. That is, when
government services are provided by an occupying international military force, can such ac-
tions, in fact, serve to strengthen the national government‘s legitimacy? Some view such ac-
tivities as having the opposite effect since the inherent implication is that the legitimate power
broker in the country is not the national government but the international military forces. The
concept of a foreign military helping the national government provide basic services serves to
erode, in the eyes of some constituents, the government‘s legitimacy by demonstrating that
their government is not capable of providing for its people.
That said, the educational assistance provided by the international military forces has been
immensely helpful in providing and rehabilitating critically needed educational infrastructure,
much of which has been provided in places where the Afghan government, with its limited
resources, has not been able to deliver. Many Afghans interviewed by the ESA team- from the
side of the national government, school officials, communities and constituents – expressed
deep appreciation for this assistance.
218
The key impact, they pointed out, of these new and
rehabilitated schools which the PRTs had constructed in their communities, was that more
children were now receiving an education
219
.
Because of the engineering capacity within the PRTs, the PRT-constructed schools are of a
higher quality than Afghan-built schools and typically offer sophisticated learning equipment,
sometimes including science and computer laboratories, hygienic washroom facilities and
play areas. Several school officials pointed to an increased enthusiasm for learning as a result
of the quality of the facilities.
Another benefit of PRT-constructed schools is that they are often able to provide students
with a more protected and secure environment, in terms of encompassing perimeter walls and
a single, impenetrable entrance. These are particularly critical features for girls‘ schools;
many parents will not allow their daughters to attend school unless such security features are
in place.
217
As one of several identified priority areas in their mandate of governance capacity- building.
218
It should be noted, however, that the ESA team did not visit security-challenged areas and where perceptions
may not be the same.
219
The schools provided by the international security forces are constructed in accordance with international
engineering standards, (and are often vertical structures), therefore being able to accommodate a higher number
of students than the Afghan-constructed structures which are rarely more than a single story.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 88
While the schools constructed by the international military may be able to provide a more
secure and protected learning space for children, there are also more vulnerable to attack, pre-
cisely because they have been constructed by the international military forces. Insurgent or
rogue elements, particularly in the insecure areas of Afghanistan, view schools as an easy
target on which to express opposition to either the Government of Afghanistan or to the ?oc-
cupying military forces.‘ While incidents of violence against schools have diminished since
2008 when 673 schools were forcibly closed because of incidents of violence and/or insur-
gency
220
, attacks against schools are still occurring with frightening regularity. (Most re-
cently, there has been a series of ?poison gas‘ attacks in girls schools in areas which were pre-
viously not considered high-risk or insurgent-held areas.)
The School Protection Unit of the MoE tracks the incidents of violence against schools and
maintains a database of school attacks and closures. According to their April 2010 statistics,
there are 402 schools in 11 provinces closed as a result of insecurity and/or violence.
221
The
provinces which have the highest incidence of school attacks, not surprisingly, also lead the
country in levels of insurgency and anti-government activities: Logar, Badghis, Paktika,
Farah, and Ghazni are at the top of the list.
The School Protection Unit‘s database provides a breakdown of school attacks as acts of ter-
ror (in which the school itself is targeted), as opposed to school violence resulting from ran-
dom criminal activities (such as fighting between students or community feuds) which spill
over into the school. According to the 1388 (2009) statistics, the majority of school attacks
were the result of criminal activities rather than terror attacks or school-targeted violence. The
number of persons killed and injured in schools as a result of criminal activities was 113 and
183, respectively, a much higher figure than the number of persons killed/ injured as a result
of terrorist attacks (50/122).
While these statistics are sobering, they offer some hope and potential solutions as well. Acts
of terror or violence which specifically target schools are very difficult to prevent and there
are no easy solutions for mitigating this kind of violence. However, criminal activities that
spill into the schools as a result of community feuds or other random acts of violence are often
preventable by stronger security measures, such as perimeter walls, singular protected school
entrances and body-checks.
The most important feature of school protection is that it must be community-implemented
and community-endorsed to be effective. In areas where communities have built schools
themselves and/or contributed with resources and their own labour to providing educational
facilities, they have a vested interest in protecting these resources. There have been some
amazing testimonies of citizens and community bodies which have banded together to suc-
cessfully protect their schools against rogue elements. The EQUIP programme offers a posi-
tive model of community endorsement of schools which has been successful in keeping many
schools safe.
An important new and interesting development is the recent dissemination of written notices
and public announcements claiming to be from the Taliban, which indicate that they view
220
A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges, Priorities, informational hand-
book created by the Ministry of Education, 2010, pg 9.
221
Data on school attacks and closures, provided by the MoE School Protection Unit, covering years 1387
(2008/ 2009).
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 89
education as an important activity and that they will not target schools. These notices have
been widely disseminated in recent weeks in various provincial locations and may represent a
change of approach by the Taliban. It is, of course, difficult to discern, firstly, if these publica-
tions are originating from elements which represent the Taliban.
222
Secondly, if they do in fact
represent a new Taliban perspective on the protection of schools, the underlying political mo-
tives for taking such a public stance on this issue will need to be determined.
15 Advancing the Gender Agenda
?No development strategy is better than one that involves women as central players. It has immediate benefits
for nutrition, health, savings, and reinvestment at the family, community, and ultimately, country level. In other
words, educating girls is a social development policy that works. It is a long-term investment that yields an ex-
ceptionally high return…. We need those with power to change things to come together in an alliance for girls’
education: governments, voluntary progressive groups, and above all, local communities, schools, and fami-
lies.”- former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, speech at the World Education Forum, 2000
15.1 History and Context
If education in Afghanistan has been politicized, the treatment of gender has perhaps been the
most politicized element of this discussion. Many theories have been propagated about the
Afghan perspective on girls‘ education and the reasons why progress has been so difficult to
attain; many of these theories are rife with misperceptions. There is also a lack of factual in-
formation about recent developments, in terms of how girls‘ education was treated under the
Taliban and more generally about Afghan perspectives on women in Islam, a guiding princi-
ple of education.
It is has been widely-stated, for example, that there was no education of girls during the Tali-
ban regime; that Afghans do not value education for girls; and that they find women‘s educa-
tion threatening or anti-Islamic. Many of these contentions are well grounded.
Until the last decade, many people in Afghanistan lived in such isolation that they were
largely untouched by the modern world. Reliance on subsistence farming as the primary
means of livelihood for over 90% of the country further entrenched the insularity of much of
the population. Except for a very few urban areas, many communities had little contact with
trading or commercial centres; accordingly, in many parts of the country, neither men nor
women had access to formal educational opportunities.
15.2 Political and Economic Importance
Despite remarkable gains in education since the collapse of the Taliban, formidable chal-
lenges continue to plague the country‘s ability to provide education for its female population.
Currently, only 28% of school-age girls are enrolled in school.
223
For Afghanistan to achieve its economic development goals, it must find creative ways to
overcome this major educational deficit. When examining the recent economic emergence of
India, the Philippines and the Asian ?Tiger economies,? the commitment to women‘s educa-
tional goals was a significant contributor to their economic success.
224
Afghanistan‘s com-
mitment to play a more competitive and vigorous role in the global economy cannot be met,
222
The validity of these notices is being investigated by the national Afghan Protection Forces and the NDS.
223
Based on the MoE enrolment data
224
Education & Economic Growth. Robert J. Barro;http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/5/49/1825455.pdf
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 90
unless and until it is able to provide access and quality educational opportunities to its female
population.
15.3 Ministry of Education’s Achievements, Goals, Challenges
MoE is making strong commitments towards providing educational opportunities for girls and
women, recognising the need to enrol and retain girls in school. It has espoused a number of
international targets and objectives regarding girls‘ education, including the MDG and Educa-
tion for All goals. In addition, ANDS posits extremely ambitious targets for providing educa-
tion to girls, as does NESP I.
NESP I committed to achieving the following goals by 1389 (2010):
? 60% net enrolment of girls;
? Significantly reduced gender disparities and provincial disparities;
? Set up and operate a fund to promote girls‘ education and to provide approximately 14,000 scholarships
and incentives (during years 1386-1389) for girls from districts with very low girls‘ enrolment to able to
complete Grades 7 – 12;
? Provide incentives to female students in rural districts to complete Grades 10- 12 (60 students from each
of 223 schools at a cost of $8 per month for 9 months);
? Develop and implement a National Communications Strategy for girls‘ education in close consultation
with partners, local and spiritual leaders and communities;
? Collect information on ?best practices‘ and successful results of girls‘ education and disseminate
through local structures and media;
? Provide training to School Advisory/Support Councils on gender and the importance of girls‘ education.
While these goals were challenging but appropriate, no specific plan was formulated for their
achievement. Moreover, many of these goals are spread across a large number of departments
and directorates within MoE. There was neither a single body authorized to ensure their ac-
complishment nor an entity designated to measure performance. The MoE has no department
or directorate dedicated specifically to girls‘ education.
225
Since the education of girls is con-
sidered a cross-cutting issue, to be integrated throughout education service delivery, the need
for a separate unit or entity dedicated to Gender in Education or to Girls‘ Education was not,
until recently, felt to be necessary.
226
15.4 The Situation in 1389 (2010)
Attendance data reveals that of 7 million Afghan children registered in all form of school, 2.5
million or 28% were girls (1389/2009).
227
This represents a 100% increase in girls‘ enrolment,
just in the past four years
228
. But there remains a long road to travel to reach the EFA goal of
gender parity.
Predictably, girls enrolment in school is lowest in the more rural and insecure provinces. Ta-
ble 16 shows the total number of students enrolled in basic education (Grades 1-9) by prov-
225
There was, previously a Gender Advisor to the MoE, but not currently.
226
In recent weeks, there have been high-level ministerial discussions on the need to create a dedicated sector to
Girls Education; it is not yet clear if this would be a Dept., or even Directorate, since discussions and decisions
on this matter are now being formulated.
227
A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges & Priorities. 2010 handbook
publication of the Ministry of Education.
228
World Bank cites 2004 girls enrolment figures in Afghanistan of 839,000 (enrolment in grades 1-12);http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTGENDER/0,,contentMDK:22481910~menuPK:
336874~pagePK:64020865~piPK:149114~theSitePK:336868,00.html
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 91
ince, disaggregated by gender. It also shows the percentages of students enrolled per province
as a proportion of national enrolment.
229
While enrolment for girls in Kabul City comes close to being on par with boys (4 boys: 3
girls), in Helmand boys outnumber girls by 5:1. The provinces with the lowest enrolment of
girls are: Uruzgan, Zabul, Panjshir, Nooristan, Nimroz, Helmand and Paktika. With the ex-
ception of Panjshir, these are provinces in which serious security challenges prevail.
Retention of girls is also a major issue. Enrolment figures drop precipitously after primary
school (Grade 6) and continue to decline throughout secondary school. In 1388 (2009), the
ratio of male to female high school graduates across Afghanistan was more than 3:1 with girls
comprising just 27% of all 12
th
grade graduates.
230
Some of the key reasons why girls‘ attendance drops off so precipitously after primary school
include: lack of female teachers; limited number of girls‘ schools; cultural barriers; safety
issues; security challenges; distance of travel; lack of relevance/ practicality of the curricula;
and lack of flexibility of the educational system.
Lack of Female Teachers
According to MoWA and MoE, the demand for female teachers greatly exceeds the supply.
With so few girls receiving an education during the decades of war and Taliban prohibition,
the country has a dearth of female graduates and skilled female professionals. The situation is
most acute in the remote and conflict prone areas. Since many families will only allow their
daughters to attend girls‘ schools and/or be educated by female teachers, the fact that only
27% of all teachers are female further restricts the access of many girls to educational oppor-
tunities.
231
Some grounds for optimism come from the larger proportion of women currently
training to be teachers in TTCs.
Lack of Girls’ Schools
The number of girls‘ schools, particularly secondary schools, is not nearly enough to meet
demand. This situation cannot change until more female teachers have been trained and are
prepared to teach in challenging areas. Only then can the gap between demand and supply be
diminished. Twenty nine of Afghanistan‘s 415 districts do not have a single girls‘ school on
any level, and more than half do not have a girls‘ secondary school.
232
There is no girls‘ sec-
ondary school in all of Uruzgan province.
229
Table prepared by the Senior Advisor to the Minister for Institutional Capacity Building and Human Re-
sources.
230
A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges & Priorities. 2010 handbook
publication of the Ministry of Education.
231
National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan: 2008 – 2018; Ministry of Women‘s Affairs.
232
Cited in the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan: 2008 – 2018; Ministry of Women‘s Affairs
and by the Director of MoE‘s Teacher Education Programme.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 92
Table 16 Officially Enrolled Students in Basic Education (Government Schools 1388 -2008/9
No
Province
General Education Enrolment Statistics
233
Officially Enrolled Students in Basic Education (Government Schools) in 1388 -2008/9
Male
Students
Male Percentages
(% of total male
students enrolled)
Female
Students
Female
Percentages
(% of total
female students
enrolled)
Total
Number
1 Urozgan 43,654 1.03% 5,510 0.22% 49,164
2 Badghis 61,935 1.46% 25,243 0.99% 87,178
3 Bamyan 62,962 1.48% 46,106 1.82% 109,068
4 Badakhshan 162,009 3.81% 137,995 5.44% 300,004
5 Baghlan 193,901 4.56% 115,790 4.56% 309,691
6 Balkh 244,836 5.76% 176,428 6.95% 421,264
7 Parwan 115,277 2.71% 62,998 2.48% 178,275
8 Paktia 96,980 2.28% 27,439 1.08% 124,419
9 Paktika 73,918 1.74% 21,264 0.84% 95,182
10 Punjsher 20,271 0.48% 13,796 0.54% 34,067
11 Takhar 156,163 3.67% 116,354 4.59% 272,517
12 Jawzjan 86,522 2.03% 53,123 2.09% 139,645
13 Khost 122,587 2.88% 39,806 1.57% 162,393
14 Daikundy 72,417 1.70% 49,992 1.97% 122,409
15 Zabul 51,738 1.22% 7,333 0.29% 59,071
16 Sari Pul 72,535 1.71% 45,292 1.79% 117,827
17 Samangan 58,233 1.37% 31,656 1.25% 89,889
18 Kabul City 440,732 10.36% 343,381 13.53% 784,113
19 Ghazni 198,361 4.66% 92,002 3.63% 290,363
20 Ghor 110,932 2.61% 56,812 2.24% 167,744
21 Faryab 153,150 3.60% 110,999 4.37% 264,149
22 Farah 62,730 1.47% 27,372 1.08% 90,102
23 Kapisa 79,021 1.86% 37,096 1.46% 116,117
24 Kandahar 96,495 2.27% 29,627 1.17% 126,122
25 Kundoz 137,500 3.23% 88,217 3.48% 225,717
26 Kunar 79,859 1.88% 47,428 1.87% 127,287
27 Laghman 80,395 1.89% 51,576 2.03% 131,971
28 Logar 82,292 1.93% 34,963 1.38% 117,255
29 Nangarhar 328,677 7.73% 212,191 8.36% 540,868
30 Nooristan 24,199 0.57% 16,729 0.66% 40,928
31 Nimroz 26,251 0.62% 18,647 0.73% 44,898
32 Herat 326,203 7.67% 281,333 11.09% 607,536
33 Helmand 96,273 2.26% 20,093 0.79% 116,366
34 Wardak 103,239 2.43% 36,345 1.43% 139,584
35 Kabul 130,657 3.07% 56,226 2.22% 186,883
Total 4,252,904.00 100% 2,537,162.00 100% 6,790,066.00
233
From 2009 Report ?Recommendations for Reform Efforts Focusing on Girls’ Education in Afghanistan,
based on the review of Data collected by the Planning Department, Ministry of Education in 1387,? submitted
the MoE Deputy Minister for Education & the Chief of Planning by Senior Advisor to the Minister for Instit u-
tional Capacity Building & Human Resources.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 93
Distance of Travel
The lack of girls‘ schools means weak geographical coverage which inevitably means longer
travel distances to school for girls. In a culture where girls and boys have vastly different
ranges of mobility and freedom, many families are far less likely to let their daughters travel
any significant distance to attend school as compared to similar for their sons.
Security and Safety
Providing for girls‘ safety on the way to school and then within the school campus and in the
classroom requires particular attention because of the cultural aspects regarding protection
and security of girls as an extension of family honour. Perimeter walls are especially impor-
tant in this regard, both to safeguard the girls, to prevent girls from being seen by persons out-
side the school and to protect against potential intruders. However, there are many other secu-
rity-enhancing activities that a responsive community can undertake to increase girls‘ safety
and thereby increase their participation in schooling. The issue of attacks which have occurred
on girls‘ schools is discussed in the preceding section of this report.
Inflexibility of the System
In some provinces and districts, it appears that once class size drops below a certain level, the
class may be dissolved, apparently to conform with a perceived regulation pertaining to
minimum class size. The class is not absorbed into the grade ahead or below since there is
apparently an unrelated regulation prohibiting the mixing of classes. Multi-grade teaching is
not encouraged. In this regard, it is reported that teachers feel bound by their curricula and are
inflexible or incapable of adjusting their teaching standards to incorporate children from an-
other grade. It has been reported to the ESA team that in these cases children are sent home
and told that the school cannot meet their needs. Since girls‘ class size is typically lower than
boys, this practice affects girls more acutely than boys.
234
There are testimonies of teachers
throughout Afghanistan which have described this.
Another area of alleged institutional inflexibility deserving of further exploration is the appar-
ent academic penalization of female students who chose not to attend classes taught by male
teachers. Because of family and cultural constraints, some female students chose not to attend
classes taught by male teachers. This is apparently more prevalent in girls‘ secondary schools
which occasionally employ male teachers to cover shortage subjects. Some students appar-
ently exempt themselves from these classes. Inevitably, they are given poor grades for those
courses, affecting their overall grades and later educational opportunities.
In both of these examples, it is unclear whether the discrimination against girls is regulation
led or practice-bound. Whichever is the case, further exploration of these issues seems war-
ranted and an assessment and potential solutions is needed, if the schools are to be both re-
sponsive and flexible to circumstance, culture and need.
Cultural Issues
In many rural and tribal areas of Afghanistan, girls‘ low school attendance rates are attributed
to cultural barriers. Cultural and economic issues do play an important role in understanding
the seemingly diminished value of education of women. A typical driver for women‘s educa-
tion, globally, is the promise of financial betterment for women and their families. In Af-
ghanistan, however, given the isolation of communities, the cultural values and reliance on
234
Testimony of teachers as reported to the ESA-Team by NGO implementers.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 94
subsistence farming, women‘s education has often held little economic value of potential
added-income. When women do participate in agricultural or other livelihoods activities -
particularly in the rural areas - their contributions are often unpaid
235
. This applies even to
full-time labour. The net result of the low perceived value of women‘s labour means that even
when girls have the possibility to pursue an education, families do not relate education to im-
proved livelihoods.
While cultural factors do play a part, there is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that these
considerations are largely misunderstood and misused. In the more conservative parts of the
country, it is true that there are significant restrictions on the movement of girls and women
and indeed, these constraints do impact on their ability to benefit from learning opportunities.
But all too often, ?culture constraints? are used as a paper tiger for political structures within
communities, providing an easy excuse for inaction. Many testimonies demonstrate that sup-
posed cultural prohibitions can be overcome or even disregarded, if approached in a positive
way, where a ?win-win‘ gain is perceived. For example, it is frequently said that girls cannot
attend school because of prohibitions on girls‘ movement outside the home. While this is par-
tially true, the origin for the prohibition is not so much a restriction on women‘s movement
per se, but more about preserving their safety which is equivocal to family honour. If the risks
to the girls‘ safety are mitigated, then girls are allowed to travel outside the home and to at-
tend school.
The belief that the Taliban were vehemently opposed to girls‘ education is not entirely true.
The Taliban allowed and encouraged girls‘ education if it was Islamic education and if the
education was conducted in a ?safe and secure place,‘ (such as, in the mosque or in the home).
During the Taliban regime, 30,000 – 40,000 girls (albeit out of several million in the popula-
tion) pursued education in mosque- and home-based environments. This involved formal,
secular subjects as well as Islamic learning. As long as these activities were pursued in
mosques and in concert with Islamic learning, girls‘ education was tolerated and even encour-
aged. This demonstrates that even in the most conservative elements of Afghan society, girls
and women can receive an education as long as it is secure and within the context of Islamic
values.
The evidence shows that barriers‘ regarding girls‘ education can often be overcome when
perceived risks are minimized. For example, if the school is close to the centre of town, next
to or located within a mosque, this diminishes the risks associated with travel and safety. If
there is a maharam
236
who can accompany the female family member to and from the school,
this lessens risk. If the teachers are women, this reduces the perceived dangers within the
school. When the school has security features such as perimeter walls and a secured entrance,
this limits access to strangers. There are now many positive examples of Community-Based
Schools and from the EQUIP programme which demonstrate communities‘ ability and com-
mitment to come together in a pro-active way and to create safeguards to protect girls so that
they can pursue educational options.
Early marriage is another constraint to girls‘ schooling. In rural areas, Afghan girls typically
marry before they are of an age to finish secondary school. Generally, as soon as a girl gets
235
This is dependent on location and ownership of the land the woman works on. If the woman works on family-
owned land, or for part of the family-owned business, the man will usually get paid. Often only in cases where
the woman is a widow and the relationship to the business is not familial, then she will get paid.
236
Girls and women are typically allowed to venture outside the family compound, in even the most conservative
of environments, when accompanied by their maharam or chaperone.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 95
married her education stops, since it is expected that she will take on family responsibilities.
This risk can be mitigated through greater public awareness about the value of education.
Public awareness campaigns, when targeted towards the community at large and conducted in
coordination with community and religious leaders have been effective in helping to change
attitudes towards girls‘ education.
Afghans, as is true in many low income countries, typically invest less in the education of
their daughters than in that of their sons. It is understood that boys will grow up and continue
to support their parents. Daughters, on the other hand, are often seen as having a low invest-
ment potential, since they will join their husband‘s family as soon as they are married. Public
awareness campaigns again have an important role to play in changing public perception in
this regard.
In summary, minimizing the risks and engaging communities to commit to girls‘ education
can be done in several ways:
? Providing more mosque-based and home-based schools;
? Implementing public information campaigns about the positive values of girls‘ education; campaigns
which have proven most effective have involved community and religious leaders and propagate educa-
tional ideals in harmonization with Islamic values.
? Exponentially increasing the number of girls‘ schools and the number of female teachers;
? Involving the families in the process such that male family members understand the importance of serv-
ing as maharam (chaperone) to accompany female members to school
237
;
? Ensuring that perimeter walls around girls‘ schools are adequate; (community-led efforts have proven to
be successful in this regard, in places where educational resources are scarce).
? Mitigating distance of travel by providing more schools and more centrally-located schools;
? Ensuring that the curriculum includes study of Islamic values and religious teaching.
15.5 Responding to the Challenges
Recent decisions indicate a strengthening of MoE‘s commitment to girls‘ education. The Min-
istry is currently in the process of creating either a new Department or Directorate devoted to
the education of girls. In addition, it has also just created a Gender Advisory Unit which is
envisioned to serve as an in-house policy advisory board for actualizing girls‘ educational
goals. Seven positions have been approved for the tashkil for this unit. These developments
represent recognition on the part of MoE of the need to achieve more visible and vigorous
progress towards national gender goals.
237
As mentioned, when accompanied by their maharam, women and girls are allowed to travel outside the home.
The issue is providing familial incentive to women‘s education such that the maharam feels responsible to ac-
company female members to and from school, which in many environments is not the case.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 96
15.6 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Extremely high motivation
? International donor communities in favour of
assisting in girls and women‘s education
? MoE commitment to achieving EFA/MDG targets
? CBEs are a proven vehicle for moving girls‘ edu-
cational goals forward
? Economic incentives for girls to pursue education
and for scholarships appear to be achieving suc-
cess
? Positive models found in the EQUIP programme.
? General lack of political will combined w/ capa-
bility to achieve gender parity
? Current concentration of girls‘ schools in urban
areas
? Many women‘s educational and technical voca-
tional skills-building programs not equipping
women with skills relevant to the labour market;
projects running parallel to government structures,
without coordination
? Supply of girls‘ schools and female teachers sig-
nificantly lower than the demand
Opportunities Threats
? High motivation
? Private sector potential
? International donor communities prioritise assist-
ing women‘s education
? Engage whole communities in support for girls in
pursuing their educational ambitions
? Establish tutoring, mentoring and counselling
programs to encourage girls to stay in school
? Enormous long-term labour market implications
? Newly-formed Gender Advisory Unit
? Prioritization of Girls‘ Education as a Dept or
Directorate by the MoE
? Public Awareness campaigns, when involving
religious and community leaders, have had a dis-
tinct positive impact on community acceptance of
girls‘ education.
? General threats due to current insecurity and war.
? Bureaucratic, nepotistic, old fashioned, and ineffi-
cient structures
? Very few women in positions in authority in MoE,
MoHE or MoLSAMD
? Women‘s low status in society continues to be a
barrier to moving gender goals forward
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 97
D Managing Change
The final section of this sector analysis looks at four issues: the financing of the education
sector, the availability and use of data and of knowledge, building capacity, and making aid
work effectively. It does so primarily in relation to MoE. These are important issues in their
own right in taking forward education plans and programmes but they take on added signifi-
cance in the context of MoE‘s intention to gain the endorsement of NESP II by the Education
for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA/FTI) during 1389(2010).
Under FTI‘s current guidelines for the assessment and appraisal of education sector plans,
particular attention is given to resource mobilisation and financial management, including
projected financing gaps over the period of the plan. Second, critical knowledge and data gaps
are identified. Third, the capacity that is available and will be needed to manage the imple-
mentation of the plan will be assessed. Fourth, evidence of coordination, alignment and har-
monisation will be gathered to gauge how aid is working and might work better. It is with
these FTI-related considerations in mind that the following four sections have been devel-
oped. With or without engagement with FTI, each has a crucial role to play in the develop-
ment of the education sector.
16 Financing Education
16.1 Overview
The government budget makes a clear distinction between the Operating Budget which is
largely the recurrent budget, increasingly financed by local revenue and the Development
Budget which is mainly concentrated on capital spending, which is almost entirely financed
by the donor community. There is also an External Budget where donors manage the expen-
diture of additional financing, not always transparently to the local system. This budget is
critical to the development of education in Afghanistan and will be required to remain at a
high level for several years. This budget reflects the substantial commitment of the interna-
tional community to supporting ANDS, the EFA and MDG goals for education, and its con-
tribution to the long term economic growth, social development and stability of Afghanistan
The education sector remains the second largest sector of the operating budget. It received 11
percent of the total development budget for 1388 (2009). MoE dominates the sector: its sala-
ries bill alone is second only to the Defence and Security sector, which for some time will
continue to be the major source of competition for any extra locally generated operating
budget resources. It is presently the largest employer on the budget and is the most pervasive
sector in its reach.
16.2 Operating and Development Budgets
In 1388 (2009), the total funds available to the sector and the level of execution of the on
budget resources are summarised in Table 17 below.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 98
Table 17 Education Sector Finances in 1388 by Ministry: On Budget
OPERATING BUDGET $000 DEVELOPMENT
BUDGET $000
Item 21 Item 22 Item 25 Total
Education Budget 291432.517 23579.05 860.506 315872 196877
Actual 280549 24727 711 305987 80053
Variance 10883 -1147 149 9885 116000
% Spent 96.26 100.04 82.62 96.87 41.00
Higher Education Budget 18710 14233 690 33633 45519
Actual 19936 12391 610 32937 27811
Variance -1226 1842 80 696 17709
% Spent 100.06 87.05 88.04 97.93 61.1
Science Academy Budget 2439 442 22.4 2903.4 936
Actual 2405 441 0.73 2846.73 187
Variance 34 1 21.67 56.67 596
Source: MOF Treasury, Education Sector focal Point. MoLSAMD excluded due to poor data
A notable feature of this table – and one which is important in a planning context – is the sub-
stantial under expenditure in the Development Budget, especially in MoE. Indeed for MoE
this is not a great improvement on 1387 (2008),
238
and suggests that capacity to implement at
project level is still a challenge. For the MoHE the Development Budget performance was
better; 61% of its appropriation of about US$45.5m. This is a marked change over previous
years. Even if the assessment is expenditure against allocation, the performance in MoE is
about 60% with one or two provinces spending over 90% if reports are correct.
239
The appar-
ent overspend in the goods and services item is not considered material.
Beyond assessment of the proportion of expenditure by programme, and some reporting on
activities and staffing levels, the attention paid to the monitoring and evaluation function in
MoE is low in spite of three years of programme budgeting. While attention is given to ?in-
spection? there is a limited results orientation. This is a function of several issues including:
overall weak capacity of staff (especially outside the central core of TA); relatively little pres-
sure from MoF or donors for better quality reports; and slow development of new systems for
changing the nature of information gathering and analysis. Both budgeting and planning are
still largely driven from the centre and there remains some separation between even those two
functions.
16.3 External Budget
The External Budget of the Sector for 1388(2009) is estimated to have been US$203m with
MoE claiming the major share of about US$146m and MoHE a further US$46.3 m as shown
in Table 18. This appears likely to be the pattern for the foreseeable future.
238
In 1387 (2008) MoE spent $64 million of US$149 million or 43%. Spend rose by US$19 million (nominally)
or 29% year on year.
239
These were not able to be reconciled due to pressure on MoE arising from the move from one fiscal year to
the next.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 99
Table 18 Education Sector - External Projects 1388 (2009) (US$000)
Ministry of Education
Construction and School Improvements 40,611
Food Assistance, Construction and Rehabilitation of Primary Schools 31,560
Basic Education 23,135
SCA Education Program 9,093
Community Based Education 6,077
Training Programs 5,103
Vocational Training 4,890
Literacy Programs 4,630
French Language Training 4,270
Primary Education 2,256
Girls Access and Retention in Education 1,710
Books 1,600
Teachers Education 1,247
Other; Scholarships, Education development, Capacity development, Support 9,763
145,945
Ministry of Higher Education
Higher Education Programs 9,534
Design & construction of 16 faculties of Education 8,560
Human Resource capacity of Engineering Education 7,412
Financial Management of American University of Afghanistan 4,417
University Cooperation 3,889
Renovations and construction at Kabul University 3,567
Promoting the civilian sector 1,636
Other: Training Programs, Capacity building, Scholarships 7,254
46,269
Ministry of Information and Culture
Training for Liaison officers 63
Ministry of Public Health
Education planning and Teachers Education 1,856
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
Support to livelihood (Badakhshan province) 300
Basic Education 4,117
4,417
Ministry of Martyrs, Disabled and Social Affairs
Afghan Korea Vocational Training Centre 500
Learning for Community Empowerment Program 1,234
1,734
Science Academy
Research, Archives, Support and promotion of National Archives 891
Administration Reform and Civil Service Commission
Afghan Building Capacity Program 1,907
Grand Total 203,082
Source: Ministry of Finance, Donor Management Unit
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 100
In MoE, the off budget financing of the NESP I was through 21 donor partners (including
ARTF) and 42 implementing partners. According to the recently re-established GMU,
240
do-
nors spent some US$896 million of a NESP I projected US$1.565 billion over the period of
the Plan.
Table 19 Ministry of Education: NESP1 External Budget Plan by Programme
NESP Program Planned Budget (US$) Percentage
General Education 220,836,903 14%
Teacher Education and Working Conditions 161,871,000 10%
Education Infrastructure Development 857,514,991 55%
Curriculum Development and Learning Materials 192,229,606 12%
Islamic Education 24,746,106 2%
Technical and Vocational Education and Training 15,749,400 1%
Literacy and Non-formal Education 45,980,050 3%
Education Administration Reform and Development 46,216,646 3%
Total 1,565,144,702 100%
Source: MoE Grants Management Unit
Table 20 Ministry of Education NESP1 External Budget Funding By Programme (Actual)
NESP Program Confirmed Budget Percentage
General Education 200,958,917 22%
Teacher Education and Working Conditions 118,713,894 13%
Education Infrastructure Development 453,046,688 51%
Curriculum Development and Learning Materials 50,681,791 6%
Islamic Education 556,696 0%
Technical and Vocational Education and Training 15,209,601 2%
Literacy and Non-formal Education 44,468,492 5%
Education Administration Reform and Development 12,451,930 1%
Total 896,088,010 100%
Source: MoE Grants Management Unit
In broad terms, the priority weighting of the Ministry as suggested in Table 19 is reflected in
the funds allocation by donors, as indicated in Table 20, with the exception of Islamic Educa-
tion. This substantially meets one of the stated government and MoE goals that donor financ-
ing be aligned to MoE priorities.
It is expected that donors will continue to fund somewhat less than NESP II suggests is the
full unfunded financial requirement. In any case there is some doubt that the system has the
ability to absorb the investment, and if the persistent under spending on the Development
Budget is not turned around it will be some time before more external budget transfers to di-
rect Afghan control on the development budget occur. See the later discussion on the MTEF
for the on budget and off budget estimates and forecasts to 1391(2012). Clearly, the donor
coordination task in MoE is substantial; the work of both the GMU and HRDB reflect this,
and are sensible vehicles to start to address the issue.
240
The unit was established in 1385(2006) and disbanded in 1387(2008). It was re-established by the current Minister.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 101
16.4 Revenue
The government set a goal of fiscal sustainability (100% financing of annual operating costs
in the budget from local revenue) by 1392 (2013). For 1388 (2009), the indications are that
local revenue will slightly exceed target.
241
Projections for the future are for rising receipts
but, due mainly to increasing demands in the Security sector as well as Education, this does
not necessarily equate to improved fiscal sustainability in the near term. The 1392(2013) tar-
get looks unlikely to be reached. Education salary budgets will therefore be dependent on con-
tinued donor financing of the operating budget. More worryingly from a service delivery and
support perspective, non-salary operating costs are likely to continue to be constrained. This
will severely constrain achieving quality improvement objectives, Monitoring and Evaluation,
and general service delivery, unless donors move to fill the gap.
MoE does not raise significant revenue for its own purposes and in any case the budget regu-
lations require all such revenue to be returned to Consolidated Revenue. This is a significant
emerging issue for the MoHE and the Universities which see opportunities for charging for
some services (particularly night courses and some specialist or postgraduate classes). In the
view of MoHE the return of fees and charges to Consolidated Revenue diminishes incentives
as well as opportunity to move more quickly down the quality education path. MoE has ex-
pressed no intention to explore this avenue, presumably also, because the collections accrue
directly to the Treasury single account.
In a weak system, however, it is understandable that there is some reluctance on this issue
from the Finance Ministry. As the overall system, and perhaps the gradual move towards sec-
tor wide approaches mature, this might be considered more actively. There are signs of de-
mand for some of the likely chargeable services and if they are currently being met, for exam-
ple, by students going to other countries, then there could be an opportunity cost as well in not
considering how to make user charging work for some parts of the Higher Education sub-
sector. User charging is not advocated for primary and secondary schools in the government
sector, as it is contrary to the Constitution, although there is some community willingness to
contribute in cash and kind through School Management Committees or PTAs.
Sector wide, financing of Education in Afghanistan therefore continues to be a challenge. In-
creasing security costs look set to remain a high priority and the main competition for any
additional resources. At the margin, donor and Ministry objectives may differ but the pattern
noted above suggests this is not a major diversion. The risk is that donors will shift to other
sectors. The case is made for sector wide approaches where donor financing is predominant
(as it is in Afghanistan) on the grounds, inter alia, of improved aid effectiveness; better
alignment of financial and strategic plans; greater cohesion between components of the sector;
improved governance and institutional strengthening. There are incentives for both the gov-
ernment and donors and some risks, particularly as responsibility and financial management
and allocation in particular pass onto indigenous and often immature management systems.
These have been widely canvassed and continue to be discussed.
242
See the section D.4 on
aid.
241
At time of writing the last formally available report was for Q2 1388(2009) Fiscal Bulletin, MoF
242
See, among other sources, Jensen, P; Sector Wide Approach: Assessment of the Suitability and
Readiness of SWAp Development Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase I Final Version
9 September 2009 and Jensen, P; Sector Wide Approach: Assessment of the Suitability and
Readiness of SWAp Development Assistance for Afghanistan– Phase I Final Version. 9 September 2009 and
Venner, M: Public Expenditure Review: Afghanistan Education Sector Public Expenditure Review, Mar 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 102
16.5 Financing the Plan
Table 21 summarises the estimated cost by MoE of the NESP2 in the May version.
Table 21 Summary NESP II Budget Requirement Estimate (US$ million)
Operating Development Total
1389 513.65 738.37 1252.02
1390 695.71 769.86 1465.57
1391 840.39 861.48 1701.88
1392 1005.53 923.11 1928.64
1393 1181.75 930.82 2112.58
Total 4237.03 4223.65 8460.68
Source: MOE Budget Planning Directorate Exchange Rate Afs50= $1.
This estimate is supported by extensive tables developed by MoE, incorporating among other
things annual inflation figures agreed with the MoF and baseline teacher numbers also agreed
with the MoF and reflected in the budget. Thereafter, however, many of the assumptions
about growth are drawn from within the Planning Directorate or use assumptions about class
sizes and pupil/teacher ratios (for example) that may not be agreed with external parties and
impose considerable pressure on the system. Estimates of the numbers of teachers to be re-
cruited are generally above those incorporated in the current budget forecasts for 1389-
1393(2010-2014) and when taken together with the intention to increase the proportion of
post high school qualified teachers for example, do not rely on any apparent assessment of the
capacity of Teacher Training Colleges or the Universities
243
to meet those targets. Data that
would support a testing of the assumptions are not yet available although in one interview at a
teacher training college it was suggested that the number of graduates of the college who went
into teaching was fewer than 20%, with 5% possibly going on to university. The reason given
was that most graduates went into the private or NGO sectors at higher rates of pay.
For the purposes of this analysis chapter Table 22 is taken as an assessment of the scope of
NESP II as produced, unconstrained by the availability of resources or capacity limitations. If
there is an application for membership of the FTI it is assumed these details would be sub-
jected to more detailed scrutiny. On this assessment there were one or two minor calculating
errors detected (that if rectified would marginally increase the estimated costs) but in the time
available the full background material was not subjected to any rigorous testing or sensitivity
analysis in part because of some of the limitations inferred in the preceding paragraphs.
– Phase Ii Final Version. 9 September 2009 and Venner, M: Public Expenditure Review: Afghanistan Education
Sector Public Expenditure Review, Mar 2009.
243
Unlike the MoHe Strategic Plan there is no real discussion of the links between the two Ministries and the connections
between some of their larger goals as reflected in ANDS or the MDG targets.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 103
Table 22 MoE NESP II Estimated Costs Compared to Budget Plans
Ministry of Education Budget Proposal versus Budget MTEF Plan and NESP2 (US$000)
1389 1390 1391 Total
Op Dev Total Op Dev Total Op Dev Total Op Dev Total
NESP
518.80
716.04
1,234.84
674.5
746.36
1,420.86
804.06
746.36
1,550.42
1,997.36
2,208.76
4,206.12
Re-
quest
506.26
681.21
1,187.47
516.60
751.04
1,267.63
522.16
792.28
1,314.44
1,545.01
2,224.53
3,769.55
Agreed
360.50
175.04
535.54
516.60
192.98
709.58
522.16
202.63
724.78
1,399.26
570.65
1,969.90
Exter-
nal
Budget
269.29
136.06
102.02
507.37
Poten-
tial
Funds
804.83
845.64
826.80
2477.27
Gap
430.01
575.22
723.62
1728.85
Notes
1. Request is initial budget request to MoF in budget cycle. Some front end reductions were made to NESP bid by Committee
in MoE.
2. Agreed is what was submitted to Parliament for approval in agreement with MoF.
3. External Budget 1389 source MoF GMU with non assigned sums allocated to MOE. 1390 and 1391 from MoF GMU
Predictability Table.
4. Exchange rate for NESP $US1= Afs 50 (NESP) used in initial assessment by BPU. Exch Rate for budget $US1=Afs48.5
(budget basis).
5. Primary Source: Budget Planning Unit, MoE
In Afghanistan one of the main issues is the alignment between plans and available resources.
It is clear that at present the budget and strategic plans are currently poorly aligned and there
is little evidence of timely recognition of this fact in preparation of annual operating plans or
evaluating the impact on the NESP II intentions. During the cost review carried out there were
several versions of figures for NESP II due to some continued review. Figures presented in
Table 22 are the best available at the time of writing.
16.6 Ministry of Higher Education
The MoHE has prepared a Strategic Plan for the next five years that is highly reliant on the
donor community for achievement, including for Master‘s and PhD training as well as capital
works such as upgrading buildings, expansion to accommodate new students and the move to
Community Colleges. The operating budget is assumed to cover wages and salaries with vir-
tually no minor capital and only small amounts of goods and services expenditure. The MoF
?Predictability of ODA Table? currently indicates expected levels of commitment over the
MTEF period to 1391(2012) (half which could be the contribution to the AUA). This is
summarised in Table 23. The Operating Costs budget was not finalised at the time of writing.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 104
Table 23 Summary MoHE Strategic Plan Estimates US$m
Dev Total Predicted
1389 20.86 20.86 11.57
1390 45.73 45.73 11.38
1391 144.03 144.03 5.08
1392 161.60 161.60
1393 192.14 192.14
Total 564.35 564.35 28.03
Sources: 1 MoHE Strategic Plan, 2. MoF "Predictability Table"
16.7 Financial Management and Governance in MoE
Service delivery in MoE is very highly dispersed but strategic and budget planning are very
highly centralised. Budget execution also is largely driven by centrally determined priorities.
Effective financing (that is achieving the desired results with the resources available) will only
be achieved if there is a sound support network at provincial level and below and some realis-
tic plans related to the available resources. In principle the same applies to MoHE and any
Ministry with a regional presence. The Government‘s shift towards results based manage-
ment (RBM – Textbox 17) is intended to move the focus of budget implementation to the
monitoring of outputs achieved by budgetary funding; with less of a focus on budget execu-
tion although in the short term execution looks likely to be a focal point in the annual budget
cycle
244
. While the central part of MoE is likely to cope with this next step, even with the pro-
gress to date, it is weak at the provincial level for management of this complexity and the pool
of talent to address this is exhausted. The same issue was suggested as a challenge for the
MoHE, even though it is relatively compact. In part this problem could be addressed by ex-
tensive technical assistants (TA) but at time of writing that has not been provided.
Textbox 17 Result Based Management
Budget planning has developed over several years but is still beset by short term interests crowding out the
medium to longer term (in spite of the commitment to the MTEF model). Ministries still complain of short
notice from MoF on budget preparation guidelines. But the 1390 First Circular is likely to be issued before the
end of Hamal (late April). This makes for a very long budget planning and preparation cycle but as it is driven
by moves to take next steps on the links between Strategic Plans and the annual budget and monitoring cycle,
there may be some improvements. Selected Ministries including both MoE and MoHE and the rest of the sector
Ministries, will be developing the 1390 budget in accordance with the principles of Results Based Management
(RBM). This is an ambitious next step and may well be premature as the base from which Ministries are mov-
ing is quite low.
Ministries will be forced under RBM to think more about the results they achieve (from available resources)
against Strategic and Annual goals. This will require more attention to annual operational plans as Ministries
have to think about the activities to achieve results. While both MoE and MoHE have made some ground on
this aspect through their approaches to detailed costing, it is likely that a different mindset will be required.
RBM is in its early stages. It will take years to yield real benefit – let alone allocations based on results – but on
balance it is recommended that MoE and MoHE engage fully in the process from the outset. Education is con-
sidered one of the better equipped Ministries to take this step. As long as the logical framework remains tied to
the Budget and all other parts of the planning architecture are aligned, the investment should be worth making.
MoE may need to consider some aspects of it approach to funds allocation and allotment, to reap full benefits.
There is potential for some sub programme changes, such as making clear distinctions between the primary and
secondary components of General Education, which have been resisted in MoE.
244
This may still be appropriate in the current stage of management capacity even if the plans from the centre are for faster
progress towards results based management.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 105
Another success factor for effective management of (on budget) finances is the pace at which
MoF, through the Moustufiats, embraces adequate systems and supports the client Ministries.
Good progress in moving AFMIS out to the provinces is evident, but there are at least anecdo-
tal suggestions that the process still involves a large number of players in actually delivering
the financing for delivery of services at the provincial and school levels, particularly in the
Development Budget. This added complexity of process does not necessarily reduce fiduci-
ary risk and slows down funds release and execution. There is a pervasive view in Mous-
tufiats that the Ministries are as yet poorly equipped to work with the new system. There is
evidence for this view in the provinces visited, where the overall procurement process is
clearly struggling. Finance however does not seem to think it has an institutional responsibil-
ity to assist line Ministries through training and it remains inflexible to the point of being un-
cooperative in some places. The late passage of the Budget has already more or less guaran-
teed the problems will persist in 1389 (2010), even though in principle this should not be the
case.
In the medium to long term, planned school construction will impose a significant strain on
the operating budget as the costs of maintenance and equipping of schools flow through. MoE
has based its five year plan operating costs budget on the assumption that non salaries compo-
nents of the operating budget will grow from about 13% of the operating budget in 1387 to
about 25% of the operating budget in 1393 and some of the sub goals for the Management
programme reflect this. This is not yet agreed with MoF but is a proxy for the likely outer
limit of costs in this part of the budget. There is some evidence already that the school-based
grants are losing their attraction due to highly bureaucratic management demands and some
perceived unreliability of the funds stream. The medium-term outlook is for continued imbal-
ance between salaries and operating costs. This is destructive of efforts to improve quality in
particular.
The Budget Planning and Expenditure Tracking (BPET) system is a potentially powerful fi-
nancial management tool, and if properly managed should help the ministry greatly improve
the management of its finances. It is still, however, limited to four Ministries, of which MoE
is one, and then only to their central offices. This is likely to persist for some time and rein-
force the centralisation of management information to the relative disadvantage of the provin-
cial and lower levels of MoE. BPET reports at quite detailed level by project code, program,
down to sub component level and location code. It is understood that recent Expenditure
Status Reports prepared by MoE for one donor have been assessed as satisfactory. This is
good progress in the last 12 months.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 106
Textbox 18 Challenges for Grants Management and Performance Assessment
The Ministry of Education in particular has a highly ambitious Strategic Plan for the next four years. In the past
four years it did not achieve expenditure of 50 % of the donor financed Development Budget and only slightly
better proportions of the allotted funds. (It is also likely that donors off budget disbursed only about 50% of
their commitment in 1389.)
According to the 1389 budget proposal from the Ministry, about 57% of the proposed Development Budget
remains unfunded. The GMU therefore has a substantial task in mobilising resources to align with Ministry
priorities. The Unit was disbanded for 12 months was re-established under the current Minister, but separated
from its previous connection with the planning department. In MOE there are over 20 donors and 40 imple-
menting partners and internal coordination is through the Education Management Board with the GMU as the
main proposal writer (working with Working Groups of the Ministry). This is a complex coordination task for
all players including donors, MoE and MoF.
The language and discussion in GMU‘s interface with donors and internal clients are activity rather than per-
formance based. Results are still mainly measured in expenditure terms. Some other challenges identified are:
• Lack of updated tracking systems to verify the donors‘ investment on educational activities.
• Limited and unverified data existence in GMU from past.
• Data collected manually and thus needs verification and proper updating.
• Cooperation issues and familiarity with new systems among MoE civil servants
• The DAD (Donors Assistance Database) is not properly updated, nor does it serve different purposes
that are important for tracking donor investment on education in Afghanistan
Brief discussions with MoHE and MOLSAMD suggest that their capacity for donor interaction on external
budget is also a challenge although the latter only appears to have two projects.
16.8 Procurement
Procurement is the means by which effective and timely expenditure of the non-salaries part
of the annual budget is carried out. The Procurement Law is a critical part of the overall fi-
nancial governance framework and codifies the procedures for spending public money. The
procedures under the law provide a common basis for the purchase of all goods and services
financed by the operating and development budget. Procurement for all goods and services in
the sector is carried out under the provisions of the Procurement Law 2008 which was
amended in 1389 (009) (Textbox 19).
Among other things good procurement process should include annual procurement plans re-
lated to the annual budget as well as being consistent with the Strategic Plan of MoE and pro-
vide a basis for timely and proper acquisition of goods and services and sound budget execu-
tion. The continuing low expenditure rates and high levels of carry forward in MoE (and the
recent surge in MoHE), are an indicator of weak capacity and that operationalisation of plans
is not well done. It is also important as it is an indicator of the progress of the complex and
ambitious planning architecture, based on sound principles, that has begun in Afghanistan.
MoE might consider pressing itself to complete its sound planning and implementation strate-
gies, as a preamble for FTI after which it may be in a better position to absorb the strategic
and technical support that might be provided.
Further, the low expenditure leads to concerns about poor governance and accountability re-
lating to public expenditures. This is one of the main reasons for the large share of donor as-
sistance channelled through the external budget as donors seek to bypass weak government
systems and deliver resources to projects and programs directly, outside of the core budget.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 107
Textbox 19 The Status Quo in Procurement
The 1389 Budget was again delayed in its passage through the Parliament and formal signing off by the Presi-
dent. By mid Saur (second month) no formal allocations had been entered into the BPET, meaning that no
perceived capacity for commencement of major procurements existed. At least in MoE, no action had started
on making annual plans until six weeks into the fiscal year. Not one proposal or procurement plan had been
submitted to the Procurement Directorate at the time of writing. On three provincial visits, not one provincial
director or finance manager had any knowledge of their 1389 operating or development budget and no salary
payments for Hamal had been made by 4 May, in spite of AFMIS being loaded with the necessary data and
allocations. This may be because line Ministries did not advise the provinces of the AFMIS allocation. (It is
possible in some cases DAB did not move cash through the system.)
Late passage of the budget is anticipated in the Public Financial Management Law, which enables the Ministry
of Finance to issue financial cover to 15
th
Hamal to Ministries for operating costs and development budget to
the extent of one twelfth of the previous year‘s expenditure. This was done, but not until late Hamal for 1389.
There is not yet a procurement plan for 1389 in MoE.
Ministries have a reasonable certainty of the final budget up to two months prior to the commencement of a new
fiscal year and could at that time begin the process of developing quite firm annual and procurement plans. This
is not done. As a result not one office contacted had submitted any form of procurement or financial plan to the
centre and no preparations had been made to begin the preparation of a procurement plan or contract prepara-
tions. This will mean that in the 1389 year not one new project will make it to contract stage within the first half
of the fiscal year. As a result most new construction projects will not commence before winter and little of the
US$86 million of new money will be spent in 1389.
It is likely also that large amounts of the carry forward budget will similarly not be brought to contract in a
timely manner. This is a considerable weakness in management and execution of the plan.
Apart from addressing the heavy financial costs of corruption and leakage of public funds
and, thus, poor results and lowered effectiveness, improving public expenditure governance is
also a key prerequisite for donors to shift from the external budget to the core budget. This is
a priority objective of the government.
Table 24 Development Expenditure in MoE by Programme for 1388 (AFMIS) (US$M)
NESP Programme Budget Actual Variance %Spent
General Education 23.1 12.4 10.7 54
Teacher Education 47.1 10.2 37.0 22
Infrastructure 62.8 34.2 28.6 54
Curriculum Development 20.0 8.7 11.3 44
Islamic Education 3.5 0.5 3.0 15
TVET 16.6 5.4 11.3 32
Literacy 5.3 3.2 2.1 60
Education Management 15.1 9.4 5.7 62
Grand Total 193.6 83.9 109.6 43
The most commonly advanced reasons for under achievement of expenditure related to strate-
gic or other plans include the following:
? Weak budget formulation and coordination with purchase plans
o As noted above this is a serious problem and although it is being addressed in the centre, visits
to Provinces suggest extremely weak capacity and very weak links to budgets. Most plans ap-
pear to be top down.
o Budget proposals over-estimate the capacity to implement them and are not sufficiently rigor-
ously screened within the Ministry before submission to MoF.
o In the Ministry of Education one problem is probably the sheer number of contracts that have
to be arranged, unlike the Ministry of Higher Education, which has a relatively small number
of large capital projects (several of which took over three years from concept and finance ap-
proval to budget execution).
? Complexity of procurement rules
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 108
o This was a problem in 1387(2008) when three versions of the Procurement Law were passed.
o There are high levels of requests for better documentation from MoF; high levels of extension
of contracts by MoF; long delays in processing bids, possibly due to a large number of ?ap-
proval? points; and inability to attract qualified bidders. (Prequalification is not permitted un-
der the Procurement Law.)
o The Provincial Governors‘ offices and possibly the Ministry of Economy both create additional
choke points.
? Technical assessments are performed after the contract has been awarded.
? Late approval of the budget by parliament or slow and unpredictable allocation of funds.
o As noted in the opening box this is likely to be suggested again in 1389(2010), even though the
Budget Law provides a mechanism for providing allotments if the Parliament delays the budget
approval.
? Approval for carry forward acquisitions from the previous year took 3 months.
o This was due in large part to the method of submission having being annexed to the budget
submission instead of inclusive. It should not reoccur in 1389(2010).
? Donors impose another layer of process requirements or are unpredictable in their cash release.
o This is reasonably based but the overall capacity constraints in the Ministries may mean the
impact of this is magnified.
o Some donors‘ own budget rules may intrude and magnify the size of the problem. It has been
pointed out that on some occasions, multi-year funding has been disbursed in a single year.
? Multiyear projects are fully appropriated in a single year, this guaranteeing there will be a series of
carry forwards, even if the contract is finalised and construction commences in the first year
Textbox 20 Challenges for Procurement
There was insufficient time to review this area in the detail that appears necessary. Indications are of dysfunc-
tion as well as low capacity across the board.
Mustufiats claim line Ministries are in error but may well be acting to prevent expenditure. They do not see
themselves as facilitators on the evidence of three provincial visits.
Value for money procurement takes second place to lowest price and pre-qualification of bidders is not under-
taken.
Many contracts are for multiple years and financing from both the budget and donor sources may be subject to
different rules and timing. Apart from making procurement more complex this almost certainly places demands
on contract managers who are ill prepared for the task. Financial scheduling in contracts is poorly understood at
several levels and the number of participants leads to project delays. Performance standards in contracting may
not be enforced (on the evidence of one province and some 30 projects).
16.9 AFMIS, the Ministry of Finance and Procurement
AFMIS is a fairly robust system and as it is increasingly rolled out to Provincial and Regional
level that should help with more timely disbursements. That depends however on the capacity
in Moustufiats as well as line Ministries. If MoE in particular were to get its wish for greater
levels of Operating Cost budget being allocated to both Goods and Services and Investment
codes, then AFMIS should be able to cope and match greater management decentralisation in
MoE. In addition the MoE might examine the potential to allocate to lower levels and along
provincial lines rather than holding at central levels of programmes as a means of expediting
payment and potentially improving overall procurement results.
In addition, MoF might consider reducing the number of signatures that are required for pay-
ment, especially for those outside the Ministry chain of management. According to some dis-
cussions, up to 25 signatures have been ?required? to move from approval to acquittal. This
appears at odds with Treasury requirements. It adds nothing to the basic requirements for pru-
dence. Indeed it may act to pervert the standards. MoF should review its procedures and align
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 109
them more closely with the Treasury guidance. This might also include providing allocations
prior to contracting.
AFMIS may have some minor technical issues in relation to processing Development Budget
payments that do create another bottleneck and require paper based work-arounds within the
process. If so, the opportunity presented by a review of AFMIS to investigate any potential
changes arising from the Cluster alignments following the London Conference and the possi-
ble drilling down to test for any provincial differences in expenditure patterns may help find
and solve some problems. This will be led from the MoF.
MoF at the provincial level consistently expressed the view that Ministries are weak in man-
agement and error rates in preparing documentation are high. They do not, however, seem to
see a role for themselves in providing training on the effective execution of their own rules
and procedures or the use of their systems.
For their part, the provincial offices of line agencies persistently refer to the obduracy of
Moustufiats and delays in processing even properly prepared documentation. There appears to
be some truth to this attitude and one Governor‘s office made the same suggestion. At all Pro-
vincial meetings it became clear that Governors‘ offices are part of the chain of assessment
and approval of virtually all procurement actions. At the least this adds another layer of bu-
reaucracy and potentially competing interests to the process.
16.10 Procurement and Planning
As a highly dispersed Ministry it is intuitively attractive to aim for decentralised management
of the procurement process. This is in the MoE plans. Threshold limits for local procurement
rules have been increased which should support that strategy and AFMIS expansion to the
provincial level should provide some support for the expenditure component. There are how-
ever several challenges which should be taken into account when developing the procurement
plans and the pace at which decentralisation proceeds:
? Programmes and their components still operate as information silos with weak coordination and contin-
ued short term focus.
? Operational planning should be more anchored in what can be achieved with the resources available
(and for which there is a reasonable degree of confidence through the MTEF aspects of the budget) as
well as maintaining or increasing the current levels of external budget financing.
? Continuing to develop the links between the various elements of the planning, budgeting, procurement,
accounting and reporting sections is a critical success factor for achievement of the programme budget
and strategic planning objectives.
? Building capacity through improved use of linked computers (and improved communication generally)
and more effective skills transfer from TA to local operations is required.
245
? Reviewing the process to reduce the number of ?checkpoints? involved on the way to approval of pro-
jects. Some of these checkpoints are outside the structure of MoE and it is not clear what value is added
by their engagement.
16.11 Internal Audit
The internal audit function in MoE (Textbox 21) is assessed as very weak at this stage al-
though there is a small group who would benefit from close development support. Most of
245
This is a challenge of some magnitude. Anecdotal evidence is that the qualified labour pool for the appropriate skills is
severely stressed and is exacerbated by differential pay levels between agencies, (including external competitors) among
other things. This means that civil service is not able to attract and retain required skills and the system‘s ability to develop
them remains very restricted.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 110
the longer term personnel are from a background of inspection/compliance audits based on
paper trails and process observance and few if any of this group has tertiary qualifications.
There are very few computers among the 60 or so staff and ability to use them for systems
based auditing is assessed as minimal. It is clear that some records and reports are being de-
veloped and maintained electronically but most action is still paper based.
All current staff are in Kabul and any regional audits are carried out by two auditors travelling
to the regions. The operating costs budget to support this way of working could not estab-
lished; the Chief Internal Auditor could not say how much if any budget he expected for
1389(2010) from what he submitted in the budget process, although as the budget has not
been passed through the Parliament there have not been any allocations made to this level
Intensive TA support of the past two years was withdrawn in November 2009. While it was
there it appears there was essentially a parallel organisation structure with 11 people in the
HQ and one in each of the 34 provinces. In several discussions it was difficult to establish
what the relationship was between the temporary and better rewarded TA team and the per-
manent civil service staff. With one or two exceptions there appears to have been very little
skill transfer or mentoring. This phenomenon was observed also in the Construction Depart-
ment where there were 162 engineers until November 2009, of whom not one is known to be
still working in the government.
Textbox 21 Internal Audit Status Quo
MoE has established an Internal Audit in the new Tashkil, with an approved staffing level of 60 personnel. In
the structure it reports directly to the Minister, an important aspect of governance.
The Chief Internal Auditor is a recent appointee with a background as a prosecutor. He described a process in
which annual audit plans are established and endorsed by the Minister and agreed with the Control and Audit
Office (which also seems to undertake some audits of areas of the Ministry).
Focus in the past two years seems to have been on compliance audits and ?inspection? and all performance
measures referred to in discussion were related to finding cases of fraud and recovering funds from these find-
ings to the Ministry‘s budget. In the provided copy of a performance report on the IA Department there was
emphasis on reduction of fraud and related behaviours as well as processing load indicators.
? Some 286 people were reported as having been dealt with for a variety of offences and over 2.5 million
Afs identified as recoverable to the budget.
? 54 cases (including 34 for embezzlement or related matters) were referred to the Attorney General for
action
? 26 letters of thanks or commendation
The Chief Internal Auditor claimed that the office also signs off on Ministry Annual accounts although that has
not been confirmed. An annual audit plan for 1389(2010) is apparently awaiting approval of the Minister.
There is fair understanding of the Audit Law and governance structure (including the role of the CAO and IN-
TOSAI) but modern audit and performance audit concepts were less well articulated. There is a strong empha-
sis on anti-corruption in the outline provided by the Chief Internal Auditor.
For two years to the end of 1388(2009) the MoE had 45 TA personnel supplied under the provisions of the
CDP, none of whom are now available to the Unit due to the completion of the CDP. Some equipment and a
number of files were transferred to the Internal Audit unit but it is not well equipped to move in the direction of
modern audit practice especially performance audits. There is no provincial internal audit representation in the
Ministry since the removal of the TA positions.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 111
16.12 Other Challenges for Internal Audit
Internal Audit skills requirements are unlikely to be met for some time from the local labour
market even after pay and grading transfers are completed. The skills are in short supply and
the salaries are not competitive for other than a few new graduates. This could compromise
both capacity building and integrity of process and was a focal point for the Chief Internal
Auditor. An active training and mentoring program should be considered even if the risk is
that some better trained staff will then move on to better remunerated positions outside the
government.
There is international pressure for Afghanistan to adopt ?good international practice? in audit-
ing on a government wide level and the Government has committed previously to greater
transparency overall in government. The overall legal framework for financial and govern-
ance integrity set out through the Budget Law, Procurement Law, Audit Law and Treasury
Regulations is a package. The Strategic Planning architecture with medium term strategic
plans and annual operating plans is complex but all part of the whole. Eventually this will
lead to audits moving from compliance audit to value for money and performance auditing,
eventually utilising systems approaches. This is likely to be a very long term transition.
There are well based reservations about the capacity of the Internal Audit function to contrib-
ute to governance and management reforms in MoE in the near term. It is unlikely that it will
provide any meaningful contribution to the realization of the NESP II goals for the Education
Management Programme 5 (in NESP II) without intense and sustained assistance. This has
been recognized by MoE in its proposal for new TA positions – and by the Chief Internal
Auditor - but consideration should be given to embedded international direct technical advice
and training being sought, for some time. There is virtually no allocation of operating expen-
diture to support the existing vestigial capacity in its inspection related functions.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 112
16.13 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Soundly based budget process that can be
used as a driver for general performance re-
lated reforms over time for the whole sector
using common approaches.
? Central finance system and rule set (includ-
ing Treasury Regulations, procurement law
and accountability framework) is conceptu-
ally robust if universally and sensibly ap-
plied.
? Core of technically competent people at the
centre of the organisation.
? Regular financial reporting is becoming
entrenched at HQ level and some provinces
are reporting on finances, other resources
and activities at least in MoE. BPET report-
ing to donors has begun.
? Good relations with the MoF and donors
engaged in Education (and apparently
MoHE) at central level.
? International donor community is committed
to education as a high priority for investment
and support over the long term with MDGs
as a focus.
? NESP2 marks evolutionary progress from
NESP1 and MoHE Strategic Plan is basis for
future progress.
? HRDB appears a soundly based forum for
addressing coordination matters and some
provinces have put in place effective coordi-
nation structures
? Potential for information systems to begin to
be more effective in assessing performance
and lead to performance based decision mak-
ing (by end of NESP2).
? Internal competition in MoE does not aid coherent policy
development or collegial priority setting.
? Beyond the centre and some provincial offices there are
low levels of understanding of the overall performance
and financial architecture and focus only on very short
term and activity based measures.
? Procurement of capital works is ponderous, over bureau-
cratic and engages too many participants with competing
interests. Possible that donors are adding to the complex-
ity.
? Weak links between Strategic Plan and fiscal outlook (in
both MoE and MoHE) with little recognition of the reality
of fiscal constraints.
? MOLSAMD is weak in policy and technical requirements
and strategic plan.
? Sector participants do not easily coalesce and are in com-
petition within sector as well as for particular skills and
resources.
? MoF at provincial level seems to be imposing road blocks
on cash release and creating uncertainty thus exacerbating
procurement weaknesses.
? Donor coordination (and the mechanisms to address the
issue) imposes high workloads on few people and adds
complexity thus exacerbating capacity constraints.
? Top down management does not facilitate good commu-
nication and understanding between central and provin-
cial offices.
Opportunities Threats
? Stable and energetic core technocratic base
can provide direction to any additional TA
? MoE is regarded as relatively good per-
former in planning and likely to adapt to new
budget strategy at least at the centre.
? MoHE Strategic Plan focus on quality and
some links to MoE a basis for better coop-
eration and planning
? Results Based Management led by MoF may
facilitate shift from activity based planning
and monitoring to results and quality as-
sessments, if linked to plans from the outset.
? Fiscal sustainability is delayed and Security takes priority
for local financing thus substantially constraining operat-
ing budget in both salaries and operating costs. This will
substantially hold back true performance assessment and
quality growth.
? Competition for off budget financing could increase with
MRRD, Agriculture and Infrastructure as likely growth
areas.
? Inability to spend current budget will delay shift to on
budget expenditure and may place cap on growth of
available funds in the short term.
? Complexity of central systems imposes stress on limited
managerial competence across the board. RBM may be in
this category in the short term.
? Most Ministries cannot implement plans without substan-
tial and sustained injections of donor finance
? The core management group may be overwhelmed with
additional duties
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 113
17 Knowledge and Data
Good policies, plans and programmes need to be grounded in authoritative monitoring,
evaluation and research and to be strongly informed by reliable and timely educational data.
As with so many things in the education sector in Afghanistan, data collection has had to start
afresh, from a very low baseline. But in 1389 (2010) it is evident that the importance of good
data for policy development is clearly understood in the MoE, most obviously in the General
Directorate of Planning and Evaluation and in its EMIS Department.
246
One clear signal of the
progress that has been made in a relatively short time is that unlike NESP I, NESP II has been
able to draw on data held by EMIS.
247
There is also evidence of growing good practice in
other parts of the central Ministry, for example, in the development of a teacher education
data base which will be linked to EMIS. And EMIS is becoming better at being more respon-
sive to requests for data within government and from donor agencies.
248
17.1 School Surveys and Annual Reports
Data on the performance of students and their schools is obviously critical if policies and
plans are to be based on reality rather than theory. In this regard, important advances have
been made in the past four years in developing a systematic approach to surveying schools
and other educational institutions that fall under the aegis of MoE. One important product of
this process is the issue since 1386 (2007) of an Annual Education Summary Report.
The present process of collecting the data directly from schools has some strengths and a
number of weaknesses. It is a strength that a large number of people in the system are trained,
directly involved and made aware of the importance of school level data. Over 11,000 head
teachers who complete the data collection forms, up to 200 survey teams, 34 supervisory
teams and at least 400 District education officials all play their part. On the other hand this is
a highly labour intensive paper-based activity prone to a high margin of error in the collection
and transcription of data.
It is a strength, too, that the school survey is recognised now as an annual audit; conversely it
is a weakness, as yet, that schools do not get direct feedback on their situation and perform-
ance relative to other schools and other Districts, nor can they access the completed annual
reports on CD or on-line, which is now commonplace in many countries.
There are broader constraints on the process too. The security situation, the remoteness of
many schools and the differential levels of efficiency in collecting and collating data across
the country, meant that 600 schools could not be visited in 1386(2007) (6.32% of the total)
and in 1387(2008), 1,782 educational institutions failed to compile a complete set of informa-
tion (16% of the total).
Clearly, and as MoE intends, EMIS needs to be decentralised so that Provincial Education
Departments can take direct responsibility for collecting data and monitoring not only on
schools and their students, but other aspects of the system as well, such as MoE facilities and
assets. The intention in NESP II is that all central and provincial departments will be part of a
national EMIS system by 1393(2014). In rolling this programme out, the experience of many
246
EMIS is charged with collecting data on all types of formal and no-formal education programmes for all part
of the education system
247
EMIS has benefited from support from the World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF. .
248
The sector analysis team has seen a number of ministry publications used for international missions and con-
ferences which draw on up to date data.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 114
countries is that both the human capacity building and the technical maintenance of systems is
more demanding than is usually expected in the design phase. Given the circumstances and
location of many provincial centres this may well prove also to be the case in Afghanistan.
17.2 Data Gaps
Turning from the process to the specifics of the data that is collected, it is a remarkable
achievement that after just four years, the annual schools survey is able to collect the level of
detail that it does on a set of attendance, gender, examination, infrastructure and teacher re-
lated indicators. It is also greatly to the credit of EMIS that the MoE annual summary reports
appear within six to nine months of the school surveys being conducted.
249
As the earlier section on General Education shows, the absence of school age/grade informa-
tion is especially problematic for a number of reasons. First, it is virtually impossible to pro-
vide gross enrolment and net enrolment data with any measure of confidence. The 1386(2007)
schools survey attempted to provide this data using student age data provided by school prin-
cipals. The 1387(2008) and 1388(2009) reports have not attempted to repeat this exercise. As
a consequence, it is very difficult to monitor the level of progress that is being made towards
Afghanistan EFA and MDG related goals over time.
Secondly, this age/grade information is important because there is a significant body of com-
parative research to show that children‘s learning chances are that much greater if they par-
ticipate in schooling at the correct, official age.
250
Children, especially girls, who start late are
more likely to drop out or fail to progress.
In relation to this problem, some thought should be given to how better profiles can be built
up of individual students. Simple record cards that are kept over the whole of a student‘s
school life can provide invaluable information about age, performance and attendance. This
would not be designed to replace the school attendance register but to build up a fuller picture
of student progress and achievement. It may be that records exist already but they were not
drawn to the attention of the ESA.
A further and major gap in the collection and the presentation of school level data, is better
quality related indicators, especially on school completion, transition rates from primary to
lower secondary and so on up the system, pupil /teacher and classroom /student ratios, the
availability of learning materials and textbooks, instructional hours per week (and year)
251
and
some disaggregation of examination data to allow the assessment of skills and knowledge that
has been acquired.
This is clearly more difficult data to collect, although some of the ratios could be calculated at
the Provincial levels by bringing data on classrooms, teachers and students together. This is
important in having a much clearer picture of the relative quality of education in different
Provinces, and even Districts of Afghanistan. This in turn should facilitate better local plan-
249
Prior to 1386(2007), surveys were conducted by international organisations (EWFP and UNICEF) and by
MoE. In 1383(2004) a schools survey was conducted with help from UNICEF. This recorded registration / en-
rolment data. In 1384(2005) data information forms were introduced but with insufficient data to provide a sys-
tem wide overview.
250
See for example the CREATE project: The Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and
Equity (CREATE) athttp://www.create-rpc.org/contact/index.shtml
251
Especially important in a country where many schools operate a shift system.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 115
ning. At present the tabulation of single indicators does not make cross-Province characteris-
tics easy to discern.
There is also a need sooner rather than later to begin to monitor and report trends over time.
252
Trend data is a much more valuable as a planning tool than single year data. In the context of
monitoring progress towards Universal Primary Education this is important at the District,
Provincial and national levels if areas of achievement and poor performance are to be recog-
nised.
17.3 Other Sources of Data
It is imperative that MoE has a robust data collection and data analysis capacity at all levels of
the education system. This is planned. It is also sensible to use as many other reliable data
sources as possible in defining policy and monitoring progress. Household surveys and sam-
ple case studies can provide important and sometimes more detailed insights than a more uni-
form, national data collection process.
Three examples (and opportunities) are cited here. The Central Statistics Organization‘s
(CSO) National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 1386/7(2007/8) provides education, em-
ployment and socio-economic data based on a survey of just over 20,000 households. Accord-
ing to UNESCO, Afghanistan may conduct a household survey on literacy.
253
A module enti-
tled Using Literacy Module in Household Surveys has been designed for use as a self-standing
instrument or as part of a wider household survey programme. A Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey (MICS) is scheduled to start in 2010, to be implemented by the CSO with the techni-
cal and financial support of UNICEF. This will include the collection of data on education
and literacy as well as a wide range of indicators on the circumstances of children and the
well-being of children. If there are opportunities for MoE to contribute to the design of these
surveys to obtain particular types of data, then benefits accrue to both parties.
254
More broadly, the move towards a sector approach following the London Conference pro-
vides an opportunity to draw the often disparate data together more effectively to provide the
beginnings of a basis for evidence based decisions. The move towards RBM, led by the MoF
and in which MoE is a participant, should help reinforce the effective application of data.
17.4 Knowledge Gap: Knowledge Sources
The challenges of the rapid expansion of an education system while improving the quality of
learning from a very low base pose enormous problems; one answer to which is that the best
possible use is made of research and comparative experience. Afghanistan is not unique in
addressing this challenge although the circumstances of conflict and insecurity add a complex
extra dimension to finding appropriate solutions. Some of the core issues include:
? Having a much stronger understanding of the demand side of the education service provision and deliv-
ery equation
? Demonstrating in very practical ways how education can be a force for greater peace and security
? Strengthening community engagement in schooling
252252
A forthcoming report to Parliament will use data in this way. It has not yet appeared in the summary annual
reports.
253
Seehttp://portal.unesco.org/geography/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=12285&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
254
Donors and NGOs collect data for projects and programmes. USAID has supported household surveys nota-
bly in the health sector.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 116
? Developing appropriate and acceptable strategies to enable girls to stay in schooling and advance
through the education system
? Revisiting some established norms, including student/ teacher ratios, standard classroom size, and the
length of the learning day both for educational reasons and in the search for greater cost efficiency
? Assessing the impact of shift schooling on the quality of learning
? Undertaking longer term forecasting on how to expand secondary and higher education as the numbers
in basic education grow dramatically over the next 20 years.
Some, but not all, of this work requires research capacity that responds to the policy and plan-
ning demands of MoE. This capacity does not currently exist in the Ministry itself and there
are relatively few centres of expertise in Afghanistan with the capacity to provide strategic
applied research of this nature.
255
An exception is AREU an independent research group
which researches and publishes on education. Its series on Household Decision Making and
School Enrolment is valuable micro-research.
256
Most applied research is conducted within the framework of donor supported activities or
research undertaken to help define donor‘s own strategies and programmes. Much of this is a
rich source of material but with limited audiences and with relatively few opportunities for
this to feed into a wide policy dialogue. The UN organisations and some of the major interna-
tional (and some local) NGOs also undertake valuable survey and issue-based studies as
shown in Annex 2.
There is a sector wide knowledge and research agenda which to date has received very little
attention. It deserves a study in its own right with a view to seeing how mechanisms such as
research oriented study tours, institutional link programmes or consortia, and research budgets
included within donor assisted education sector projects might be accommodated.
18 Building Capacity
Capacity is an elusive concept. It is invariably linked with training to learn new skills and gain
new knowledge, usually at an individual level. But capacity is broader than this. The acquisi-
tion of skills and knowledge is of course important but so too is experience and the sharing of
experience; and the role of systems, structures, networks and resources. It is the sum of all of
these elements of capacity that determine collectively whether a school, a Provincial Director-
ate or a Ministry of Education fulfils its statutory responsibilities and achieves its service de-
livery objectives. So, building and strengthening capacity requires attention to all of these
things; the acquisition of skills and knowledge and the development of communication net-
works, systems and processes. To build capacity across government, within a ministry and up
and down through the sub-national tiers of an education is a complex assignment.
It has not been possible to assess the capacity of the education system to deliver on its ambi-
tious objectives in any great depth in this analysis. It is clear, however, that this is an issue of
major concern across government in Afghanistan. As one recent conference finding puts it …
the legacy of 25 years of war and conflict has left Afghanistan with a collapsed administrative
system and a very small pool of skilled Afghans. Although the government system is consid-
ered resilient in terms of its basic structure, practices and procedures, it is seriously depleted
of human and material resources. More than 90% of civil servants only have high school di-
255
There is an important proviso to this comment in that the sector analysis team was only able to access and use
material in English.
256
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit athttp://www.areu.org.af/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=25
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 117
plomas and 60% of civil servants are due to retire in the next 5-10 years. Many new recruits
will have to be found from a pool of young Afghans, whose level of education and capacity is
very low.
257
In the MoE, NESP II does not recognise the challenge in quite these terms but its intention to
improve communication, systems and processes is articulated.
Judging whether a public service ministry has the capacity to deliver can be assessed in dif-
ferent ways. Ideally, it is based on the monitoring, review and evaluation of recent perform-
ance. This would highlight successes and deficits and thereby the factors that advanced or
limited performance. A joint review with donor partners of NESP I would have helped to
serve this purpose, identifying the major weaknesses (and the major strengths) of the educa-
tion system in its service delivery. This did not happen although proposals along these lines
are in NESP II.
One significant indicator of capacity is the ability of the MoE to spend its development
budget. Although the percentage of total spend has increased somewhat, it remains stubbornly
below 50% (although the figure is over 60% in MoHE in the past year). This either suggests a
level of unrealistic ambition and/or an absence of capacity (including in other ministries, such
as MoF at sub-national levels) to be able to deliver on planned programmes.
At an input level, a proxy measure of the capacity of those working in the education sector is
their educational background and qualifications. These data must be treated with caution
given that the circumstances of Afghanistan in recent history means that other qualities matter
greatly; experience, adaptability, commitment and the capacity to work in very constrained
environments count for a great deal. It also needs to be acknowledged in interrogating data of
educational qualifications that many people in Afghanistan have been denied education and
training opportunities over many years, so it is not a matter of total surprise that the overall
level of educational qualification may be relatively low. Less than 7% have university de-
grees.
Table 25 categorizes staff for the MoE. It shows that teachers comprise 79% of the reg-
istered workforce (May 2009) and those in administrative and managerial posts 5%. Over
30% of the workforce has secondary education or below (but this includes more than 31,000
ajirs or support staff). The largest group, 44.5%, very largely teachers, have had ?higher edu-
cation?, especially teacher training.
258
Fewer than 7% have university degrees.
257
Government of Afghanistan –UNDP Conference on Public Sector Capacity Development Assistance in Af-
ghanistan. Kabul. April 2009.
258258
EMIS data as this is presented in annual summary reports does not disaggregate qualifications data, com-
bining teachers with administrative staff. This is not helpful.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 118
Table 25 The Educational Qualifications of the Ministry of Education Workforce
Based on 1388 (2009) data, the Ministry of Education had an approved Tashkil of
216,475 – the largest civilian workforce in Afghanistan In November 2009 the number
of registered employees was 209,009 a shortfall of over 7,000 ( Over 1,250 in Kandahar
Province), made up of:
166,609 teachers (71% men; 29% female)
10,716 non-teaching staff (administrative and managerial)
31,684 Ajirs
Based on data for 198,638 registered employees (May 2009), qualifications are classified
as follows:
10% illiterate
9.4% self study
2.9% primary education
8.7 % secondary education
44.5 % higher education
1% 13th Grade
15.4% 14th Grade
0.1% 15th Grade
6.2% Bachelors Degree
0.1% Step Up Bachelors Degree
0.2% Masters Degree
15 people with a PhD
1.5% unknown
Source: EMIS MoE Staff Registration Data Base. November 2009.
Teachers are required to have a Grade 14 education or above. In 1387 (2008) only 24% of the
teaching force met this requirement. Sixty nine percent were therefore ?unqualified? teachers
who nevertheless keep schools working. As with many other aspects of education in Afghani-
stan the pattern across the country varies considerably. Kabul (Province and city) has 60% of
its teaching force with Grade 14 or above. Twelve Provinces have less than 10% of their
teaching personnel with less than Grade 14 education. Over 80% of the female teachers with
Grade 14 qualifications and above work in Afghanistan‘s nine main cities.
There are many capacity issues that flow from these data. Of necessity it means that many
teachers teach at a level which is likely to be beyond the bounds of their knowledge and peda-
gogy. It means too that the teaching capacity of individual schools varies considerably across
Provinces. There are major teaching quality deficits, particularly but not exclusively in the
Southern provinces of the country.
The capacity of the cadre of technical, administrative and management staff in MoE and their
ways of working is difficult to assess in any quantitative sense. The fact that during the life-
time of NESP I (1385-1389)/(2006-2010) over 1,000 national and technical advisers have
been recruited and supported by donor funding is one strong proxy measure of the limitations
of government civil servants in being able to deliver the MoEs ambitious expansion pro-
gramme. A recent proposal submitted to the HRDB, requests 540 TA posts at national level
and 980 posts at the sub-national level over a two year period in order to help deliver NESP
II.
259
This technical assistance is required to support policy and programme formulation, train
and mentor civil servants, support implementation of basic services where needed and moni-
259
It appears that a part of this request stems from the closure of the USAID supported Capacity Development
Program in 1388(2009) which took the TA in post to below 900.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 119
tor programme implementation. The main areas of need are in finance, audit control, pro-
curement, construction, curriculum development and through support for field operations. The
request is set out in terms of NESP II‘s five main programme areas. This proposal is con-
ceived as the key component of an extensive capacity building programme, to strengthen
Human Resources for effective education administration and management from the Ministry
down to school level.
260
Identifying people with this set of skills, mixing line responsibilities with the ability to trans-
fer and enhance capacity in a sustainable way is not easy. The literature on counterpart train-
ing points to the limitations of mixed role functions in transferring skills. Whether the fact
that the demand for TA is still so strong is indicative of an inherent flaw in the model that
believes that this is the way to build up core government capacity needs further review and
evaluation. It is understandable that there are urgent short term needs but some longer term
thinking about capacity building is required.
At an organisational level MoE has invested thought, time and energy on developing a closer
fit between its structures, systems and procedural ways of working and its NESP II goals and
programmes. The more important of these investments can be summarised as follows:
? A new organisational structure of the Ministry has been approved and is being implemented. Five Dep-
uty Ministers now lead on each of the five main programme areas of NESP (General and Islamic Edu-
cation; Curriculum and Teacher Education, Literacy. Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) and
Administration and Finance with a separate line for Planning). Sub-directorates correspond with sub-
programmes. At the provincial level there are or will be five programme managers.
? The merit based recruitment of all 4,000 non-teaching positions has started.
? Pay and grade reforms will cover the whole Ministry, including teachers, by 2012.
? A new Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) is being developed and staff re-
cruitment is decentralised.
If they work well these are important elements of a capacity development strategy. In addi-
tion, every department will be asked to develop their capacity building plan with support from
Reform Implementation Management Units (RIMU).
It is too early to judge whether changes that have been introduced recently will make the dif-
ference that the MoE seeks in delivering NESP II. Drawing primarily on discussions across
the Ministry (and at Provincial level) some of the system level, capacity related issues which
emerged during the work of the ESA team, included:
? The need for stronger coordination and cross ministry communication mechanisms at the top end of the
Ministry. While the new structure gives a strong NESP programme focus, there needs to be strong link-
ages between those programmes that are sub-sector in nature (General and Islamic and Literacy), those
that are to do with important inputs (Curriculum and Teacher Education), and those that direct and serve
both (Planning and Administration and Finance). One of way of doing this is to have a high level re-
view group that meets regularly to look at progress against high level sector objectives. This would tie
within NESO II proposals to monitor progress against targets, resources against budgets and external
aid.
? What may seem a matter of secondary importance is the spread of MoE offices across Kabul. Mobile
phone technology has made a difference but there are still considerable costs incurred through move-
ment and delay on a daily basis.
? The Ministry of Education has been complimented in some quarters for its efforts to dialogue with Pro-
vincial Directors and their offices. A ten day consultation event took place in Kabul in May 2010 which
260
So described in Ministry of Education Initiative for Developing Effective Program Management and Admini-
stration Capacity at National and Sub-National Level. MoE. January 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 120
demonstrated this fact. But at a rather different level, and based on three short provincial visits, the ca-
pacity of Provincial and District Offices to be at the forefront of education service delivery is very con-
strained. The physical environment in which staff work, the material resources at their disposal (includ-
ing limited IT provision), the lack of development related budgets, the lack of transport to enable school
and other visits, and in some instances a real lack of knowledge of wider sector policy were all appar-
ent. It is greatly to the credit of those involved that there is some evidence of commitment and initiative
at the same time.
? The capacity to allocate, receive and use funds in a timely and well managed way has been discussed in
the financing section of this report and is not rehearsed here.
? The very heavy dependence at the school level on the capacity and motivation of school principals and
the need to invest heavily in this key group of practitioners.
This list could be extended. In moving forward it would seem necessary for the MoE to con-
ceive of capacity building as a core theme running through all of its work. This will require a
broader conceptual framework than that set out in proposals for donor funding for additional
or new technical assistance advisers. While the short term need to deliver and sustain momen-
tum are understandable and make the TA route an attractive (some would say unavoidable
route), the development of a culture of ongoing capacity development needs to be fostered. If
capacity development is associated (as it is by some in the Ministry) with higher salaries and
more privileged positions then this is counter- productive, although the Ministry does have
proposals for both retaining TAs in government service and transition processes to civil ser-
vice take-over. This may be easier to achieve if there is a clear demonstration of capacity
building within the mainstream of Ministry activity, as this is demonstrated, for example,
through the work of the General Directorate of Teacher Education.
Good policy needs good process; good results need good process and in the ?early days?,
process may be more important than policy or results as it is the means of embedding the ba-
sis for continuing improvement.
19 Aid for Education
19.1 Aid Dependence: Aid Effectiveness
For the foreseeable future the expansion and the qualitative improvement of the education
sector will be dependent to a significant extent on external aid. As the earlier section on fi-
nancing puts it, the external budget is a critical element of the development of education in
Afghanistan and will be required to remain at a high level for the next several years. This
reflects the substantial commitment of the international community to supporting ANDS and
MDG goals for education and its contribution to the long term economic and societal growth
and stability of Afghanistan. Indicative of this fact is that MoE is seeking US$3.6 billion for
education for the next five years from the Government of the United States of America.
261
Given this level of dependence it is important that the partnerships between education sector
aid agencies and implementing organisations is effective. Making aid work well is core busi-
ness for MoE and for other education sector ministries too, as it is for the Government of Af-
ghanistan as a whole, and for its donor partners (Textbox 22). Aid for education should be in
support of government and ministry led policies, aligned to national strategies, harmonized
rather than disparate, results and outcome oriented, and accountable for its development out-
comes. It is against these types of benchmarks that aid to education should be assessed.
261
Ministry of Education, 2010. A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges and
Priorities. p15.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 121
Textbox 22 Commitments to Aid Effectiveness
ANDS states that:
The Government will continue to work to deepen the ownership and successful implementation of the ANDS.
This will require the full cooperation and assistance of the donor community. The motivation behind this com-
mitment is simple: the realization that making aid more effective by reducing overlap, duplication and the ad-
ministrative costs will have a significant impact on increasing the benefits of aid in the long term.
It states too that:
Afghanistan and the international community agreed on the Afghanistan Compact and signed the Paris Decla-
ration on Aid Effectiveness in 1385 (2006) to improve the delivery and impact of external assistance. The Gov-
ernment’s aid strategy is in line with the major principles of the Paris Declaration whereby (i)
partner countries own and exercise leadership over their development policies; (ii) donors align their overall
support with partner countries' national development strategies; (iii) donor actions are more harmonized,
transparent and collectively effective; (iv) resource management and decision-making are more results
oriented; and (v) donors and partners are accountable for development results. In addition to this the Govern-
ment’s aid effectiveness policies are also in line with the Afghanistan Compact, MDGs and ANDS poverty re-
duction targets
19.2 A Quick Look Back
Some aid agencies and multilateral organisations have been operating in support of the educa-
tion sector in Afghanistan for many years, managing to sustain their work under different
governments and fast changing circumstances. UNICEF, for example, has been in Afghani-
stan for 57 years while the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan is considered to be among the
oldest NGO education stakeholders, commencing its operations in the early 1980s.
With the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan was in the international spotlight, at a time
when there was an upsurge in interest in education, partly as a result of the ?Back to School
Campaign.? This resulted in many different organisations and donors wishing to contribute to
the renewal and rebuilding of education in Afghanistan with, perhaps, hundreds of interna-
tional organisations and NGOs working in their own target areas with limited contact with
Kabul and central line ministries.
In those early years, UNAMA led on assistance, with little management capacity in minis-
tries. MoE was not in a position to manage educational initiatives, nor to coordinate the work
of the donors. Education was being guided by emergency principles (Textbox 23).
Textbox 23 Buzkashi
The traditional national game Buzkashi is said to reflect the boldness and fierce competitive spirit of the Afghan
people. In this game which is played on horseback in competition between two teams a carcass (headless calf or
goat) is dragged, pulled and carried and the objective is to ride with the carcass over a certain distance and then
drop it at the ?goal?.
One MoE official once said that MoE (sometimes) was felt to play the role as the Buzkashi calf or goat, help-
lessly pushed and dragged between strong actors. This picture is not exactly illustrating an active Government
Ministry who is to be in the driver‘s seat with regard to education development. During complicated and com-
plex times in Afghanistan, where nation building is assumed to be in focus, many national and international
organisations are giving priority to their own interests; political, cultural/religious, economical or geographi-
cal.
262
262
Borrowed from ?Evaluation of MoE/UNICEF‘s ?Basic Education and Gender Equality Programme? for
2006-2008, Afghanistan Sida and the Norwegian Embassy in Kabul, October 2008, p.38
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 122
As MoE became better able to manage the sector so issues of coordination and control came
more to the fore. Restrictions and regulations had to be applied. Registration and oversight
was needed. This resulted in some strained relationships but it represented the beginning of
the MoE taking a leadership role, designed to build partnerships, reduce overlap, manage
scarce resources more effectively and set some standards for good schooling, including re-
moving the politicization of educational messages.
19.3 The Situation in 1389 (2010)
MoE in 1389 (2010) is better equipped to manage its sector, to offer leadership, and to main-
tain the right balance between enabling external partners to work productively in Afghanistan
while limiting and preventing unwanted developments. But managing this balance is not easy,
in an environment (in recent years) of insurgency and insecurity, of weak capacity, and of
immense logistical and infrastructural problems. And comparative experience suggests, that it
is not easy for development agencies to improve coordination in such circumstances, finding
that managing and advancing their own programmes and projects is challenge enough.
In addition, although there is no evidence as yet that the global financial crisis has impacted
on levels of aid to education in Afghanistan it remains a concern. And there may be some
lessening of international commitment to Education for All, the education related MDGs and
the Paris and Accra agreements on aid effectiveness in this a period of global uncertainty.
19.4 The Aid to Education Picture
There are no reliable data bases on donor activity, maintained to serve policy and planning on
an ongoing basis. In the financing section of this report a table has been compiled using in-
formation from the grants management unit of MoF. Annex 4 to this report provides a de-
scriptive table of projects compiled from UNICEF and MOE sources in 1388 (2009). These
two tables overlap but they do not match.
But using Annex 4 alone it is possible to conclude that in 1388 (2009) there were:
? 77 recorded education projects, funded by 13 main donors (excluding ARTF funding)
? The 77 projects were being implemented by a minimum of 32 organisations and institutions including
government ministries
? With just three exceptions the projects could be said to be supportive of NESP objectives programmes,
directly or indirectly
? Where the data have been recorded, 16 programmes and projects are described as covering the whole
country
? 48 projects record project duration;
263
of these 17 were for four years or more, 19 were for two or three
years, and 9 were of one‘s year duration.
This is a complex picture but not a complete one, as these are the projects largely funded by
major donor agencies. The work of many NGO and CSO organisations is not captured. There
is probably some comfort to be drawn from the relatively high proportion of projects that last
for a year or more. But in the context of better aid and better aid effectiveness this data high-
lights the challenge of coordination and greater harmonization.
263
To some extent this multi year project duration and financing through the budget contributes to the apparent
under spending and high levels of carry forward of funds discussed in the finance section.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 123
19.5 Better Aid Practice
In recent years, a considerable body of work has been undertaken to determine how aid can be
used effectively in situations of emergency, fragility, dependency and very high levels of pov-
erty.
264
The concept of fragility is not one which is embraced by the Government of Afghani-
stan for understandable political reasons. But there are aspects of its situation, especially in
relation to constraints in the effective delivery of basic services where the evidence from this
work can be instructive.
Drawing on this literature, and on the experiences and the circumstances of Afghanistan,
Textbox 24 sets out what MoE (and other education sector ministries) might reasonably look
for in its major donor partners, if their assistance is going to contribute to the creation of a
sustainable, well governed and well managed education system.
Clearly in a situation where the financial gap is considerable and capacity within the educa-
tion system is weak, it is difficult for governments to take a strong lead. One consequence of
this in some countries is a willingness to accept additional assistance without undue attention
to its long term benefits. Conversely, donors restrict their support assessing that the fund utili-
sation capacity of the government and MoE is weak, that plans and strategies are insuffi-
ciently credible and/or that procurement systems, audits and the channelling of funds is not
transparent.
265
Textbox 24 Good Donor Practice
The ability of the donor to:
? Channel funds through the government‘s core budget (as for example through ARTF)
? Provide predictable financing for the full period of the government‘s education strategic plan or plans,
at a level that is commensurate with the scale of the challenge and the competency of the sector to de-
liver.
? Support operational costs (with safeguards) as well development budgets
? Be responsive to urgent needs
? Ensure that the Ministry is involved (and provides endorsement) from the point of time of project/ pro-
gram planning and inception throughout to completion to ensure that that individual projects and pro-
grammes, contribute directly to the achievement of education sector goals, objectives and targets
? Reduce the number of parallel project operating systems and units
? Provide technical assistance that is geared to strengthening capacity and provide/ monitor indicators of
successful achievement of CB
? Set aside time and technical capacity to give strong technical support to ministry led sector coordina-
tion
? Subsume national or organizational identity in support of the government/ministry‘s identity
? Act creatively in support of joined up and coordinated ways of working e.g. through pooled funds, trust
funds, joint reviews, join technical assistance etc
? Be transparent and transparent in the dissemination or reporting in all aspects of education sector work.
? Provide in-country policy advice with good comparative experience
? Minimize the level of separate reporting formats and requirements
In Afghanistan, in a ?young? government system with a very large of number of donors and
implementing agencies, progress is being made towards greater alignment and coordination,
but this is still at a relatively early stage. And the ability and capacity of donors to work in the
ways outlined in Textbox 24 vary enormously as the brief sections that follow suggest.
264
For example, OECD‘s work on 10 principles for good international engagement in fragile states and situa-
tions; the FTI‘s work on developing a Progressive Framework, the development of minimum standards guide-
lines by the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INNE) and the Overseas Development Insti-
tute‘s examination of service delivery in fragile environments.
265
Some donors such as DFID support education through ARTF rather than through direct support for MoE.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 124
19.6 Support for Education through Budget Support: ARTF
The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ATRF) enables donors to provide support for
Afghanistan‘s operating or recurrent budget, in other words to move funds into the core
budget of the government. It has mobilized US$3.6 billion since 1381 (2002) from 31 donors
and has recently committed a further US$2.3 billion to 1392 (2013). But in addition to provid-
ing salaries (including for teachers given that ARTF effectively supports 50% of civilian sala-
ries) and operating costs, the Fund is used for priority programmes such as the EQUIP pro-
gramme for improving the quality of education. Thirty international agencies are moving most
or some of their aid resources through this mechanism. It provides a major support platform
for education and a coordinated ways of working.
19.7 Projects and Programmes
Most discrete projects and programmes supported by education sector donor are explicitly of
broadly aligned with NESP programmes and strategies. One of the largest, the ARTF funded
EQUIP project is in the process of being integrated into MoE; a programme that can become
sustainable within government systems.
Parallel programmes – projects that set up separate project management systems from gov-
ernment systems - have advantages and disadvantages. These include:
? Major donor programmes may provide inputs into school services that have far more resources than is
available to government for the same purpose.
? While large programmes may have formal ?links? or lines of communication to the government, they
have management structures and guidelines which are their own.
? Programmes often recruit personnel from MoE or other governmental offices, offering higher salaries
for their services. There is little or no movement in the opposite direction.
? The working environment of parallel programmes may be regarded as more attractive, modern and ef-
fective – at least in the short term while aid money is available. Salaries may well be higher than gov-
ernment service.
? When parallel programmes are either phased out or integrated into government structures, a complex set
of staffing and management issues can ensue.
There have been cases, where donor programmes have not continued until the end of their
contract or were cut short in terms of duration and/or funding. In an already highly-insecure
operational environment this can create significant challenges for the ability of a ministry to
meet its commitments and deliver educational services.
Textbox 25 The Teacher Education Programme (TEP)
Many agencies wish to support teacher education in Afghanistan.
In 1384 (2005) the Teacher Training Programme (TEP) was established with secretariat of externally funded
staff. The program was to be financed from EQUIP, UNICEF and USAID.
TEP was intended to include development of a Teacher Training curriculum, the planning and provision of in-
service training programs for teachers nationwide, and coordination of the formulation of a future teacher train-
ing policy framework, including a legal, institutional and accreditation framework.
Some other donors, with MoE, stated that the creation of separate structure created conflicts and alienation in
the MoE and TEP was criticised for lack of capacity development for the Department of Teacher Education.
Accordingly, in December 2005 it was agreed to integrate TEP into MoE and the Teacher Education Depart-
ment.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 125
19.8 The Role of NGOs and CSOs
Many NGOs are influential in Afghan education. They have long experience in the country
and draw on generous financial support from overseas. In 2009, it was estimated that there
were more than 60 NGOs involved in the education sector.
Some issues related to the NGOs‘ (or CSO) education assistance include:
? Their willingness/ability to work in accordance with MoE regulations; conversely government does not
always make its policies or regulations clear
266
? Differing levels of capacity
? Willingness to work in difficult areas
? Teachers salaries are different from government paid teachers (an issue that is soon to be resolved)
? Political or religious ideologies which are unacceptable to local and central government
? The unwillingness or inability to conform to MoE standards and prices for school construction
? The loss of skills with the turnover in staff
? The ability of large NGOs in promoting cooperation and international solidarity across countries and
peoples
? Some competition and conflict between different NGOs as well as an overlap in their activities.
19.9 PRTs in Education (see Section 14)
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), using a mix of military and civilian staff, facilitate
reconstruction and provide security for development activities at the provincial level. They
were established with the aim of extending the reach and legitimacy of the Afghan govern-
ment. Much of their work lies within construction and infrastructure development, including
schools; and in the provision of educational resources.
Some of the issues arising in relation to PRTs in the education include:
? Perhaps inevitably the programme is strongly influenced by the nation/force that constitutes and fi-
nances the PRT.
? Some organisations, including UNICEF, Save the Children and other NGOs are concerned with the
blending of military and educational activities, fearing that a connection between schools, students and
conflict may be detrimental. When schools are built, maintained or otherwise supported by the military,
schools could become targets at a later stage.
? On the other hand, PRTs have valuable engineering and other needed technical capacity. Staff at Pro-
vincial and District levels of MoE appear less concerned, emphasising the importance of getting infra-
structure in place.
19.10 Making Aid Work Better
Section A of this report noted that there are efforts afoot to promote dialogue across the edu-
cation sector, think about human resource development and skills for development in a more
holistic way, and to foster closer working relationships with aid agencies in a more strategic
and coordinated way. This section looks at some of these endeavours in a little more detail.
A recent study (2009) of the potential for working in a sector wide way in different ministries
in Afghanistan concluded that that education sector was not yet ready for a sector wide ap-
proach.
267
If it were to be pursued, it would be preferable to prepare an entirely new sector
266
Many NGOs implementing literacy programs are not even aware of the literacy curricula and that it suppos-
edly is mandated. They are not provided with access to the literacy resources so they develop their own.
267
Jensen, P, 2009. Sector Wide Approach: Assessment of the Suitability and Readiness of SWAp Development
Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase II Prepared for DFID Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 126
strategy, to include costing of, and budgets for, all sub-sectors, with a multi-year perspective
that donors can use to align their activities.
But the study acknowledges that making the whole education sector, Sector Wide Programme
(SWAp) ready may be both difficult as well as inappropriate given that comparative experi-
ence suggests that this would take two to three years. Two options are proposed: first, post-
pone making any decisions until after the MOE and MOHE have started implementation of
their new strategies. Or second, consider a SWAp on one sub-sector, e.g. the primary and sec-
ondary sub-sector given, that MOE is the most ready SWAp ready part of the education sector.
In considering these conclusions, it seems wise to move with some caution and to build on
some current worthwhile developments, partly because sector wide programmes are under-
stood by a relatively small group of stakeholders in both the education ministries and some
donors.
Three examples of current initiatives are summarised here. First, and as the result of a joint
initiative by MoE and CIDA, the Afghanistan Education Development Board (EDB) was es-
tablished in December 2008. It was designed to serve as a platform for policy dialogue be-
tween MoE and education development partners aiming at enhancing effective leadership for
education programming, policy framework, alignment and harmonization of development
partner initiatives, and advocating for and coordinating donor aid in the education sector.
268
Its Steering Committee has been chaired by a MoE representative and, until April 2010, co-
chaired by CIDA.
269
The Board has met every month and the Steering Committees have been
serviced, and its sub-sector groups managed, by a Coordinator financed by donors, working
centrally in MoE.
In April 2010, the Education Development Board was transformed into the Human Resource
Development Board (HRDB) to serve as an education sector forum to coordinate issues pertaining to human
resource development in the country between relevant government ministries … and the development part-
ners. Textbox 26 sets out the revamped Board’s objectives and
Textbox 27 its current membership, 29 members in all.
Textbox 26 The Human Resource Development Board: Main Objectives (April 2010)
? Support effective leadership and oversight of human resource programming in Afghanistan
? Strengthen overall coordination and support for harmonization and alignment of the strategic plans of
sectoral ministries
? Serve as a platform for strategic policy dialogue between sectoral ministries and development partners
? Support the establishment of an effective policy framework for education and skills development with
consideration of gender and regional disparities
? Advocate for and coordinate donor aid in the education sector eventually aiming at aligning assistance
through a government led and harmonized sector funding mechanism
? Encourage additional resource mobilization for education through partnership with the private sector
and civil society.
268
Citation from Brochure presented to the EDC Steering Committee 15th of June 2009
269
DANIDA took over the co-chair mantle in 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 127
Textbox 27 Members of HRDB
Category of Member Member
Chair and Co-Chair MoE and Danida
Ministries MoE, MoWA, MoHE, MoSLAMD and MoF
Donors supporting education DANIDA, CIDA, USAID, SIDA, Norway, Germany, Japan,
Netherlands, India, France, Aus-Aid, DFID
International banks The World Bank
CBS (Civil Society Organisations) and their
coordinating bodies
ACBAR, ANCB, AWN, SCA, PACE-A
Private sector Chamber of Commerce
UN UNICEF, UNESCO, UNAMA
Chair and co-chair of technical working
groups
Representatives of some Islamic countries.
It is clear that the EDB has fulfilled an important function which is appreciated by all of its
members including other education sector ministries. It is good platform for moving towards
the ambitious objectives which HRDB has set for itself.
There is a good working relationship in the Board. And its six cross ministry technical work-
ing groups (Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Curriculum and Teacher
Education, General and Islamic Education, Literacy and Education Management) have the
potential and in some cases the experience and the history, of fulfilling useful advisory policy
and action planning functions.
270
In due course, and based on experience elsewhere in the world, the newly-defined objectives
for the HRDB will require a stronger cutting edge, where ministry and donor representatives
bring greater decision making authority to the HRDB table, to give stronger impetus and ef-
fect to resource mobilisation, coordination, alignment and harmonisation.
A second initiative designed to foster coordination and ministerial cooperation, backed by
donor partners, is enshrined in the work of the clusters which were endorsed at the Afghani-
stan London Conference in January 2010.This involves aligning key ministries into develop-
ment and government clusters and refining the Afghanistan National Development Strategy
development priorities, including human resource development.
The cluster approach was envisioned to serve as a vehicle for formulating and achieving sec-
tor-wide development priorities and for attracting foreign direct investment towards the de-
velopment and implementation of bankable projects. Through this new approach inter-
ministerial cooperation is required (which previously was relatively weak) in order to develop
a work plan for presentation at the Kabul Conference in July 2010.
The human resource development cluster comprises MoE, MoHE, MoWA, MoLSAMD
and more recently, the Ministry Public Health. Efforts are being made to bring the private
sector into the fold too, including banks and airlines. Cluster working groups have been
270
See terms of reference for the working groups in the paper endorsed by the HRDB on 26 April 2010. On the
same day endorsement was given to two task cross-cutting task forces: one on gender mainstreaming, the other
on Employment Support Bridging.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 128
tasked with exploring ways of developing ?bankable projects? focusing on girls‘ education,
Islamic education, health related packages and commercially sponsored schools.
A third development that has the potential for strengthening a more holistic approach to edu-
cation sector policy and practice and bring about strong donor coordination is through engag-
ing internationally with the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA/FTI). At present,
preparation for exploring this avenue revolves around the sub-sector strategic plan of MoE
(NESP II). The processes through which FTI is likely to appraise the draft sector plan will
help to inform and promote wider sector analysis and thereby further the objectives of the
HRDB.
These are all time-consuming activities which work largely through working groups. At best
working groups sit firmly within the mainstream of ministry work through its directorates and
departments but at worst they can create parallel structures. There is also the danger that if
groups continue to mushroom overlap or duplication may result. Groups can also become the
preserve of a small group of people without effective means of communication across a min-
istry or a sector. Most importantly, they are sometimes taking the lead to develop policy and
planning initiatives which seem to have little involvement, input or consultation with the rele-
vant Ministerial department representatives. It is often the case, as well that when the number
of donors in the working group overshadows the number of ministerial persons, the projects
and plans formulated then represent donor interest and not necessarily Ministerial priorities,
or more importantly, national budgetary resources or ability.
There is obviously both enthusiasm and momentum for working in a more coordinated man-
ner. Both need to be sustained. This means strong oversight of these activities by a proactive
HRDB Secretariat. Much has been achieved in the past few years to promote dialogue across
the education sector. The challenge now is to move towards a more coordinated and synergis-
tic action plan.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 129
E Conclusions and Recommendations
This section brings together the main conclusions of the ESA. Deliberately, it does not follow
the sequence of the four main sections of the report; rather, it is designed to capture some core
messages and to provide a short list of recommendations for the consideration of education
sector ministries and their donor partners.
The Education Sector in Afghanistan is complex, a complexity that has to be managed and
coordinated if national education goals are to be achieved. It is a sector where the majority of
the country‘s population are primary stakeholders. And the secondary stakeholders - those
who work for education - are the largest civilian workforce in the country. There are multiple
implementing agencies. This can facilitate flexibility and responsiveness; it can also mean
overlap, duplication and lack of coordination. There are separate education strategies from
individual ministries which fall within the broader framework of the Afghanistan National
Development Strategy (ANDS).
The Education Sector is rebuilding. After years of neglect and distrust, there is evidence of a
new belief in the value of education. Latent demand is emerging. Slowly, the capacity of edu-
cation delivery systems is strengthening from a very low base. Partnerships are being forged
with communities in support of education. Bridges are being built between Islamic education
in its many forms and formal state schooling. There is increased dialogue across ministries
and with education sector donors. Communities have demonstrated their ability to secure and
support their schools in the face of insurgency and thereby help to stabilise their own local
community. And there are new links internationally which help to rebuild Afghanistan‘s place
in the education world.
The Education Sector is reforming. It is aiming high. It plans to achieve the education MDGs
by 2020 and make progress on all six EFA goals, a very ambitious agenda. It has embraced
strategic planning and recognised, in rather general terms, the need for education to deliver
the skills, the knowledge and the values to contribute to the achievement of broader eco-
nomic, social and peace goals as these are set out in ANDS. It is initiating systemic change in
the professional development of teachers, rethinking the place of universities and creating
other higher education institutions and renewing curriculum at all levels. It is restructuring
ministries to reflect programme priorities. The need for greater sector coherence is being dis-
cussed across ministries and there are worthwhile efforts to effect better donor-government
coordination.
The Education Sector has made important initial gains. In 2010, seven million children are
registered in school (with a gradual increase in the proportion of girls), 170,000 teachers are
teaching, new and revised textbooks are in schools, and, more slowly, education infrastructure
is being built and refurbished. There is, with external support, some rethinking of pedagogy in
schools and universities, and in defining and promoting the place of in-service teacher train-
ing in the fabric of Afghanistan‘s education. Islamic education is being strengthened. Com-
munities have been encouraged and enabled to support and protect their schools through as-
semblies and shuras. There has been some delegation of authority to the sub-national levels of
the education system. Donors have largely sustained their levels of aid to education.
But the Education Sector has to confront immense challenges if these gains are to be consoli-
dated and if the 1393 (2014) and 1399 (2020) education goals and targets are to be achieved.
Notably, there is the need to:
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 130
? Reduce the enormous wastage (human and financial) as the result of children failing to complete their basic
education; teachers trained to teach who don‘t teach; development budgets that are not spent; and operating
costs that are inadequate for supporting change.
? Exercise greater prioritisation in programming.
? Give priority to a small set of higher order education outcomes defined in terms of access, retention, com-
pletion, quality, transition to the next level of education, equity and relevance.
? Match available financial resources to operationally manageable programmes with clearly-defined educa-
tional results.
? Break the bottlenecks and remove the inefficiencies which delay the formulation of budgets, allotment of
funds, procurement of goods, execution of programmes and reporting of results.
? Make data and knowledge work better for planning, monitoring and review.
? Improve intra ministerial coordination at all levels
? Take a longer term approach to capacity development within ministries, beyond the short term imperative to
recruit Technical Assistants (TAs).
? Make aid better coordinated, more transparent, and hence more effective.
In addition, the Education Sector has substantive policy issues to resolve:
? The education of girls is central to achieving EFA and MDG goals and Afghanistan‘s wider development
objectives. A whole sector strategy on girls and women‘s education is required if levels of access and of
quality are to improve significantly.
? Improving the security of schools and students that builds on good practice, in association with defining
ways in which education can contribute to stabilisation and peace.
? Managing quality improvements during rapid expansion; identifying acceptable standards and norms. The
future expansion of secondary education will pose particular problems in this regard.
? Working with employers, identifying the skill-sets needed for the modern-sector economy; develop and
programme coherent responses and encourage education-industry partnerships.
? Enhancing the benefits of Islamic education through closer engagement with State education and vice-versa.
? Ensuring equity of education service provision across Provinces.
? Enabling (and possibly facilitating) the private sector to play its part in rebuilding and reform.
? Analysing carefully the place of IT in education in improving access, quality and relevance
In the short term, the priorities include:
? Finalising NESP II and making it operational quickly.
? Passing the Higher Education Law
? Maximising the benefits to accrue from the HRD Cluster; and considering the benefits of the Fast Track
Initiative.
Recommendations
1 Review and revise, as necessary, education sub-sector strategies and plans to en-
sure that programmes and sub-programmes are prioritised against the criteria of fore-
casted resource envelopes, system capacity and risk analysis. Under the current plans,
not everything can be done as proposed.
2 Reach agreement, at ministerial levels, for a joint task force of the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Finance (with assistance from the World Bank in its role
on ARTF) to work through and resolve the bottlenecks and poor practice that delay and
harm the delivery of education services.
3 Develop and gain high level approval for the development and implementation of
a comprehensive sector strategy for girls’ and women’s education.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 131
4 Develop a cross-government strategy on skills development to meet the main
challenges of rapid economic growth/labour market needs.
5 Undertake a formal review of the quality of general education in Afghanistan and
on how best to build, in a realistic way, on the programmes that have been implemented
thus far. Particular attention should be paid to time spent on learning, the impact of
shift systems, classroom pedagogy, assessment, and the quality of school supervision.
6 Give the HRDB more teeth. Based on its revised EDB objectives, develop an ac-
tion plan for the Board and consider moving towards a Memorandum of Understanding
between the Government of Afghanistan and education sector donors consistent with the
Afghan Compact and ANDS. Establish a joint review team for NESP II quickly.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 132
Annex 1 Terms of Reference
271
Terms of Reference for
An Education Sector Analysis (ESA) and
An Assessment of the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP)
With a View to Afghanistan joining the
Education for All – Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI)
Preamble:
The Ministry of Education of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is looking for the service of a
consultant (company) to undertake an Education Sector Analysis and an Assessment of the
National Education Strategic Plan.
1. Background:
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has identified education as one of the
national priorities in the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) approved by
the Government in April 2008. The Government is committed to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) for Afghanistan, a modified version of the global MDGs, which
include a target of 100% participation in primary education by 2020, and the Education for
All (EFA) Goals.
Currently the responsibility of delivery of Education and Vocational Training in Afghanistan
is divided among the three ministries namely Ministry of Education (basic education, secon-
dary education, technical and Vocational Education, Teacher education), Ministry of Higher
Education (tertiary education), and Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (vocational educa-
tion).
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is in the process of completing its second National Educa-
tion Strategic Plan (NESP, 2010 – 2014) which will replace the current NESP (2006 – 2010).
NESP-II will be fully-costed and will emphasize quality of learning for students with a re-
newed focus on learning outcomes; quality of training for teachers and address issues of re-
gional and gender inequity in the education system. NESP-II foresees strategic reforms in
programming, financial management, monitoring and evaluation and the operationalization of
programs.
In December 2008, the MoE and education stakeholders established the Education Develop-
ment Board (EDB). The EDB has been established to serve as a platform for policy dialogue
between the Ministry and education development partners aiming to enhance effective leader-
ship for education programming and alignment and harmonization of donor aid in the educa-
tion Sector.
271
As issued in the last quarter of 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 133
Given the current context of the education sector in the country, the Government of Afghani-
stan views this as an opportune time to formally engage in the EFA-FTI assessment and ap-
praisal process for the purpose of advancing the NESP for possible FTI endorsement. It is for
this purpose that the MoE and the EDB require the services of a consultant
272
.
The process will comprise four steps:
1. An Education Sector Analysis (Consultant)
2. An Initial Assessment of the Draft NESP II (Consultant)
3. A Revision of the NESP in light of the assessment (MoE & Partners)
4. An Appraisal of the final NESP expectedly leading to FTI endorsement. (Partners).
2. Purpose:
The purpose of the consultancy is to provide a comprehensive analytical overview of the sec-
tor (Step 1) and to assess the NESP II (Step 2) in order to advise the Ministry of Education
and its partners on possible revisions to the NESP II (Step 3) in order to comply with the FTI
endorsement criteria (Step 4).
The consultant will be responsible for steps 1 & 2, only.
3. Deliverables and Methodology:
The consultant will be expected to produce Two Reports, each one with an Executive Sum-
mary of no more than 15 pages containing key findings and recommendations.
Volume I: A comprehensive Education Sector Analysis
This will comprise an analytical stock-taking of the education sector in its totality.
Volume II: An Assessment of the NESP II
This will comprise an assessment of the scope, relevance and feasibility of the NESP
II with key recommendations for possible policy and program alignments based on
FTI Appraisal Guidelines and Indicative Framework.
The consultant will be required to implement this assignment in a participatory manner in
consultation with key stakeholders in the EDB and MoE and in consultation with relevant
stakeholders in business and civil society.
Bi-weekly process monitoring meetings will be held with the MoE focal point and designated
EDB partners.
4. Activities and Scope of Work
The Education Sector Analysis will take stock of the overall education sector, from early
childhood education to higher education, and is an opportunity to gather all relevant informa-
tion on the sector including policies, structure, legislation, finance, national statistics, service
delivery capacity, as well as analytical work including Poverty Assessments, Public Expendi-
ture Reviews etc. However, it will not repeat or duplicate up-to-date analytical work!
The analysis will provide an overview of the sector and will consider the following:
272
It is expected that the ?consultant? will be a firm or institution comprising a number of individual specialists
or a group of individual consultants brought together as a team.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 134
? Key stakeholders in the sector;
? The national policy framework including The Afghanistan MDGs and Af-
ghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS);
? The overall resource envelope for education, domestic (private/public) and ex-
ternal; and
? The responsiveness of the sector to the National Development Priorities -
economic and social needs of the country.
The Assessment of the NESP will be based on the FTI Appraisal Guidelines. The purpose of
the Assessment is to: (a) provide evidence that a positive policy environment exists for pro-
ductive investments in the sector and (b) provide a platform to collectively agree that the
NESP is credible and sustainable. The expectation is that the Assessment will make recom-
mendations for action in the following six specific areas:
? The overall resource envelope available to the sector and to the NESP;
? The NESP‘s compliance with the 6 EFA goals, in particular goal no. 2 on pri-
mary education
? NESP strategies towards addressing educational quality
? The monitoring and evaluation system including the Education Management
Information System (EMIS) as well as financial and expenditure management;
? The identification of critical knowledge or information gaps, and
? Capacity development issues including an assessment of the use of Technical
Assistance.
5. Duty Station, Timing and Reporting
Duty station: The consultants work station will be based at the Ministry of Education in Kabul
Afghanistan during the official hours. In case of security concerns an alternative work station
will be identified.
Timeline: The assignment will be completed over a period of three months including submis-
sion of the final Report. The consultant is required to submit a detailed work plan by the first
week of November 2009, including details of the consultants assigned for each task. The ac-
tual work should start no later than 15 November. The Draft Report (Analytical Stocktaking
and Assessment) will be submitted nine weeks after the start of the assignment and the Final
Report to be submitted no later than 12 weeks after the start of the assignment.
Activities November,
2009
December
2009
January,
2010
February,
2010
Signing of contract week of October 17
– 29
1 Submission of detailed work plan week
of November 8 - 12
X
2 Analysis of the education sector X X X X X X X X
NESP II Substantive Draft
(MoE) - complete
NESP Final Draft write-up
(MoE/IIEP) (end-September, 2009)
3 Assessment of NESP II X X X X X X X X
4 Draft Reports X
5 Final Report X
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 135
Reporting: The consultant will report to the Education Development Board which is chaired
by the Ministry of Education and Co-chaired by a donor representative. The EDB is managed
by a Secretariat Director who will be the key point of contact for planning and implementa-
tion of the assignment. The EDB meets on a monthly basis.
Daily contacts, as per need, will be negotiated with the designated MoE focal point, who will
serve as an interface between the consultant and the MoE/EDB-partners.
7. Consultants:
MoE will contract a company/consultancy firm, who will assume full responsibility for the
quality of work, its implementation subject to specifications and timely submission of reports.
The team of consultants will be managed by a Team Leader identified by the consultancy
firm. Members of the Education Development Board reserve the right to review the roster of
consultants proposed and to provide suggestions of individual consultants who may be appro-
priate based on previous work experience in Afghanistan or with EFA-FTI.
It is estimated that the stocktaking of the sector and the appraisal of the NESP would require a
small team covering the following set of broad competencies:
? Education Sector Policy Analysis
? Education Economics and/or finance
? Capacity Assessment and Capacity Building
? Sociology of Education
? Monitoring and Evaluation
? Education Reconstruction in (post) conflict situations
With the right mix of consultants one consultant might cover more than one field. It is impor-
tant, however, that all aspects are being properly addressed.
Eligible consultants, as a minimum, should posses the following qualification and experience:
? A Masters in Education or other relevant field and a minimum of 10 years of experi-
ence in the education sector;
? Specific experience and knowledge in the area of education research and data analy-
sis;
? Specific experience in facilitating FTI Technical Appraisals;
? Ability to work effectively with government and donor counterparts;
? Proven ability in preparing reports in English;
? Be self independent, a good team player and ready to work under pressure; and
? Deliver assignments timely and ensure good quality of work.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 136
Annex 2 Selected References
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Annex 3 Record of Meetings
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Saturday February 27 2010
1400 MoE, Mr. Abdul Arian, Strategic Adviser to the Minister Introduction of part of the team T,R,A MoE
1500 MoE, Dr. Ataullah Wahidyar, Chief of Staff Introduction of part of the team T,R,A MoE
1520
(brief)
MoE, Mr. Abdul Waki Hanifi, Director of Procurement Making appointment for later meeting T,R,A MoE
1600 Team Wrap up and planning T,R,A Guesthouse
Sunday February 28 2010
1400
MoE, Mr. Mohammad Azim Karbalai, Head of Planning
General introduction to planning of MoE T, R,A MoE
1520 MoE, Mr. Abdul Wakil Hanifi, Director of Procurement Introduction to procurement T, R,A MoE
Monday March 01 2010
1030 Team
Introduction of Newly arrived Team member Elizabeth
Dvorak-Little
T, R,A,E
1600-
1700
Embassy of Denmark, Mr. Poul Eric Rasmussen, Education Programme Coor-
dinator and Mr. Farid Tanai, Education Programme Officer
Briefing for team from influential donor in education A,E,R,T Danish Embassy
Tuesday March 02 2010
0900 MoE, Mr. Mirwais Masood, EDB Coordinator Initial briefing meeting with team A,E,R,T MoE
1430-
1530
MoE, Professor Safi, Senior Advisor for General Education and Coordinator
for ECE
Status and plans of ECD E, T MoE
1430 MoE, Ms. Najeeba Nooristani, Director of Private Schools Private Education – role and function A, R MoE, House 2
Wednesday March 03 2010
1400-
1600
AREU, Research Seminar
Study of policy making in MoE, with special reference to
NESP
A,E,T AREU
Thursday March 04 2010
1400-
1500
MoWA, Mr. Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi, Technical & Policy Deputy Minister, Fact-finding on their policies and programs
E & T
MoWA
1530-
1700
Agha Khan Foundation staff
Information-gathering about AKF‘s ECE programs and ECE
teacher training in three provinces
E & T
AKF Office
? Friday March 05 2010
1000 Educational Concepts, International Project Manager, Ms. Regina Queitsch Receiving Briefing on ECI‘s work in ECE in Nimroz province EDL
EDL left Kabul (to return in 8 days) E
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 144
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
? Saturday March 06 2010
MoE , Officer of Budgets (Raz Mohammad) The big picture on reporting - AFMIS and BPET. R
MoE, Mr. Abdul Arian and Mr. Mirways Masood Planning and information. A
Sunday March 07 2010
MoE, Director of Procurement Hanifi R MoE
0900 EMIS Collecting most recent EMIS statistics A MoE
ASI, Olive Meeting to plan field visit A, R Guesthouse
Monday March 08 2010
MoE, Mr. Faridullah Mirzad, Finance Manager, Acting Budget Manager R MoE
0900-
1200
Registration card processing A
Registration Of-
fice
Tuesday March 09 2010
0900 MoE Budget advisors R
1000 EMIS, Mr. Hameed Shahrani, EMIS Systems Analyst R, A EMIS, MoE
1030 ASI and Olive Security check of MoE premises R,A MoE
Wednesday March 10 2010
1500 MoE Mr. Sarwar Azizi Deputy General for TVET General introduction of TVET A, R MoE/TVET
1520
MoE, TVET, Mr. Aimal Sherzad, Senior Procurement Specialist TVET Mr.
Abdul Hameed Wahab, Finance Manager TVET
Financing R MoE/TVET
Thursday March 11 2010
MoE TVET Follow-up meeting on finance R MoE/TVET
Saturday March 13 2010
0900 MoF: Mr. M. Hamid Jalil, Director of Aid Management and Coordination. Provide external budget for MoE. R MoF
MoF: Mr. Naveed Bakhshi, Manager Education Sector R
Sunday March 14 2010
0700
Arrival of E
and S
0900 Meeting of team Reporting and planning team work E,S,R,A MoE
1300 MoE, Mr. Mirwais Masood General introduction for S, discussing TOR and approach E,S,R,A MoE
2000 Team Summing up, planning for next days E,S,R,A Guesthouse
Monday March 15 2010
9.30 Team
Summing up and planning, detailed distribution of assign-
ments
E,S,R,A Guesthouse
Tuesday March 16 2010
MoE, Mr. Mirwais Masood, EDB Secretariat Director Status and plans ahead All except T MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 145
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
MoE HE Minister of Education Dr. Farooq Wardak
Courtesy and general presentation of MoE objectives and
team‘s achievements and plans
All except T MoE
MoE, Budget Officer for Islamic Education Mr. Jan Mohammad Etemad, Obtained financial information MoE
Wednesday March 17 2010
1000 EDB, Working Group for EFA and FTI
Presentation of team to the Working Group and discussion of
plans for the work
All except T MoE
MoE, Dr. Ataullah Wahidyar, Chief of Staff Support for teams activities MoE
MoE, Patman, Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs MoE
MoE, Mirwais Masood, Education Development Board Secretariat Director Strategic issues in moving forward MoE
Thursday March 18 2010
MoE,
MoE, Qudratullah Andar Saltani, Payroll Manager Payroll issues, automation & efforts at reducing ghost teachers MoE
Team Status and planning All except T MoE
Friday March 19 2010
Team Reading and writing Guesthouse
Saturday March 20 2010
1500
MoLSAMD, HE Minister and higher level staff.
Deputy Minister Farhadullah Farhad (Admin & finance, DG Policy and Plan-
ning Waheed Saifi.
Courtesy and first general introduction to MOLSAMD All (except T) MoLSAMD
Sunday March 21 2010 National Holiday
Team worked from Guesthouse on Analysis Guesthouse
Monday March 22 2010 National Friday
1500-
1630
MoLSAMD, NSDP Mr. Abdul Rahim Nasry, National Program Coordinator
(NSDP) and Mr. Waheed Saifi, D.G. Policy & Planning. :
A,
MoLSAMD
1500-
1630
MoLSAMD Mr. Habiba Omar, Deputy Head of Kindergarten, Ms. Nafisa
Balochzada, Director of Academic Section of Kindergarten
MoLSAMD‘s national kindergarten programs E MoLSAMD
Tuesday March 23 2010
Richard leaves R
0900
Series of information-gathering sessions at Basic Education Directorate, in-
cluding meetings with Basic Education Director Hamida Nizami; Inspector
General for Basic Education, Mr. Wardak; Head of Academic Department for
Basic Education, Mr. Multan; five members of the school supervision team
and two coordinators for Community-Based Education
Operations & challenges of Basic Education & Community
Based Education
S, E, A
Basic Education
Directorate, MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 146
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Wednesday March 24 2010
0900 Anders leaves
0900
MoE Director of Secondary Education, Dastgir Munir
Analysis of achievements/ challenges of Secondary Ed. S, E
Directorate of
Secondary Educa-
tion, MoE
1200 MoE Director of Planning Mohammad Azim Karbalai
Overview of the operations & challenges of Planning Direc-
torate
S MoE
1400
MoE General Director of Teacher Education,
Ms. Susan Wardak
Achievement and challenges of Teacher Education/Girls Edu-
cation
S, E
Teacher Educa-
tion MoE
Thursday March 25 2010
1000 UNESCO Ms. Marina Patrier,
General overview of UNESCO‘s role in literacy & education
in Afghanistan
S, E
UNESCO office,
Kabul
1200
MoE Head of Emergency Education Cluster
Mr. Sayed Asghar Haidary
Responsibilities of the Emergency Education Cluster S, E MoE
1300
MoE Senior Advisor Mr. Arian & Education Development Board Secretariat
Director Mirwais Masood
Discussion of challenges in obtaining meetings with key Min-
isterial stakeholders
S, E MoE
1400-
1600
Series of Meetings with the Human Resources Directorate:
1) Technical Advisor, Capacity-Building RIMU Abdul Wahid Zirak;
2) Director Capacity Building & Structure-HRD Abdul Hakim;
3) Director Recruitment, Evaluation & Civil Servant Relations- HRD
Mohammad Kabir Wali;
4) General Director of HR Ahmad Najeeb Baizayer
Overview of the ToR and challenges of the Human Resource
Directorate; issues surrounding the implementation of the new
Civil Service regulations; Procedures relating to recruitment,
performance monitoring , training and conditions of service.
S
Human Resoucr-
ces Directorate
MoE
Friday March 26 2010
0845-
1330
Olive Security Group Security (HEAT) Training S, E Olive Guesthouse
Saturday March 27 2010
0900
MoE Senior Advisor Abdul Arian & Education Development Board Secre-
tariat Director Mirwais Masood
Proposed revisions to the Outline for the Sector Analysis &
Work Plan; preparations for EDB Mtg 29 March
S, E MoE
1500
MoE EMIS Director Hamidullah Shahrani and
EMIS Deputy Director/ Monitoring & Evaluation Officer Abdul Subhan Raouf
Discussion of EMIS capabilities, challenges & plans for ex-
pansion
S, E EMIS, MoE
Sunday March 28 2010
0900
MoE Director of Curriculum, Abdul Zahir Gulistani
MoE Research & Standard Director, Faizullah Faiz
MoE Developer & Writer of Textbooks, Aliullah Jalil
Curriculum development achievements & challenges in recent
years
S, E
Curriculum
Directorate, MoE
1030-
1130
CIDA, First Secretary (Development) Chris Braeuel,
Embassy of Canada
CIDA Programmes and Sector Planning S, E CIDA
1500 DFID ,Leo Thomas Poverty and Results Adviser MoE data collection capabilities: data convergence, data ab- S, E DFID
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 147
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
normalities, variances in reported figures (enrolment, girls‘
attendance); DFID‘s work in assessing integrity of EMIS data/
capabilities
Monday March 29 2010
0930-
1230
Education Development Board Meeting
All activities of EDB & upcoming plans;
Educational Assessment Team presented briefing about the
Team‘s progress
S, E MoF
1400 MoE, Samir Ahmad Amiri Grants Management and Donor Coordination
Operations of the GMU; process & progress in soliciting do-
nor funds for NESP-2
S, E MoE
1630
MoF Director of Coordination of ANDS Implementation and Budget Policy
Wahidullah Waisi
Donor Coordination
ANDS and the Education Sector
S, E MoE
Tuesday March 30 2010
09:00
MoHE, Dr Fred Hayward, Senior Higher Education Specialist
Afghanistan Higher Education Project
Overview of MoHE‘s progress, challenges and plans for
higher education; MoHE 5 Year Strategy & funding chal-
lenges.
S, E
Afghanistan
Higher Education
Project
World Bank
0900 Olive Security Briefing Security Protocol for incoming Team Member T
Olive Guest
House
1100
World Bank Senior Institutional Development Specialist & Educational Advi-
sor Joel Reyes
Educational development in Afghanistan since year 2001,
focus on capacity-development of MoE in terms of Public
Management Finance System, NESP-1, NESP II & manage-
ment of EQUIP program
S, E and T
World Bank,
Kabul
1330 MoE Senior Advisor Abdul Arian
Relations between MoE & MoF; differences of approach re.
operating budget; lack of national budget to fund NESP-2
T MoE
1300 MoWA Technical & Policy Deputy Minister Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi
Overview of MoWA‘s policies & plans as they relate to gen-
eral education, literacy training, and TVET; Discussion of
cooperation w/ MoE, MoHE, MoLSAMD
E MoWA
1500
USAID Education Team Leader, Officer of Social Sector Development Grace
Lang and USAID Education Advisor (OSSD) Renu Jain
Overview of USAID‘s portfolio of educational initiatives in
Afghanistan; strengths/ weaknesses of NESP-2 strategy
E USAID
1500 MoHE Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs Mohammad Osman Babury Goals & objectives in MoHE Five Yr Strategy S MoHE
Wednesday March 31 2010
S leaves for London
1000
LIFE Working Group
LIFE Action Plan as a roadmap for achieving NESP & MGD
goals for Literacy
E
Literacy Unit,
Shar-e-Naw, MoE
Thursday April 1 2010
0900 World Bank Financial Management Specialist Paul Sisk
WB‘s capacity-building of MoE in terms of development of
fiscal controls such as Verified Payroll Program & Rules-
Based Provincial Allocation
E, To World Bank
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 148
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1100-
1400
MoE Director of School Protection Unit General Amerkhel
Operations, progress & challenges of the School Protection
Unit
E, To MoE
1700 Peter Jensen Consultant Teleconference on Sector Wide Approaches S
MoE, School Protection Unit General Amerkhel, Director E,
Friday April 2 2010
Team woekde from Guesthouse on Analysis
Saturday April 3 2010
0830 Education Development Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood Discussion of logistic & technical questions relating to MoE E, To MoE
0930 MoE, Mr. Salam Hairan, Director of ICT3
ICT goals for education in Afghanistan (both for the MoE &
line directorates nationally and within all schools in Afghani-
stan); Discussion of the ?One Laptop Per Child‘ program
E, To MoE
1030 MoE, Mr. Hamayun Alamyan, Director of Physical Health
Goals, progress & challenges of Physical Education & Scout-
ing within MoE
E
1330
MoE Audit Department Briefing with Director of Internal Audit Mr. Maboob-
shah Fakery & 3 other members of dept: Ms. Khatool Farhood, Auditor, Mr.
S.A. Baghy & Ms. Fauzia, Computer Operator
Progress, operations & challenges of the Audit Dept. E, To
1540 MoE Senior Advisor Abdul Arian
Discussion of capacity & institutional history of MoE; adop-
tion of Pay & Grade system & teacher competency; Gender
issues in Education & mandate of MoWA
To, E MoE
Sunday April 4 2010
0930-
1300
MoE Director of Private Education Najeeba Nooristani
Operations, progress & challenges of Private Education and
ECE (a department of this Directorate)
E, Tt MoE
MoE Budget Planning Section Jan Mohammad
Process of budget preparation, links to and influence of NESP,
request for data
To TP-S
Monday April 5 2010
0900 Save the Children/ Sweden-Norway, Meeting with Fazel Jalil, SoC/SN‘s contributions to the education sector To, E SC
1000-
1200
Community Based Education Working Group Mtg
Goals/ objectives in the newly-developed Action Plan for
Community-Based Education
E SoC/SN
1000-
1200
Education Management Working Group
1389 Operational Plan (nearly completed); updates on propos-
als for strengthening M&E system & building ICT infrastruc-
ture, proposal for MoE capacity-building & SWAp update
To
1200
PACE A. Meeting with Mr. Hafeez Nazarwal, Deputy Chief of Party, PACE-
A, Today‘s Acting Co-Chair of CBE WGroup
SoC/SN‘s contributions to the education sector, specifically
regarding Community-Based Education
E
Tuesday April 6 2010
1100 MoE Senior Advisor for General Education Professor Lutfullah Safi Discussion of MoE‘s structure & or Prof. Safi‘s role as leading E, To MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 149
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
8 educational sub-sectors: Basic, Secondary, Girls Ed, ECE
(Early Childhood), Inclusive, Emergency, Physical Ed & Pri-
vate Ed; Discussion of NESP I & NESP II—targets, Monitor-
ing & Evaluation, etc.
MoE, Mr. Karbalai, Director of Planning Various planning issues To, E MoE
1430 Shahrani, Director of EMIS, MoE
Coordination of school financial system, payroll system &
EMIS; WB‘s new partnership w/ EMIS for provincial expan-
sion.
E, To MoE
Wednesday April 7 2010
06:00
A back to
Kabul
0900-
0945
MoF, Mr. Abdulhaq Quraishi, Budget Officer Education Sector
MoF views on education sector (different bodies than those
included in the ?educational cluster‘); Discussion of MoE final
spending figures for Year 1388.
To MoF
0945
MoF Fiscal Policy Unit Officers Niaz Qasim and Zia-Ur-Rahman Haleemi
Overview of the work of the Fiscal Policy Unit;
MoE‘s share of the budget, (1388 & prior) & expected future
projections.
To MoF
1245
MoE Senior Adviser to the Minister of Ed. Abdul Arian & Education Devel-
opment Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood
Recommendations for refining draft sector analysis outline;
suggestions for resolving discrepancies in information re-
ceived from MoE stakeholders
E, To MoE
1500-
1730
UNICEF Deputy Chief of Education/ (currently Acting Chief) Calister Mlato;
Education Specialist John Ekaju; Program Assistant Mr. Farwad
UNICEF‘s contributions to the education sector; achievements
of year 2009 & plans for next 4 years under the new Country
Program.
E, To UNICEF
Thursday April 8 2010
11.30 Felix Edwards ASI Teleconference Team Meeting
TSP, TA, A, E,
S
London/Kabul
0900-
1200
IMF Mission to Afghanistan
Presentation of economy assessment at MoF (presentation of
Draft Report on Medium Term Macroeconomic Framework,
MoF
To MoF
1015-
1100
MoWA, Meeting with Hussun Banu Ghazanfar, Minister of Women‘s Affairs
Mandate of MoWA, coordination issues w/ other ministries,
challenges, educational/ training initiatives/ activities
E MoWA
1100-
1245
MoWA Deputy Minister Prof. Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi,Director of Social &
Cultural Affairs, Director of Planning & International Relations Dept. Dr.
Fauzia Habibi,
MoWA collaboration w/ MoE, MoHE, MoLSAMD: specific
focus on their contributions to NESP & MoHE Five Year
Strategy & curriculum development processes for Basic &
Secondary Education.
E MoWA
1430
MoE Senior Adviser to the Minister of Ed. Abdul Arian & Education Devel-
opment Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood
Finalization of draft outline for the analysis & work schedule:
week of April 10 established as final week for stakeholder
interviews in order to complete analysis/field visits per time-
frame.
E,T, S. A MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 150
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1630-
1745
Conference call with ASI/London: Program Manager & Team Leaders
Planning of field visits, planning/ organization for completion
of the sector analysis and NESP II assessment
A, E, To in
conference w/
T, S, F Edwards
Friday April 9 2010
. Team worked from Guest House
Saturday April 10 2010
0900 MoE Literacy Coordinator Mr. Jam
Discussion of progress, achievements & challenges of Literacy
in view of MGD & NESP goals.
E MoE, Kabul
1330 MoE Education Development Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood Planning for Herat Field Visit E,To MoE, Kabul
1530-
1730
MoE Director of EQUIP Program, Mr. Barak
History of EQUIP Program: progress, achievements, chal-
lenges & future plan
E. To MoE
1630 MoE Senior Advisor for General Education Professor Lutfullah Safi
Discussed questions on Team‘s initial draft of ECE sub-
section for the Educational Sector Analysis
E
Literacy Dept.
Office
1630 Mr. Ranen Sengupta and Mr. Rajan Nair, Danida Experts, MoE TA strategies in MoE A MoE
Sunday April 11 2010
0900 Treasury, Education Sector Focal Point Mr. Naveed Bakhshi
Discussed expenditure, MoE budget allotments compared to
other ministries; MoE & MoHE 1388 development spending.
Further information on 1389 Budget Planning
T MoF
MoF Aid Coordination Unit, Ahmed Jalil
Discussed reporting on External Budget figures including
1388 spending and 1389 proposed
T MoF
1100 MoE Deputy Minister for Islamic Education Professor Shafiq
DM provided inputs for the finalization of the Islamic Educa-
tional draft
A
MoE, Islamic
Education Office
1600 MoE Senior Advisor for General Education Professor Lutfullah Safi
Received Professor Safi‘s feedback on Team‘s draft of ECE
sub-section for the Educational Sector Analysis
E MoE
Monday April 12 2010
0930-
1630
Series of information-gathering sessions at the Ministry of Women‘s Affairs;
Meetings with Director of Human Resources, Director of Economic Empow-
erment Department; Director of Social & Cultural Affairs, Director
Received information about how MoWA is |involved in im-
plementing policies and training relating to education/ learn-
ing/ literacy/ TVET; MoWA‘s effectiveness in fulfilling its
mandate of ensuring compliance with the incorporation of
gender goals in educational policy planning by the other 3
ministries
E MoWA
MoE, Mirwais Masood, Organisation of fieldwork A MoE
MoE Internal Audit Unit, Mr Sayad Abdul Baghi, Deputy Director, Discussion and inspection To MoE
12:00 Olive Security Group Planning fieldwork A, To ASI Guesthouse
Tuesday April 13 2010
0930- MoE Director of Private Education, Ms. Najeeba Nooristani Directorates‘s role in regulating & monitoring private educa- A, E MoE,
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 151
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1030 tion & providing inclusive education
1030-
1300
Round Table involving representatives from private schools Ms. Nooristani,
Private Education, Tanwheed Highscool (Secondary Private) Mr. Abdualla
(Director). Kaiwap High School, Mr. Mohammad Ameen, Amani Secondary
School Mr. Muhammad Magsood (founder). ROHI educational organisation,
Mr. Mosleh (Director)
Discussed accomplishments & challenges for implementers of
private education & support/ issues/ coordination w/ MoE.
E, A
MoE, central
office
1000-
1130
Emergency Education WG
Role and mandate of Emergency Education since its role is
now elevated to a unit within MoE
To CARE HQ
1300
Infrastructure Department, MoE, Mohd. Zia Radyar, Dept. Head,
Eng. Tamim Afghan, Eng. A. Matin Magool
Achievements, challenges and plans for Infrastructure/ School
Construction
To, A,
Infrastructure
Dept. Office,
MoE
1330
MoE Senior Adviser to the Minister of Ed. Abdul Arian & Education Devel-
opment Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood
MoE‘s expectations regarding the team‘s coverage of the per-
formance of the sector (in the sector analysis), and coverage of
gender and Inclusive education
E MoE
1500 MoE, Mr. Gulistani, Director, Curriculum Development
Achievements, challenges & plans of Curriculum Develop-
ment in Basic & Secondary Ed.
A, To MoE, Curr. Dept
Wednesday April 14 2010
1000-
1130
General Education Working Group, about 20 representatives of stakeholders to
General Education
Briefings provided by all members on activities/ challenges/
plans; discussion of future administrative structure of MoE, vis
a vis the effectiveness of increasing formation of directorates,
divisions, units, WGroups, etc.
A,E
MoE, Ministers
meeting room
1300 MoF Head of Department for ANDS Coordination Mr. Shakir Majeedi,
The use of LogFrames as performance-measuring instruments
to achieve Results Based Management, accountable budgetary
process and planning goals for the Ministries; MoE‘s progress
in developing & utilizing Log Frames
A, E, To
Ministry of Fi-
nance
1300-
1530
MoHE: Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs Mohammad Osman Babury,
Senior Advisor for Higher Education A. Qadir Amiryar, Engineer Daoud,
Senior Higher Education Consultant (USAID/ AED) Dr. Fred Haywood
Progress, achievements & challenges facing the Higher educa-
tion sector.
A, E, To
Ministry of
Higher Education
Thursday April 15 2010
1100
MoE Chief of Staff Dr. Ataullah Wahidyar
Discussed general issues and developmental & security chal-
lenges in providing education in Afghanistan; specific discus-
sion about role & future of MoE‘s School Protection Unit
E MoE
1145
MoE Director of Emergency Education Mr. Haidary
Discussed questions about statistics provided by the Emer-
gency Education Unit about school closures
E MoE
1230 MoE Director of the School Protection Unit General Amerkheel
Discussed questions about statistics provided by the Emer-
gency Education Unit about school closures
1400 MoE Teacher Training Unit To pick up documents promised, but documents not available
1700 Olive Planning fieldwork A,E,To, ASI Guesthouse
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 152
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1900 UNESCO, Mr. Terje Watterdahl, Consultant Information about Inclusive Education A,E Serena Hotel
Friday April 16 2010
1315
USAID Educational Team Leader Grace Lang & Senior Education Advisor,
Afghanistan-Pakistan Task Force, USAID/ Washington, DC
Discussion of USAID‘s initiatives & specific clarifications
concerning various USAID projects
A, E, To
Team Continued worked on sector analysis from GH & pre-
pared for 4.30 AM departure for Herat
E, To, A
Saturday April 17 2010
0530 Fieldwork Herat Fieldwork A, To, Kabul – Herat
0830 UNAMA, Jan Malekzade, Nuzhat Shahzadi UNICEF, General situation of the Province A, To, Herat
1000
PED, Herat Province, Ghulam Rasoul – Plan Director,
Khawaja Noarmohammad – Monitoring Director, Aziz-u-Rahman Sarwary –
Town Educational Director, Abidullah Khamosh – Provincial Finance Officer,
Abdul Qadir Salahi – EQUIP Officer, Abdul Rahman Azizi – Theological
Deputy Director, Sayed Maqsood Amiri – Primary Literacy Director, Ali
Ahmad – Protection Officer, Basir Ahmad Arwen Tahari – Educational Direc-
tor, Ghulam Hazrat Tanha – Dean of Education Management in Harat,
Mohammad Naser Farzad – Administrative Deputy
Introduction to Education in Herat, A, To
Herat, PED Of-
fice
1330 -
1430
MoF Mustofiat, Herat Province Role and function of the financing systems To Mustofiat, Herat
1430-
1520
MoHE (at the Univ of Herat)
Barez Hussaini. Director of MoHE and President of Univ?
Information about Higher Education in general and the Herat
University in particular
A Herat University
1530
MoWA (AW, TPS)
Leila Monamami
A, To
Sunday April 18 2010
0900-
1050
Injil District Education Office
Nesar Ahmed Habibi, Director, GH Maboob (Expert) Sardy Abdul Bagh Ex-
pert Centre of Injil District,
Introduction to a District and being informed about
The education activities
A, To,
Ngil District
Education Office
1100-
1200
Yahya Khan CBS, Injil district Visit to CBS A, To, E Herat
1330-
1430
Tajrabawi Girls High School, Fasida, pres of the school, members of PTA, Inspection of Girls High School A, To, E Herat
1330-
1530
Private School, Close to the old building of Park Hotel Director Suheil (Foun-
der) and some of his staff
Issues related to private schools E, To, A Herat
1530-
1630
CHA,
Two NGOs: CHA, Eng. Sayed Agha, CRS: M. Fahim
Interview with representatives of NGOs in the education sector
in Herat
E, To, A
PED, Herat
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 153
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
CRS
1630-
1830
Head of Herat School Protection Special interview for investigating security issues in schools E, To, A
PED, Herat
Monday April 19 2010
0830-
1020
Ghiasia Darul Uloom
Karezak
Visit to a Madrassa, example of Darululums A, To. E Herat
Literacy Unit, Sayed Maqsood Amiri, General Manager E, A, To Herat
1030 Girls Literacy Class, Close to Herat Hawzawi Hospital E
Girls Literacy Class, Focus Group 3 female students (Attiqa, Sahaila, Nargis)
and Instructor Nadiya Habibi
E Herat
Herat Supplementary School, Focus Group with 25 female students E Herat
1400-
1445
Technic Institute, Next to Talare Buzurg Lycee Sultan
Aminullah Abrahim, Herat Technical Institute
Interview and inspection of workshops A, To. E Herat
1530-
1630
Herat Government Finance and Accounting Directorate.
In Governor‘s Office
To Herat
Tuesday April 20 2010
0900 EQUIP, PEOs Office, Abdul Qadir Salahi (Abdullah) E, A PED, Herat
0900
Mr. Azizur Rachman Saweri, General Manager Urban of Herat Education
Office.
Discussion on problems of coordination and need for specific
coordination point in the MoE office to deal with numerous
participants in Education field in the province.
To PED, Herat
0945 Mr. Abidullah, Finance Officer, MoE HERAT Discussions on Financial reporting in the province To PED, Herat
1030 Mr Akhtar Md Rasooli, Payroll Officer MoE Herat, Discussions on payroll date and input to EMIS To PED, Herat
MoWA, Line Directorate in Herat, Laeloma Amami E Herat
Departure Herat A, E, To, Herat to Kabul
Wednesday April 21 2010
LIFE Working Group, Shahnewaz Khan, Educational Program Manager, Co-
Chair of LIFE Working Group
E
UNESCO, Kabul
LIFE Working Group E Kabul
PACE-A, Nick Mills, Director E Kabul
Agha Khan, Ms. Nafisa Shekova, Education Program Coordinator E Kabul
MoE, Mr. Shalwar Hussaini, Deputy Minister of Literacy E, To MoE
Thursday April 22 2010
0830 EMIS Brief on status of EMIS, Collecting statistics A MoE HQ
MoE, Mr. Arian Discussion about fieldwork A, E, To MoE Kabul
Team Planning for field visit A, E, To MoE, Kabul
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 154
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Friday April 23 2010
Team working from guesthouse
Saturday April 24 2010
1000
Planning Department, staff , Jalaudin Abuyee
Head of Research
Planning and reporting from the Provinces A
Planning
Dept.,MoE
1030 Karbalai, Head of Planning A
Planning
Dept.,MoE
1030 MOLSAMD, Mr. Safi, Budget and Planning Director To MOLSAMD
1120 EMIS Update of statistics A EMIS, MoE
1200 UNESCO, Shahnewaz Khan, Program Manager/Education Coordinator E UNESCO
1500 BESST, CoP, D-CoP & Technical Manager E BESST
Sunday April 25 2010
0600 Arrival of S from London S Return to Kabul
0840 UNICEF Chief of Education Fazlul Haque
Discussion of UNICEF‘s involvement in Emergency Educa-
tion
E UNICEF
1300 MoE, Mr. Arian S MoE
1330 Team left for Nangarhar Province E, To, A Kabul - Jalalabad
1500
Nangarhar Province Education Department, Mr. S. Essai, Deputy Director
Education, Mr. Ali Ahmad Barakzai, Equip,
Discussion of progress, achievements & challenges of Provin-
cial Line Directorate of Education in Nangarhar
E, To, A PED, Jalalabad
1600-
1800
ADA, Gul Hussain, UNICEF Prakash Tuladhar, chief, Zonal office,
UNICEF & ADA‘s contributions to educational sector in Nan-
garhar
E, To, A PED, Jalalabad
1900
Team and translators Planning and sharing not E, To, A
Spin Gar Hotel,
Jalalabad
Monday April 26 2010
0800 –
1000
MoE – Nangarhar Provincial Line Directorate
Introduction to the general situation of education in the Prov-
ince
E, To, A PED,Jalalabad
0915-
1200
Education Development Boards Presentation of ESA Team work S
Serena Hotel,
Kabul
1015 -
1110
MoF – Mustofiat, Mohammad Ishaqzai, Director of Mustofiat and Deputy
Governor of Nangarhar Province
Discussion on financial aspects of MoE, AFMIS and relations
with MoE
To
Mustofiat, Jala-
labad
1010-
1110
MoHE Dr. Sabir Situation for higher education E Jalalabad
1010-
1110
MoLSAMD, Haji Hayat Khan and three staff members Role and function of MoLSAMD A Jalalabad
1120-
1200
School visits. Bibi Zainab High School for girls.
Afghan Gull , Principal , 0700 69 86 33, English Dept Head, Shefiqa, Gul Jan-
Supervisor of the Inspection Team, Saadia. - Teacher
Visit to a huge girls high school with serious problems related
to lack of proper infrastructure
E, To, A Jalalabad
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 155
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1210-
130
Nangarhar High School, boys, Mr. Mohammad Mosa, Administrative Man-
ager,
Mr. Hazrat Wali, Academic Deputy Principal, Mr. Mohammad Abbas, Head
Master, Mohammad Gul, Headmaster for 12 Grade, Mohammad Asif, Admin-
istrative Deputy, Mr. Sarwar, Principle
Meeting with Director and many of the teachers of the school E, To, A Jalalabad
1320-
1500
Town District Education Office, Behsood District, Noor Mohammad and his
colleagues
Trying to assess the challenges from a Town District Office
point of view
E, To, A Jalalabad
1510-
1600
MoWA Amira Amrani Woman Affair‘s activities, and relations to other stakeholders E, To, A Jalalabad
1610-
1800
NGOs: A Rasool, DEO, Abdullah Nassar, SCA, Eng. M. Afzal, WADAN,
Asim Samarkhhail, Principal Litracy Department, Fazil Nabi Safi, Literacy
Department, Afil Khan, SCS-N, Radimullah, BRAC, Pamir –Momand ELA
UNESCO
Information about NGOs‘ operations in the Province E, To, A
PED Office, Jala-
labad
Tuesday April 27 2010
0800 Departure from Jalalabad E, To, A
From Jalalabad to
Kabul
Working from guesthouse on drafting report Kabul
Wednesday April 28 2010
0830:
1230
ESA Team meeting S, E, To, A ASI guesthose
Thursday April 29 2010
1400 DANIDA, (Poul Erik Rasmussen and Farid Tanai NESP Planning and Donor Coordination S Danish Embassy
Friday April 30 2010
Saturday May 1 2010
0830 MoE, Ministers Secretariat, Ms. Asalma Request for updated statistics A MoE
Faridullah Mirzad, AFMIS Manager and Acting Development Budget Man-
ager
Info about Budget Preparation and Expenditure Tracking
(BPET), system and the issue of under spending on the Devel-
opment Budget
T
MoE, EMIS Mr Sherani
To obtain 2009 statistical tables and data on progress towards
NESPI and ANDS education targets
S MoE
MoE, Procurement, Mr Hanifi, Director
Discuss developments in procurement aimed a reducing delay
in expenditure including more timely procurement plans
T MoE
MoE Director of School Protection Unit – EDL, General Amerkhil,
Discussion regarding statistics of school damage/ closures/
attacks
E MoE
MoE, Literacy Department, Deputy Minister Hussaini
Collecting documents and to clarify questions on statistics
provided
Abdullah Literacy
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 156
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Sunday May 2 2010
0930-
1000
BRAC, Sakhi Abrar Information about BRACs work E MoE, Kabul
1000-
1045
Working Group for Early Childhood Development E Kabul
1100-
1120
MoE, Ms Nooristani, Director of Private Education & Mutahar Shah Akhgar,
Mine Advisor
E MoE, Kabul
1145-
1330
BRAC, Md Abdul Quyyum, Senior Manager, Educational Programs and Md
Siddique Ali, Program Officer for Education
BRAC activities E
BRAC Office,
Kabul
1230 MoE, EMIS Mr Sherani Follow-up on previous request A MoE
1240 Field Work Bamyan starts, Met by Delegation from PEO S, T Kabul-Bamyan
1345
Provincial Education Office (PEO) Deputy Director, Ghulam Husain Sharifi
Reza Sherzad M and E Manager, Mohammad Ayub Islamyar Director of Sci-
ence, Ali Maddad Administration Manager, Reza Farahmand Spokesperson to
Director
Introductions and Arrange Programme S, T PEO Bamyan
1500
UNAMA, Elena Brosvik Political Officer, Ahmadullah Javed National Politi-
cal Officer, Mohammad Rostamyan National Programme Officer
Keiichi Tanabe Programme Officer
a) Schools b) Literacy and c) UNAMA‘s role and influence S, T Bamyan
Monday May 3 2010
0800-
1000.
Provincial Education Office – Bamyan, Deputy Director Ghulam Husain
Sharifi, Reza Sherzad M and E Manager, Mohammad Ayub Islamyar Director
of Science, Ali Maddad Administration Manager, Usman Khushrang Engineer
EQUIP, Akbar Laksi Finance Manager .
Structure, departments, achievements.Challenges: teachers,
learning materials, supervision, infrastructure.
Planning
S, T PEO Bamyan
1015-
1110
MoF, Mustofiat, Mr Abdul Qahar, Director, and Md Akbar Lagzey, Provincial
Finance Officers, MoE
AFMIS, Financial Reporting, Process of budget execution to
schools
T MoF, Bamyan
1010-
1110
University of Bamyan, Chancellor Hamidullah Adina and the Head of the
English Department Chaman Ali Hikmat
Development of the University
Financing and expansion
S
University of
Bamyan
1130 School visit. Central Girls High School
Access, quality, school and completion
Financing organization and management
Teacher development opportunities
S, T Bamyan
1400 MoWA Director Fatima Kazimian
Education and training functions and activities, including
literacy, vocational training etc
S, T Bamyan
1500 Literacy, Qolam Yahya Benesh (MoE Literacy manager) The Tashkil for MoE literacy programmes S Bamyan
1500 EQUIP, PED Bamiyan, Md Osman Qarar, Civil Engineer, EQUP Office
State of school infrastructure: issues and challenges. Financ-
ing, unit costs, design and management issues
T Bamyan
1630
MoE – Monitoring and Evaluation, Reza Sherzad Manager of M and E
Mohammad Ismail Hadsanyar, Naem Balchtyari, Mohammad Ali Rezai
Abdul Khaliq.
M and E in schools, Ways of working, Monitoring and report-
ing, Quality improvement
S, T PEO, Bamyan
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 157
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1900-
2100
MoE, Ms Hamida Nizami, Director of Basic Education Basic education and CBE E Kabul
Tuesday May 4 2010
0800 PEO, brief visit S, T PEO
0900
Bamyan Teacher Training College, Deputy Principal
Mir Hussain Farhat, MoE Teacher Training Manager
The development of the TTC. Students, teacher and course.
Data on students. Challenges facing the college and teacher
training in general
S, T Bamyan
1030 Khushkak School (Grades 1-9) Principal Haji Booman
History and circumstances of a rural school. Achievements
and challenges. The role of the community
S, T Bamyan
1130-
1200
MoE, EMIS Mr Sherani
Discussion of educational statistics and reception of many of
the 2009 EMIS tables
A MoE, Kabul
1300-
1445
Save the Children, Colin Alfred Country Coordinator, Fazel Jalil, D-CoP,
Program Coordinator
Inclusive Education, CBEs, PTAs, etc. E Kabul
1400 PEO Office, Deputy Director Ghulam Husain Sharifi Farewell and thanks S, T Bamyan
1515-
1630
UNESCO, Parveen Azimi, Coordinator for Inclusive Education Inclusive Education E Kabul
Wednesday May 5 2010
0845-
1045
MoE, Ms Nooristani, Director of Private School and Mr. Nazir Ahmad, Head
of Inclusive Education
Inclusive Education E MOE, Kabul
1130-
1345
MoE, Ms. Sara Amiryar, Senior Advisor to the Minister for Institutional Ca-
pacity Building & Human Resources
E Kabul
1430-
1600
Working Group Meeting of the Girls‘ Education Initiative Girls Education E Kabul
1630-
1700
BESST Program Jill Meeks and MoE Susan Wardak, Senior Policy Advisor &
General Director of Teacher Education
E Kabul
Thursday May 6 2010
1030-
1100
MoE, Literacy, Mr. Jam Documentation and clarification of statistics E
MoE, Literacy,
Kabul
1030-
1115
MoE, School Infrastructure, Eng. Zia Radyar, Head Discussion of planning and construction for girls‘ schools E
MoE, Infrastruc-
ture, Kabul
1100
Mr. Mirwais Massood
Followup on Islamic Education, requesting information prom-
ised several weeks ago from Dr. Shafiq
A MoE, Kabul
1130-
1200
MoE, General Education, Professor Lutfallah Safi
Discussion of Inclusive Education & MoE‘s program for Ku-
chi Education
E MoE, Kabul
1315- MoE Teacher Education, Ms. Susan Wardak, Senior Policy Advisor & General E MoE, Teacher
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 158
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1600 Director of Teacher Education Training Kabul
Friday May 7 2010
0
0
0
Saturday May 8 2010
0
0
0
Sunday May 9 2010
0
0
0
Monday May 10 2010
1030 MoE, Deputy Ministry of Islamic Education, Dr. Shafiq Structure of the Islamic Schools A
MOE, Patman‘s
Office
1400
MoE, Curriculum Development, Mr. Gulistania, Dr. Shir Ali Zarifi, Head of
Curriculum Development Project
Information about Islamic Education A
Curriculum De-
partment
1530 NSDP, MOLSAMD, Mr. Wahim Wardak, Director Searching labour forecast information A MOLSAMD,
Tuesday May 11 2010
Wednesday May 12 2010
1000 Ministry of Hajj and Endowment, Dr. Mohd. Yusuf Niazi Discussion of Curriculum in Islamic Education
Ministry of Hajj
and Endowment
1400 NSDP, MOLSAMD, Mr. Wahim Wardak, Director Labour issues, Women and MOLSAMD
Thursday May 13 2010
Frisday May 14 2010
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 159
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Saturday May 15 2010
Sunday may 16 2010
Monday May 17 2010
0
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 160
Annex 4 Education Sector Aid Programmes and Projects 1388 (2009)
273
Funded
Through
Implementing
Partners
Project Name NESP Supported Funds
Amount
(USD)
Geographical Location Project
Start
Date
Project
End
Date
AGFUND UNESCO Women‘s Literacy in Com-
munity Learning Center
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
100000
Bamiyan
ARTF Do-
nors
WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program
(EQUIP) (2004-2009)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Education Administration Reform
and Development
44 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
aug.04
ARTF Do-
nors
WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program – Sec-
ond Phase (EQUIP II )
(2008-2012)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development
40 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
apr.08
CIDA WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
1291230 Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
Lam), Parwan
jan.06 Dec-10
CIDA CIDA UNICEF and
WFP
Women's Literacy Program 1223579 Kandahar City feb.07 Dec-08
CIDA CIDA BRAC Girls' Primary Education,
Establishment of 4,000 CBS
in 11 provinces
General Education 12730465 Kabul,Heart, Samangan,
Jewzjan, Helmand, Kandahar,
Herat, Kapisa, Parwan,
Jalalabad, Laghman
2006 2010
CIDA CIDA WUSC-CARE Vocational Training for
Afghan Women, The project
assists vulnerable Afghan
women through skills devel-
opment through a diverse
portfolio of training options
Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
4389816 Kabul 2007 2011
CIDA WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
2- Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
1291230 Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
jan.06 Dec-10
273
Wirak, A. et al, Identification Report for Danish support to Education (MoE) Afghanistan for the period 2010-2012 (SY 1389-91) (August 2009), using MoE/UNESCO data.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 161
Lam), Parwan
CIDA Ministery of
Education
EQUIP 52 677 788 National wide- 34 provinces 2007 2011
CIDA Agha Khan
Foundation
Girls Education Support Program
(GESP)
7023705 Badakhshan,Bamyan and
Baghlan
2007 2012
DANIDA DANIDA MOE Curricu-
lum in coopera-
tion with
DANIDA
funded interna-
tional Specialist
and specialized
national Techni-
cal Assistance
staff
Textbook Planning, Produc-
tion and Distribution
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials
10 772 000 Project implemented via the
Central MOE in Kabul but
covering all Provinces - All
Districts
jan.07 May-09
DANIDA DANIDA MOE Finance,
Budget, HR and
RIMU in coop-
eration with
DANIDA
funded interna-
tional Specialist
and specialized
national Techni-
cal Assistance
staff
International and national
technical assistance to the
MOE administrative reform
Education Administration Reform
and Development
2 500 000 Project implemented via the
Central MOE in Kabul but
covering all Provinces - All
Districts
DANIDA DANIDA MOE / DOE
Helmand
School and dormitory con-
struction - Helmand
General Education 6 000 000 Helmand - Lashkagar Oct-08
EC UNESCO Community-based Pro-
gramme ?Reducing harms of
using drugs‘
Cross-cutting 75000 Old Kabul city, Kharabat area
GTZ GTZ BEST, JACK,
HHO, SAB
Basic Education Program for
Afghanistan
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials
7117350 Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz,
Mazar, Sare-Pul, Paktia,
Paktika and Khost
jul.05 Dec-10
IDA WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program
(EQUIP) (2004-2009)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Education Administration Reform
40 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
aug.04
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 162
and Development
IDA WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program – Sec-
ond Phase (EQUIP II )
(2008-2012)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development
30 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
apr.08
Japan UNESCO Enhancement of Literacy in
Afghanistan (ELA)
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
15000000 [Phase-1] 9 provinces
Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamiyan,
Daikundi, Ghor, Nangarhar,
Paktika, Samangan, Wardak,
[Phase-2] 9 provinces
Badghis, Faryab, Ghazni,
Khost Kunar, Nimroz, Nuris-
tan, Uruzgan, Zabul
mar.08 feb.13
Japan UNESCO Development of Non Formal
Education Management
Information System
(NFEMIS)
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
200000 Kabul
Japan WFP Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
structure in Afghanistan
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
2650741 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.08 Dec-08
Japan EoJ UNICEF School Construction Project Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
26000000 Kabul city and bordering areas
towards Pakistan
Oct-08 Dec-09
Japan UNESCO Development of Non Formal
Education Management
Information System
(NFEMIS)
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Education Administration
Reform and Development
300000 Kabul
Japan UNESCO Enhancement of Literacy in
Afghanistan (ELA)
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
15000000 [Phase-1] 9 provinces
Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamiyan,
Daikundi, Ghor, Nangarhar,
Paktika, Samangan, Wardak,
[Phase-2] 9 provinces
Badghis, Faryab, Ghazni,
Khost Kunar, Nimroz, Nuris-
tan, Uruzgan, Zabul
mar.08 feb.13
Japan EoJ UNICEF School Construction Project Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
26000000 Kabul city and bordering areas
towards Pakistan
Oct-08 Dec-09
Japan WFP &
UNICEF
Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
3173114 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.06 Dec-08
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 163
structure in Afghanistan
JICA JICA System Science
Consultants Inc.
Strengthening Teachers
Education Program?STEP
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials
4800000 Kabul, Herat, Kandahar,
Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif
jun.05 aug.08
JICA JICA System Science
Consultants Inc.
Strengthening Teachers
Education Program?STEP-
2
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials
4450000 Kabul(Bamian, Mazar-e-
Sharif, Jalalabad)
sep.07 aug.10
JICA JICA KRI Interna-
tional Corp.
The Project on Support for
Expansion and Improvement
of Literacy Education in
Afghanistan (LEAF)
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
3940000 Kabul , Mazar-e-
Sharif,Bamian,
mar.06 jul.08
JICA JICA The Project on Support for
Expansion and Improvement
of Literacy Education in
Afghanistan (LEAF) - 2
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
Kabul Province including
Kabul city, Bamian Province
and Balkh Province
Prelimi-
nary
Evalua-
tion
Mission
will be
conduct-
ing study
early
2009.
JICA JICA The National
Federation of
UNESCO Asso-
ciations in Japan
(NFUAJ)
Strengthening Non Formal
Education in Afghanistan
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
1560000 Kabul mar.04 mar.07
JICA JICA International
Cooperation
Center, Tsukuba
University
Strengthening Education for
Children with Disabilities
Project
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials,
107000 Kabul jul.05 mar.06
JICA JICA International
Cooperation
Center, Tsukuba
University
Strengthening Teacher
Education on Special Educa-
tion
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials
767000 TTC Lecturers nation wide nov.08 May-10
JICA JICA Shanti Volun-
teer Association
Improving quality of pri-
mary education through
promotion of picture books
and library activities
General Education 528000 Jalalabad Oct-07 Oct-10
JICA JICA Individual Ex-
perts
Education Cooperation
Planning (Advisor,Current) /
Education Cooperation Ad-
visor, Education Policy
Education Administration Reform
and Development
1300000 Kabul nov.02 On
go-
ing(curr
ent one
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 164
Advisor, Education Pro-
gramme Advisor
started
from
Oct-08)
JICA JICA Naruto Univer-
sity of Educa-
tion
STEP 2 Counterpart Train-
ing Programme
30800 Japan jan.09 feb.09
JICA JICA Naruto Univer-
sity of Educa-
tion
Training on Improvement of
Teaching Methods
49500 Japan jan.09 feb.09
JICA JICA Ochanomizu
University
Training Programme for
Young Leaders for Afghani-
stan/Education(Female
Teachers)
181000 Japan jan.09 jan.09
Lithuania WFP MoE, MRRD &
CDCs
Low Cost School Construc-
tion in Ghor Province
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
274818 Ghor (Chaghcharan, Dawlat-
yar, Du Layna, Shahrak and
Tulak)
aug.07 jun.08
Multi do-
nors
WFP MoE Functional Literacy Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
All provinces jan.06 Dec-08
Multi do-
nors
WFP MoE Teachers Training General Education
jan.06 Dec-08
Multi do-
nors
WFP WFP Assistance to Improve
Vocational Skills Training
and Non-Formal Education
in Afghanistan
Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
18 MoLSA training centers in
Balkh, Kabul, Kunduz, Nan-
garhar, Paktya, Kandahar,
Bamyan, Heart Nimroz and
Farah
jan.06 Dec-11
Multi do-
nors
WFP WFP Assistance to Improve
Access to Primary and Non-
Formal Education in Af-
ghanistan
General Education 179 154 000 All provinces jan.06 Dec-12
Norway-
MoFA
UNESCO IIEP Strategic Planning & Capac-
ity Development
Education Administration Reform
and Development
1 500 000 Central Ministry / Kabul Oct-06 Dec-09
NORWAY,
SIDA,
UNICEF
UNICEF UNICEF (to-
gether with
MoE)
Women's Literacy and Em-
powerment
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
2000000 All provinces 2006 2009
SIDA UNICEF UNICEF (to-
gether with
MoE)
Basic Education and Gender
Equality 2006-2008
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials, 5- Literacy and
Non-Formal Education
8300000 (Province and District) May-06 Dec-08
Sweden SIDA Swedish Com- Education Programme of the 1- General Education, 3- Education 6700000
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 165
mittee for Af-
ghanistan
Swedish Committee for
Afghanistan 2006-2008
Infrastructure Rehabilitation and
Development, 2- Teacher Education
and Working Conditions
Sweden SIDA Swedish Com-
mittee for Af-
ghanistan
Integrated Development
Scheme for the Northern
Provinces of Samangan,
Balkh
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
1100000
UNCIEF WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
Lam), Parwan
jan.06 Dec-10
UNESCO UNESCO Advocacy and capacity
building for creating a sup-
portive policy environment
for inclusive education
Cross-cutting 75 000
UNESCO UNESCO Supporting research and
strengthening capacity-
building in Higher Educa-
tion
Cross-cutting 60 000
UNESCO UNESCO Development of Non Formal
Education Management
Information System
(NFEMIS)
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Education Administration
Reform and Development
100 000 Kabul
UNESCO UNESCO Supporting the Literacy
Initiative for Empowerment
(LIFE) in Afghanistan
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
100 000
UNHCR UNHCR MoE & IRC Joint initiative to improve
Afghan refugee children‘s
access to education in Paki-
stan, Iran and their re-
integration in Afghanistan
1- General Education, 2- Education
Administration Reform and Devel-
opment
1 200 000 Refugee concentration areas in
Pakistan and Iran, and all
provinces of Afghanistan.
aug.07
UNICEF WFP Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
structure in Afghanistan
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
124320 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.08 Dec-08
UNICEF WHO MoPH, MOE School Health General Education
Kabul, Balkh, Faryab, Hirat,
Nangarhr, Khunar, Lagman,
Khost, Qundus, Takhar, Sari-
pul and Ghore
UNICEF,
GTHF
UNICEF MoE national,
provinces, dis-
Support to Sector Reform
and Community Develop-
1- General Education, 2- Literacy
and Non-Formal Education
5000000 All provinces 2006 2009
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 166
tricts, schools,
Communities,
ment
UNICEF,
USA,
GTHF,
GGE
UNICEF UNICEF (to-
gether with
MoE)
Quality of Primary Educa-
tion with Special Focus on
Girls
General Education 1 000 000 All provinces 2006 2009
USA UNESCO Programme for Reconstruc-
tion of Education System in
Afghanistan
Cross-cutting 35000000
USA USAID MoE National Institute of Man-
agement and Administration
Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
6000000 Kabul City jun.05
USA USAID Oasis Interna-
tional schools,
INC.
International School of Ka-
bul (ISK)
1- General Education, 2- Cross-
Cutting, 2- Education Infrastructure
Rehabilitation and Development
8525280 Kabul City jun.05 jun.10
USA USAID UN HABITAT,
Literacy De-
partment, MoE
Learning for Community
Empowerment Program-2
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
40000000 Phase 1: Bamyan, Balkh,
Farah, Herat, Kandahar, Nan-
garhar, Kabul, Ghor, Kapisa,
Panjshir, and Parwan. Phases
2 and 3: Baghlan, Kunduz,
Jawzwan, Laghman, Logar,
Saripur, Takhar and Helmand.
jan.08 jan.13
USA USAID DANIDA Printing of textbook to Min-
istry of Education
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials
25000000 Nationwide (all 34 provinces) jul.07 2011
USA USAID UNOPS Ghazi and Sardar-kabuli
High School Buildings, and
200 classrooms
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
23400000 Kabul City jul.07 aug.09
USA USAID IOM CHEF (Construction of 10
Provincial Teacher Resource
Centers including dormito-
ries and learning spaces)
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
56773305 10 provinces jan.08 jan.11
USA USAID UN HABITAT Youth Empowerment Pro-
ject
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training, (Commu-
nity Grants)
2156262 6 Provinces sep.06
USA USAID ARZO. Inc Social Benefits Program for
Afghan Women
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
2298000 jun.08
USA USAID Bearing Point Capacity Development Pro-
ject (Support to National
TAs)
National /Sub national Education
Delivery & ATVI
8000000 Nationwide (34 provinces) jan.08 jan.10
USA USAID MoE EQUIP I (Kabul City
Schools Construction)
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development, (ARTF)
20000000 Kabul City aug.08 mar.09
USA USAID MoE EQUIP II (Teacher and Teacher Education and Working 22000000 23 provinces apr.08 sep.12
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 167
principal Training) Conditions, (ARTF)
WFP UNESCO Development of National
Literacy Action Plan
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
100 000 Kabul
WFP WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
200 000 Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
Lam), Parwan
jan.06 Dec-10
WFP WFP MoE, MRRD &
CDCs
Low Cost School Construc-
tion in Ghor Province
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
35 000 Ghor (Chaghcharan, Dawlat-
yar, Du Layna, Shahrak and
Tulak)
aug.07 jun.08
WFP WHO UN-WHO and
Community
Literacy and Health Educa-
tion Project under the Basic
Development Needs (BDN)
Program.
General Education 100 000 Kabul ,Nangarhar,Ghazni,
Bamyan, Heart, Kunduz,
Badakhshan,Kandahahr
tbd-1996 going
on
WFP WHO MoPH, MOE School Health General Education
Kabul, Balkh, Faryab, Hirat,
Nangarhr, Khunar, Lagman,
Khost, Qundus, Takhar, Sari-
pul and Ghore
WFP WFP Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
structure in Afghanistan
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
398053 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.08 Dec-08
WHO WHO UN-WHO and
Community
Literacy and Health Educa-
tion Project under the Basic
Development Needs (BDN)
Program.
General Education 200 000 Kabul ,Nangarhar,Ghazni,
Bamyan, Heart, Kunduz,
Badakhshan,Kandahahr
tbd-1996 going
on
WHO WHO MoPH, MOE School Health General Education 100 000 Kabul, Balkh, Faryab, Hirat,
Nangarhr, Khunar, Lagman,
Khost, Qundus, Takhar, Sari-
pul and Ghore
doc_212719144.pdf
This sector analysis report (ESA) takes stock of the state of education in Afghani-stan in the first quarter of 1389 (2010). It is an overview of the education sector, set within wider national development frame-works. It reflects the views and opinions of many of the stakeholders who support the delivery of education services.
Education Sector Analysis
Afghanistan
Final Draft
Kabul Jawsa 1389 (June 2010)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 ii
The Education Sector Analysis Team
Steve Packer
Terry Allsop
Elizabeth Dvorak- Little
Tony Preston Stanley
Anders Wirak
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 iii
List of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... IX
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................. 1
TERMS OF REFERENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 1
METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................. 1
DEFINING THE SECTOR.......................................................................................................................................... 2
THE STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ............................................................................................................................. 2
LIMITATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 3
A THE EDUCATION SECTOR IN CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 4
1. THE CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 An Impressive Story .......................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 A Longer Perspective ........................................................................................................................ 4
1.3 Legacy of Distrust ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.4 Challenges Ahead ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.5 Education’s Legal Underpinning ........................................................................................................ 6
2. MEETING AFGHANISTAN’S DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES ........................................................................................ 7
2.1 Education and ANDS ......................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 The Scale of the Challenge ................................................................................................................ 8
2.3 Defining Needs ................................................................................................................................. 9
3. EDUCATION SECTOR POLICIES AND PLANS...................................................................................................... 10
3.1 Plan Development .......................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Plan Goals and Performance Measurement .................................................................................... 12
3.3 Plan Focus and Areas of Linkage ..................................................................................................... 13
3.4 National Plans: Local Needs ............................................................................................................ 13
3.5 Cross Cutting Issues ........................................................................................................................ 14
3.6 External Planning Frameworks ....................................................................................................... 14
B TAKING STOCK OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR ........................................................................................... 15
4. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE) .......................................................................................................... 15
4.1 Background .................................................................................................................................... 15
4.2 Legal Framework ............................................................................................................................ 15
4.3 ECE within the MoE ........................................................................................................................ 15
4.4 New Developments ......................................................................................................................... 16
4.5 ECE Pilot ......................................................................................................................................... 16
4.6 ECE Objectives ................................................................................................................................ 16
4.7 Other Pre-school Initiatives ............................................................................................................. 17
4.8 Quality, Access and Risks ................................................................................................................ 17
4.9 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 19
5. GENERAL EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 20
5.1 Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 20
5.2 Access ............................................................................................................................................. 21
5.3 Quality............................................................................................................................................ 24
5.4 Equity ............................................................................................................................................. 28
5.5 Stakeholders ................................................................................................................................... 29
5.6 Performance Monitoring ................................................................................................................ 32
5.7 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 34
6. ISLAMIC EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................. 34
6.1 Brief History of Islamic Education ................................................................................................... 35
6.2 Forms of Islamic Education ............................................................................................................. 35
6.3 The Constitution, Education Law and Islamic Education .................................................................. 37
6.4 Islamic and Formal Education Structures ........................................................................................ 38
6.5 Islamic Education in NESP I ............................................................................................................. 39
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 iv
6.6 Islamic Education in ANDS (2008) ................................................................................................... 39
6.7 Islamic Education in NESP II (2010) ................................................................................................. 40
6.8 Islamic Schools 1389 (2010) ............................................................................................................ 40
6.9 Service Delivery Capacity ................................................................................................................ 41
6.10 Islamic Education and Gender .................................................................................................... 41
6.11 Stakeholders .............................................................................................................................. 42
6.12 Finance ...................................................................................................................................... 42
6.13 Curriculum and Standards .......................................................................................................... 43
6.14 Outputs, Outcomes and Relevance ............................................................................................. 44
6.15 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 44
7 TEACHER EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 45
7.1 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 48
8 HIGHER EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................. 48
8.1 Higher Education Capacity .............................................................................................................. 48
8.2 Expanding Access ........................................................................................................................... 50
8.3 Improving Quality ........................................................................................................................... 52
8.4 Resourcing the Plan ........................................................................................................................ 53
8.5 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 54
9 SKILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT: VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) AND TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING (TVET) ....................................................................................................................................... 54
9.1 Definitions ...................................................................................................................................... 54
9.2 The Skills Deficit .............................................................................................................................. 55
9.3 Legislation, Regulations and Policy ................................................................................................. 57
9.4 Access ............................................................................................................................................. 61
9.5 Quality............................................................................................................................................ 63
9.6 Monitoring and Evaluation ............................................................................................................. 64
9.7 Stakeholder Cooperation ................................................................................................................ 64
9.8 SWOT Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 66
10 LITERACY ............................................................................................................................................... 66
10.1 Understanding the Issue ............................................................................................................ 66
10.2 An Historical Perspective ............................................................................................................ 67
10.3 Ministry of Education: Literacy Goals and Challenges ............................................................... 67
10.4 Access, Quality and Management .............................................................................................. 68
10.5 Relevance .................................................................................................................................. 69
10.6 Measuring Progress towards NESP Goals ................................................................................... 70
10.7 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 71
11 COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION (CBE) ........................................................................................................ 72
11.1 History and Context................................................................................................................... 72
11.2 Access ........................................................................................................................................ 72
11.3 Management ............................................................................................................................. 73
11.4 Equity......................................................................................................................................... 75
11.5 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 75
12 THE PRIVATE SECTOR ................................................................................................................................ 75
12.1 Stakeholders .............................................................................................................................. 76
12.2 Legislation, Regulations and Policy............................................................................................. 76
12.3 Financing ................................................................................................................................... 77
12.4 Quality ....................................................................................................................................... 77
12.5 Private Education and Equity ..................................................................................................... 79
C THREE SPECIAL ISSUES ............................................................................................................................ 80
13 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION .............................................................................................................................. 80
13.1 Defining Inclusive Education....................................................................................................... 80
13.2 Afghan Context .......................................................................................................................... 80
13.3 MoE Commitments .................................................................................................................... 81
13.4 Moving Commitments into Practical Realities ............................................................................ 81
13.5 Vulnerable Groups ..................................................................................................................... 82
13.6 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 85
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 v
14 EDUCATION, SECURITY AND PEACE............................................................................................................... 86
14.1 Historical Context ....................................................................................................................... 86
14.2 Education and Security ............................................................................................................... 86
15 ADVANCING THE GENDER AGENDA .............................................................................................................. 89
15.1 History and Context ................................................................................................................... 89
15.2 Political and Economic Importance ............................................................................................ 89
15.3 Ministry of Education’s Achievements, Goals, Challenges ........................................................... 90
15.4 The Situation in 1389 (2010) ...................................................................................................... 90
15.5 Responding to the Challenges .................................................................................................... 95
15.6 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 96
D MANAGING CHANGE............................................................................................................................... 97
16 FINANCING EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................. 97
16.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 97
16.2 Operating and Development Budgets......................................................................................... 97
16.3 External Budget ......................................................................................................................... 98
16.4 Revenue ................................................................................................................................... 101
16.5 Financing the Plan.................................................................................................................... 102
16.6 Ministry of Higher Education .................................................................................................... 103
16.7 Financial Management and Governance in MoE ...................................................................... 104
16.8 Procurement ............................................................................................................................ 106
16.9 AFMIS, the Ministry of Finance and Procurement ..................................................................... 108
16.10 Procurement and Planning ....................................................................................................... 109
16.11 Internal Audit ........................................................................................................................... 109
16.12 Other Challenges for Internal Audit .......................................................................................... 111
16.13 SWOT Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 112
17 KNOWLEDGE AND DATA .......................................................................................................................... 113
17.1 School Surveys and Annual Reports .......................................................................................... 113
17.2 Data Gaps ................................................................................................................................ 114
17.3 Other Sources of Data .............................................................................................................. 115
17.4 Knowledge Gap: Knowledge Sources ........................................................................................ 115
18 BUILDING CAPACITY ............................................................................................................................... 116
19 AID FOR EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 120
19.1 Aid Dependence: Aid Effectiveness ........................................................................................... 120
19.2 A Quick Look Back .................................................................................................................... 121
19.3 The Situation in 1389 (2010) .................................................................................................... 122
19.4 The Aid to Education Picture .................................................................................................... 122
19.5 Better Aid Practice ................................................................................................................... 123
19.6 Support for Education through Budget Support: ARTF .............................................................. 124
19.7 Projects and Programmes ........................................................................................................ 124
19.8 The Role of NGOs and CSOs ...................................................................................................... 125
19.9 PRTs in Education (see Section 14) ........................................................................................... 125
19.10 Making Aid Work Better........................................................................................................... 125
E CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 129
ANNEX 1 TERMS OF REFERENCE .................................................................................................................... 132
ANNEX 2 SELECTED REFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 136
ANNEX 3 RECORD OF MEETINGS ................................................................................................................... 143
ANNEX 4 EDUCATION SECTOR AID PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS 1388 (2009) ........................................... 160
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1 ENROLMENT IN GENERAL SCHOOLS: 1386 -1388 (2007-2009) ......................................................................... 23
TABLE 2 NET ENROLMENT IN SIX PROVINCES: GRADES 1-9............................................................................................. 23
TABLE 3 ENROLMENT BY GRADE 1387 (2008) (IN ‘000) .............................................................................................. 25
TABLE 4 ISLAMIC SCHOOLS (MOE) 1386-1389 (2007-2010) ...................................................................................... 41
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 vi
TABLE 5 MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS IN ISLAMIC SCHOOLS (MOE) 1386-1388 .............................................................. 42
TABLE 6 BUDGET 1388 (2009) ISLAMIC AND GENERAL EDUCATION ................................................................................ 43
TABLE 7 SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN DAR-UL-ULUMS BY GRADE AND PERIODS PER WEEK ............................................................. 43
TABLE 8 HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN ......................................................................................... 50
TABLE 9 LABOUR FORCE AND LABOUR MARKET DOCUMENTATION ................................................................................... 56
TABLE 10 VET AND TVET IN ANDS; OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ........................................................... 58
TABLE 11 VET AND TVET: PROVIDERS AND ACTIVITIES
,
................................................................................................ 61
TABLE 12 MOE TVET STUDENTS: GRADE AND GENDER 1387 (2008) ............................................................................. 62
TABLE 13 QUALIFICATIONS OF TVET TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF ..................................................................... 64
TABLE 14 COMMUNITY BASED SCHOOLS 1388 (2009) ................................................................................................. 73
TABLE 15 MOE’S IDENTIFIED PRIORITY GROUPS FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ...................................................................... 83
TABLE 16 OFFICIALLY ENROLLED STUDENTS IN BASIC EDUCATION ( GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS 1388 -2008/9 ............................ 92
TABLE 17 EDUCATION SECTOR FINANCES IN 1388 BY MINISTRY: ON BUDGET .................................................................... 98
TABLE 18 EDUCATION SECTOR - EXTERNAL PROJECTS 1388 (2009) (US$000) ................................................................. 99
TABLE 19 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: NESP1 EXTERNAL BUDGET PLAN BY PROGRAMME..................................................... 100
TABLE 20 MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NESP1 EXTERNAL BUDGET FUNDING BY PROGRAMME (ACTUAL) .................................. 100
TABLE 21 SUMMARY NESP II BUDGET REQUIREMENT ESTIMATE (US$ MILLION) .............................................................. 102
TABLE 22 MOE NESP II ESTIMATED COSTS COMPARED TO BUDGET PLANS ..................................................................... 103
TABLE 23 SUMMARY MOHE STRATEGIC PLAN ESTIMATES US$M .................................................................................. 104
TABLE 24 DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE IN MOE BY PROGRAMME FOR 1388 (AFMIS) (US$M) ......................................... 107
TABLE 25 THE EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION WORKFORCE ............................................. 118
LIST OF TEXTBOXES
TEXTBOX 1 CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION FOR EDUCATION ................................................................................................ 7
TEXTBOX 2 EDUCATION, TRAINING AND ANDS .............................................................................................................. 8
TEXTBOX 3 PROFILE OF THE LABOUR FORCE .................................................................................................................. 9
TEXTBOX 4 INTERPRETING EDUCATIONAL DATA............................................................................................................ 22
TEXTBOX 5 EDUCATION UNDER ATTACK ..................................................................................................................... 24
TEXTBOX 6 ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF INPUTS ........................................................................................................... 27
TEXTBOX 7 TWO PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF GENERAL EDUCATION ................................................................. 28
TEXTBOX 8 SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL: AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD PRACTICE .......................................................................... 30
TEXTBOX 9 NESP I AND II: HIGHER ORDER GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS ................................................. 32
TEXTBOX 10 WHAT IS LEARNED IN THE HALAQUAS? ..................................................................................................... 36
TEXTBOX 11 CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HIGHER EDUCATION ........................................................................................ 49
TEXTBOX 12 THE DEMAND FOR VET ......................................................................................................................... 55
TEXTBOX 13 EXAMPLE OF NGO SKILLS RELATED PROGRAMME ....................................................................................... 63
TEXTBOX 14 NESP II AND PRIVATE TVET INSTITUTIONS ................................................................................................ 76
TEXTBOX 15 REFERENCE TO PRIVATE EDUCATION IN THE EDUCATION LAW ......................................................................... 77
TEXTBOX 16 COMPARISON OF VET AND TVET INSTITUTIONS .......................................................................................... 78
TEXTBOX 17 RESULT BASED MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................. 104
TEXTBOX 18 CHALLENGES FOR GRANTS MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT .................................................. 106
TEXTBOX 19 THE STATUS QUO IN PROCUREMENT ...................................................................................................... 107
TEXTBOX 20 CHALLENGES FOR PROCUREMENT.......................................................................................................... 108
TEXTBOX 21 INTERNAL AUDIT STATUS QUO .............................................................................................................. 110
TEXTBOX 22 COMMITMENTS TO AID EFFECTIVENESS ................................................................................................... 121
TEXTBOX 23 BUZKASHI......................................................................................................................................... 121
TEXTBOX 24 GOOD DONOR PRACTICE ..................................................................................................................... 123
TEXTBOX 25 THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME (TEP) ........................................................................................ 124
TEXTBOX 26 THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD: MAIN OBJECTIVES (APRIL 2010) ........................................... 126
TEXTBOX 27 MEMBERS OF HRDB .......................................................................................................................... 127
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 SCHOOL ENROLMENTS (GRADES 1-12) IN AFGHANISTAN: 1319-1388 (1940-2009) .............................................. 4
FIGURE 2 EDUCATION STRATEGIES AND PLANS ............................................................................................................. 11
FIGURE 3 EDUCATION SYSTEMS AND LEVELS ................................................................................................................ 38
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 vii
Abbreviations
ACBAR Agency Coordination Body for Afghan
Relief
Afs Afghanistan currency: the Afghani which
is divided into 100 Puls
AFMIS Afghanistan Financial Management In-
formation System
AIHRC Afghanistan Independent Human Rights
Commission
ANDS Afghanistan National Development Strat-
egy
ARTF Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
BESST Building Education Support Systems for
Teachers
BPET Budget Planning and Expenditure Track-
ing
BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Commit-
tee, or Bringing Resources Across Cul-
tures
CBE Community Based Education
CBS Community Based School
CDCs Community Development Councils
CHEF Construction of Health and Education
Facilities
CIDA Canadian International Development
Agency
CRC
CSO
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Central Statistics Organisation
DAARTT
DAD
Danish Assistance to Afghan Rehabilita-
tion and Technical Training
Donors Assistance Database
Danida Danish International Development
Agency
DED District Education Departments
DEO District Education Officer
DFID
DoL
Department for International Develop-
ment (UK)
Deputy Ministry of Literacy
ECE Early Childhood Education
EDB Education Development Board
EFA Education for All
EIC Education for Indigenous Children
EQUIP Education Quality Improvement Program
EMIS Education Management and Information
System
EoJ Embassy of Japan
ESA
FTI
Education Sector Analysis
EFA Fast Track Initiative
GER Gross Enrolment Rate
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GMU Grants Management Unit
GoA Government of Afghanistan
GPI Gender Parity Index
HEP Higher Education Project
HRDB Human Resource Development Board
HRMIS Human Resource Management Informa-
tion System
HRMU Human Resource Management Unit
(MoE) (TSL)
IARCSC Independent Administrative Reform of
Civil Service Commission
IDKA Independent Directorate of Kuchi Affairs
IDP Internally Displaced Persons
IIEP International Institute for Educational
Planning, UNESCO, Paris
I-ANDS Interim Afghan National Development
Strategy
INGO International Non-Governmental Organi-
sation
IO
IP
JICA
International Organisation
International Partner
Japan International Cooperation Agency
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MDG
MICS
Millennium Development Goal
Multiple Independent Cluster Survey
MoE Ministry of Education
MoF Ministry of Finance
MoHE Ministry of Higher Education
MoLSAMD Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Mar-
tyrs and Disabled (Previously referred to
as MoLSA or MoL
MoWA
MTBF
Ministry of Women‘s Affairs
Medium Term Budgeting Framework
MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework
NER Net Enrolment Rate
NESA National Education Standard Authority
NESP Afghanistan National Education Strategic
Plan
NFE Non Formal Education
NFEMIS Non Formal Education Management
Information System
NGO Non governmental Organisation
NIMA National Institute of Management and
Administration
NSDP National Skills Development Programme
NSP National Solidarity Program, (programme
implemented by the Ministry of Rural
Rehabilitation & Development)
NVETB National Vocational Education and Train-
ing Board
ODA Official Development Assistance
PACE-A Partnership Advancing Community-based
Education, Afghanistan
PED Provincial Education Department
PER Public Expenditure Review
PRT
PTA
RBM
Provincial Reconstruction Team
Parent Teacher Association
Results Based Management
RIMU Reform Implementation Management
Unit at MoE
SAF Stabilization Aid Fund
SC-UK Save the Children UK
SC-SN Save the Children Sweden and Norway
SCA Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
Sida Swedish International Cooperation
Agency
SIP School Improvement Plan
SMC School Management Committee
SWA Sector Wide Approach
SWAp
SY
Sector Wide Programme
Solar Year
TA Technical Assistance or Technical Assis-
tant
TED Teacher Education Department
TEP Teacher Education Programme
TTC Teacher Training College
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 viii
TVET Technical & Vocational Education and
Training
UNAMA United Nations Assistance Mission to
Afghanistan
UNCT United Nations Country Team
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance
Framework
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization
UNHCR
UNICEF
United Nations High Commission for
Refugees
United Nations Children‘s Fund
USAID United States Agency for International
Development
VET Vocational Education and Training
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organisation
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 ix
Executive Summary
This sector analysis report (ESA) takes
stock of the state of education in Afghani-
stan in the first quarter of 1389 (2010).
1
It is
an overview of the education sector, set
within wider national development frame-
works. It reflects the views and opinions of
many of the stakeholders who support the
delivery of education services. It is accom-
panied by a second report that provides an
initial assessment of the National Education
Strategic Plan NESP II 1389-1393 (2010-
2014).
The ESA concludes that the education
sector overall is rightly ambitious. It is in
expansionary mode and has made some
remarkable gains since 2002. It is atten-
tive to improving the quality of education
but is deeply constrained by the weak
capacity of both education and financial
systems to work together effectively. It
operates in a complex and fragile institu-
tional environment. Insecurity, poverty,
conflict, political uncertainty and gender
inequality play heavily on the ability of
the education sector to deliver an educa-
tion of good quality for all. It is depend-
ent on aid to rebuild and to change, con-
sequently, the coordination and manage-
ment of aid takes on enormous impor-
tance.
It is a sector that draws on the learning
culture of Islam. It benefits too from the
resilience of Afghanistan’s peoples and
their demand and support for education.
It is able to harness the capacities of nu-
merous international and non-
governmental organisations to deliver
educational services in challenging envi-
ronments. It is conscious of the need to
1
As required under its terms of reference this study
focuses it attention on the Ministry of Education
(MoE), the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE),
the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and
Disabled (MoLSAMD), and, to a lesser extent, the
Ministry of Women‘s Affairs (MoWA).
raise the capacity of education delivery
systems quickly but in sustainable ways.
It is a sector that faces many problems.
There is too much wastage in the sector.
Too little time is spent learning in class-
rooms. Too many children fail to com-
plete and benefit from a basic education.
Too many students fail to acquire the
skills so urgently needed in Afghanistan’s
economy. Too few adults acquire literacy
skills that can be sustained. And too many
resources are lost because of a failure to
spend development budgets.
It seems that 1389 (2010) is a critical year
for the future of Afghanistan. It is cer-
tainly an important year for education.
Two new sub-sector plans are being
launched: National Education Strategic
Plan II (NESP II, 1389-1393) and the Na-
tional Higher Education Strategic Plan
(1389-1393); plans which are intended to
provide frameworks for action for the
next five years. Both have set demanding
programme agendas. Both require addi-
tional financing. Both need greater priori-
tisation and realism as this relates to risk,
projected financial resources, wider insti-
tutional environments and capacity con-
straints.
The summary of the sector analysis that
follows is in five parts. These parts mirror
and follow the sequence of the main report.
These are: A: The Education Sector in Con-
text; B: Taking Stock of the Education Sec-
tor; C: Three Special Issues; D: Managing
Change; and E: Conclusions and Recom-
mendations.
The report, especially Section D, takes ac-
count of the issues which the Education for
All Fast Track Initiative (FTI) will be ex-
pected to scrutinise in some detail as part of
the appraisal process leading to the planned
endorsement of NESP II later this year.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 x
A The Education Sector in Context
The Legacy of Distrust
There is a long tradition of learning in Afg-
hanistan which draws its principles and its
pedagogy from Islam. More formal state led
education is a product of the 20
th
century.
Over the last few decades, a legacy of dis-
trust towards formal education was fostered
as Afghan communities have witnessed
education being used for ideological pur-
poses. Some communities remain suspicious
about the role and objectives of formal edu-
cation. At worst, it is seen as a tool designed
to defile and degrade Islamic culture and
values. Anti-government elements have ca-
pitalized on these fears. But attacks on
schools do not necessarily reflect ideologi-
cal opposition to education. Most Afghans
welcome learning opportunities.
A Time of Progress
From a position of almost complete collapse
during the Taliban era, the education sector
has made some remarkable gains. Since
1380 (2001), recorded attendance in formal
schooling has grown from one million chil-
dren to seven million, including 2.5 million
girls. Teacher training colleges have been
established in every province. Tens of thou-
sands of teachers have been hired and re-
ceived some training, thousands of schools
have been built or refurbished, curriculum
renewal has and is taking place, and millions
of textbooks have been printed and distrib-
uted. Literacy programmes have been pro-
vided to hundreds of thousands of people
across the nation.
Challenges Ahead
There is still much to achieve. The educa-
tion sector must double its service capacity
to provide education for more than five mil-
lion children who are estimated to be out of
school, most of whom are girls. The geogra-
phy and the climate of Afghanistan make
these tasks even more daunting. The insur-
gency creates difficulties in providing edu-
cation in areas of conflict and insecurity.
A new modern higher education system has
to emerge from the ashes of destruction,
fully responsive to the social and economic
needs of Afghanistan. The skills most
needed by the country‘s economy have to be
identified and met.
The Legal Underpinning
Education has a relatively strong legal and
constitutional platform. Five articles in the
Constitution confer rights to education for
all. The Education Law of Afghanistan 1387
(2008) decrees that education is compulsory
for Grades 1-9 and that education is free
from basic education through to higher edu-
cation. The first commitment cannot be en-
forced; the second will become increasingly
unrealistic. The enactment of the new
Higher Education Law (expected in 2010)
should provide a stronger enabling envi-
ronment for the development of that sub-
sector.
Meeting Development Priorities
Afghanistan‘s National Development Strat-
egy (ANDS)
2
is founded on three pillars:
Security; Governance, Rule of Law and
Human Rights; and, Economic and Social
Development. Education and Training is
located under the third of these pillars. But it
can and should also make contributions to-
wards providing security, realising rights,
strengthening good governance and devel-
oping skills.
Education‘s ability to play these roles is
severely constrained. In a country of close to
30 million people, fewer than 7,000 students
passed end-of-year Grade 14 examinations
in 1388 (2009), 62,000 were enrolled in
higher education, and 11,000 were enrolled
in vocational training programmes under the
National Skills Development Programme
(NSDP). This is a very limited knowledge
and skills base. A comprehensive overview
of longer-term growth and employment sce-
narios is needed, setting out alternative, cost
2
Serving as Afghanistan‘s Poverty Reduction Strat-
egy.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xi
effective ways of strengthening and building
up Afghanistan‘s skills capacity.
Education Sector Policies and Plans
The work of the sector is guided by sub-
sector strategies and plans prepared by dif-
ferent ministries. These plans are an
achievement in themselves. Intensive na-
tional planning which was aided by (some
would say driven) external partners is a rela-
tively new experience. Levels of consulta-
tion within and across ministries, the use
and/or dependence on external technical
assistance, dialogue across government and
the involvement of front line stakeholders
appear to have varied considerably across
ministries.
Goals and Performance Measurement
Each plan sets out its higher order goals but
it is not always clear that education outputs
and outcomes are the main drivers for
measuring and assessing performance. As
their titles imply (except MoWA‘s National
Action Plan for Women‘s Affairs), the
documents provide strategic frameworks.
They are not operational plans. The degree
to which they stipulate time-bound pro-
grammes and programme activities varies.
The Higher Education Strategy is perhaps
the most specific in linking intended actions
with human and financial resources.
Linkages
All four ministries are engaged in different
ways in promoting and/or developing skills
for employment and national development.
MoE and MoHE should be more closely
linked given that students transit from one
level of education to another. Expanding
demand for education at all levels is likely
to require more bridges across the education
system and more differentiated and flexible
approaches to service delivery.
National Plans: Local Needs
There is little analysis in any of the strategic
plans of inequities and disparities of service
provision, resource allocation and differen-
tial learning outcomes in different parts of
the country.
Cross Cutting Issues
ANDS requires that cross-cutting issues be
addressed in sector plans. There is mixed
practice in this regard. Sections C and D
look at some of these issues in greater detail.
External Planning Frameworks
To execute the majority of Afghanistan‘s
rebuilding reforms and innovations in the
education sector requires sustained external
assistance. But donors have different ways
of working and have their own education
sector priorities, which may vary in individ-
ual provinces. Ministries in the education
sector have to be conversant with what a
relatively large number of donors can or
cannot do. In essence, there is another tier of
education strategies and strategy papers to
be connected and related to the mainstream
of national sub-sector plans. A further com-
plication is the association of the security
forces with education reconstruction and
programming, a matter dealt with in Section
C.
B Taking Stock of the Education
Sector
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
The benefits of participation in ECE are
well documented. The benefits are particu-
larly significant for severely disadvantaged
children, of whom there are many in Af-
ghanistan. To date, Afghan policy makers
have not responded uniformly to these un-
derstandings. While ECE is prioritised
clearly in the Education Law, it receives
very limited attention in the draft of NESP
II. This may reflect a pragmatic view at this
time, that MoE cannot meet every challenge
in its sub-sector.
ECE in Afghanistan is currently provided by
NGOs and, to a lesser extent, by some pri-
vate schools. There are also day care pro-
grammes which are provided through MoL-
SAMD, mainly for children of government
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xii
employees. In addition, there are widespread
mosque-based initiatives which offer Is-
lamic pre-school learning opportunities.
In collaboration with the Bangladesh NGO,
BRAC, MoE is planning a pilot ECE pro-
gramme in five provinces. This will follow
training by BRAC for a group who will
oversee the pilot, the results from which
should help to determine the extent of future
engagement of MoE in ECE provision.
General Education
General Education covers formal schooling
between Grades 1 and 12. The recovery of
many aspects of the school system during
the last decade has been remarkable. It is
widely recognised that this investment is
crucial for the development of Afghanistan
as a modern Islamic state just as it is for
every Afghan child and family.
Access
Participation in schooling has grown dra-
matically in the last eight years. There are
now approximately seven million young
people registered in school. There are large
disparities between urban and rural, and
gender participation, many of which are
exacerbated by continuing security issues in
some localities. Girls are hugely disadvan-
taged, with important consequences for their
completion of schooling, particularly be-
yond the early primary grades. Grade repe-
tition and high levels of attrition add to the
pool of young people who fail to acquire
basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Quality
The measurement of the quality of education
systems is a matter of world-wide debate.
Most frequently, it is assessed by proxies,
and then usually by inputs, rather than learn-
ing outcomes. With external assistance, Af-
ghanistan has made important progress in
reforming its basic education curriculum;
making relevant primary and secondary
school textbooks available; beginning the
huge task of providing adequate classrooms;
and training very large numbers of teachers.
However, one important proxy of quality is
the amount of instructional time children
receive in a school year. In a primary
school, international assessments suggest
that this should probably come out between
700 and 900 hours, a target which is not met
in many Afghanistan schools.
Equity
Many children in Afghanistan are disadvan-
taged and marginalised in all manner of
ways. Most children suffer multiple disad-
vantages, and especially girls. Differences in
geography, language, economic opportuni-
ties/ poverty and security manifest them-
selves in various ways in the different parts
of the country. Moreover, there are consid-
erable variations across Afghanistan in
terms of resourcing and the availability of
teachers and schools. Inevitably, this results
in disparities in educational opportunities,
outputs and learning outcomes.
Stakeholders
Children, the primary stakeholders, live in
families and communities; hence, in the
promotion of better schooling, the involve-
ment of both families and communities is
crucial and has proved to be increasingly
effective in Afghanistan. The close engage-
ment of the MoE at the local level is there-
fore vital. But MoE needs to work in a more
coordinated way at the sub-national level, to
use technology better, and to promote higher
standards of supervision.
Islamic Education
Islamic Education has a long tradition in
Afghanistan. It has strong support from
many portions of the population, especially
in rural areas and among the most economi-
cally disadvantaged communities. Its func-
tions, systems and institutions are well-
established, embedded in community values.
It produces personnel for Islamic institutions
and for government. MoE has shown itself
willing to engage and involve itself in the
improvement of Islamic schools. Curricu-
lum and textbooks have been developed so
that all children in the early primary grades
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xiii
receive the same core curriculum whether
they are in Islamic or formal schools. The
MoE is enabling Islamic school teachers to
develop their content knowledge and peda-
gogic skills by including them in major up-
grading programmes. A focus on improving
quality of Islamic High schools has had an
effect in that more Afghan students prefer
Afghan educational institutions, instead of
going abroad for their Islamic studies.
Teacher Education
In eight years, there has been a near ten-fold
increase in the number of teachers in Af-
ghanistan schools. This major achievement
has put great strains on the capacity of
teacher training colleges to train teachers
effectively and on MoE to ensure that teach-
ers are supervised effectively in their
schools. Under the overall leadership of
MoE‘s General Directorate of Teacher Edu-
cation, a number of programmes are being
introduced: These include:
? Development of a baseline study to ex-
plore the quality of teaching and learn-
ing in 300 schools; an important evi-
dence base for assessing ways of im-
proving teacher performance.
? Expansion of the teacher training col-
leges and expanding district-level sup-
port centres for teachers.
? Introduction of a comprehensive in-
service, four year professional develop-
ment programme for all teachers.
? Implementation of measures to increase
the quality of learning in Teacher Train-
ing Colleges (TTCs) by upgrading the
skills of tutors to connect their practice
with the realities of Afghan classrooms.
? Introduction of a teacher competency
assessment test (rolled out as a require-
ment for all teachers), as a prerequisite
for permanent placement on the gov-
ernment‘s tashkil.
? Introduction of financial incentives to
mitigate the shortfall of women teachers
through inducement to join TTCs and
then to consider postings to rural
schools.
Higher Education
The higher education sector operates in a
context where Afghanistan has shortages of
skilled human resources in every area that
contributes to a successful modern econ-
omy. The MoHE has developed a largely
realistic Higher Education Strategic Plan as
the basis for major improvements in the sub-
sector. To implement the plan, 50% of the
budget will be sought from external sources;
50% from the Afghan budget. Fortunately
for Afghanistan, external resources directed
towards higher education have proved to be
more readily available than in many low-
income countries.
The tertiary education sector is confronted
by a formidable set of challenges if it is to
both expand and provide higher of education
of good quality, relevant to the needs of the
economy. Urgent investment has to be made
in: refurbishment and extension of infra-
structure; appropriate financing for higher
education; internal efficiency of the institu-
tions; quality of graduates; and relevance of
programmes to national needs.
There is to be a planned doubling of stu-
dents enrolled in higher education numbers
between 2010 and 2014. Particular attention
will be paid to the need to attract women to
higher education institutions outside of the
urban centres. New community colleges will
be set up in the provinces, five in the next
five years, offering two-year diploma
courses alongside a wide range of shorter,
employment-oriented programmes.
Quality control is evolving slowly. This
study has found data gaps in key areas such
as quality of graduate skill sets, cost effec-
tiveness and internal efficiency of the sys-
tem. Faculty need appropriate upgrading, as
does the curriculum of many courses, per-
haps through links and exchanges with in-
ternationally known institutions.
Community Based Education (CBE)
Modern community-based schools (CBSs)
are conceived around an older Mosque-
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xiv
based tradition and receive positive re-
sponses from the communities they serve.
To an extent, they can be seen as ?gap fill-
ing.‘ In practice, they are a key part of the
primary education (through to at least Grade
3), in underserved and/or rural communities
where there is no formal government school.
CBE is implemented by a wide range of IOs
and NGOs. Some evidence suggests that
CBSs are on a par with standard government
primary schools. This finding deserves fur-
ther exploration.
CBSs have increased children‘s access to
educational opportunities. Educational op-
portunities close to children‘s homes has
improved school enrolment, particularly for
girls. There are now more than 7,000 CBSs,
with student enrolments of over 250,000.
The schools are not evenly distributed
across the country, with security factors pre-
eminent. A CBS mapping exercise is
needed.
Because this is a MoE programme, CBSs
mostly have access to textbooks and other
resources, although the supply can be er-
ratic. MoE has linked CBSs to so-called
?hub schools‘ to form a cluster. The hub
schools are responsible for monitoring the
standards of CBSs in their cluster. The ex-
tent and effectiveness of this strategy is not
clear.
Skills for Development, VET and TVET
The shortage of skilled persons in more or
less all sectors of the economy is a major
challenge. Increasingly, the government is
turning to the private sector and to NGOs.
Regulation
One crucial role for government (including
MoE, MoLSAMD and MoHE) is to develop
a national framework for skills develop-
ment. This requires a strong regulatory
framework and common criteria for the as-
sessment of competencies (theoretical and
practical). Better inter- and intra-ministerial
cooperation and coordination is needed.
External support is partly in place; more will
probably come if progress can be observed.
Sound regulation and better coordination
requires good data and sound baseline in-
formation which is largely lacking. More
research, testing and piloting is needed.
Existing Resources
There are already considerable resources in
existing institutions under both MoE and
MoLSAMD, in particular Technical and
Vocational Training (TVET) within Secon-
dary Education, and Vocational Education
and Training (VET) in different training
programmes and institutions. There are
structures and traditions in place; there are
implementers and motivated instructors. But
much remains to be done in terms of im-
proving quality and relevance and expand-
ing access in order to satisfy the need for
skills in the market and to provide more
training and learning places for the increas-
ing number of students coming from basic
education. The private sector will need to
contribute to a much larger extent than be-
fore in this development. One important task
for MoE is to improve the quality of formal,
basic education, so that students are well
prepared to benefit from skills development
programmes.
Literacy
Afghanistan has some enormous challenges
to raising levels of adult literacy. Eleven
million of its people are classified as illiter-
ate.
Policy and Goals
The MoE has set the ambitious target of
achieving 48% literacy by 2014, with a spe-
cific emphasis on improving the literacy rate
among women. MoE has a large literacy
bureaucracy and there are many Interna-
tional Organisations (IOs) and NGOs in-
volved in course delivery.
Programmes
MoE has adopted the UNESCO-designed
literacy curricula to meet Afghan needs.
This offers a nine-month course with life
skills elements. Other literacy providers
offer courses with different frameworks and
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xv
structures. In total, around 270,000 learners
successfully completed literacy classes in
1388 (2009), according to UNESCO which
is tracking the number of beneficiaries and
classes. This number is insufficient to meet
stated national targets. And it is claimed that
the number of functioning classes which is
reported to the MoE is exaggerated.
Whether or not literacy graduates receive
post-literacy support and materials and sus-
tain their literacy appears to depend on their
training provider. Supervision of literacy
courses, whoever the provider, is generally
very weak. Moreover, there is no defined set
of objectives, minimum standards or testing
for literacy courses to ensure that learners
gain the appropriate skills.
Outcomes
MoE has yet to resolve issues of assessment
and accreditation for literacy courses. As a
result, literacy graduates are generally un-
able to use their study as credit for entry into
either school or vocational courses. While
achieving literacy confers considerable
benefits to the individual, his or her family
and the wider community, it should also
provide a ladder to further learning and em-
ployment opportunities.
In one area, at least, the literacy pro-
grammes are successful – the recruitment of
women to the classes is far higher than that
of men – at nearly 80% in 1387 (2008), and
58% in 1388 (2009), according to the fig-
ures provided by the MoE.
Private Education
Until recently, private schools have received
little attention in Afghanistan. They make
up a very small proportion of schooling pro-
vision: 160 registered schools catering for
37,000 students. Recently, MoE has estab-
lished a new Division of Private Education.
All registered private schools have to teach
the unified curriculum in Pashto or Dari.
They benefit from access to textbook sup-
plies, inspection, and participation in in-
service programmes for teachers.
There are a number of private VET institu-
tions, mainly focused on trade skills, but
increasingly on IT and English language
courses. Generally, these are of a better
standard than government VET providers.
Teachers in private schools are usually bet-
ter paid than their state counterparts. In re-
turn, they work under tighter management
conditions.
An important consideration will be how the
growth of private schools impacts on access
to, and quality of, the formal government
school system. Private schools of good stan-
dard will inevitably charge high tuition fees.
The consequences will be that only students
from more affluent segments of the popula-
tion will access these schools while the poor
have no other option but to send their chil-
dren to MoE schools. Government schools
must never be seen as safety net schools for
the poor.
C Three Specific Issues
Achieving the EGA/MDG Goals
For Afghanistan to achieve its stated objec-
tives of realising the Education for All
(EFA) and Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), it has to address more fundamen-
tally ways of including all children in
school.
Inclusive Education
While there is a high level of commitment at
the ministerial level to Inclusive Education,
its meaning and its scope is poorly under-
stood, often referring only to children with
disabilities. A stronger conceptual frame-
work is needed to include the educational
needs of girls, Kuchi children, children kept
from school by security issues, child labour
and children with learning difficulties.
The policy environment and the leadership
and management of Inclusive Education in
MoE is weak, with limited technical capac-
ity within the system. Programme activity is
chiefly led by UNESCO. The UNESCO
tool-kit, recently translated into Dari and
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xvi
Pashto, is intended to broaden and deepen
teachers‘ understandings of Inclusive Edu-
cation and to help them to formulate re-
sponses.
In the main report there is an analysis of the
main groups at risk.
Education, Security and Peace
Insecurity, be it exhibited by closed and/or
vandalised schools or in other ways, is inti-
mately related to weak development of hu-
man capital, and therefore to poor economic
potential and performance. Insecurity also
acts very negatively on the development of
social capital, both for the individual and the
community. Areas of the country with good
security are those with high attendance rates
in school and consequent high achievement
rates of the students.
The role of Provincial Reconstruction
Teams in the construction of schools and
other education-related initiatives is an un-
usual one, but the benefits of the widespread
construction of schools with appropriate
security measures are recognised by com-
munities in hard-pressed areas of the coun-
try.
Communities themselves can and should
take measures to protect their schools and
mitigate the security risks to their children
in schools. Where communities are effec-
tively doing so, there are almost always evi-
dent positive results in terms of enhanced
school security.
Advancing the Gender Agenda
The low participation rate of girls in school-
ing is a key concern. Afghanistan‘s com-
mitment to play a more competitive and
vigorous role in the global economy simply
cannot be met unless and until it is able to
provide access and quality educational op-
portunities to its female population.
MoE recognition of this imperative is evi-
dent in the ambitious commitments made in
NESP I, only a portion of which have been
achieved. A gender unit is now being set up
within MoE in order to give more day-by-
day prominence to the issues.
The absence of girls from school is particu-
larly acute in rural and insecure provinces.
Girls‘ participation in schooling in Kabul is
close to that of boys.
Key reasons why girls‘ attendance drops off
so precipitously after the first years of gen-
eral education include: lack of female teach-
ers; limited number of girls‘ schools; cul-
tural barriers; safety issues; security chal-
lenges; distance of travel; lack of relevance/
practicality of the curricula; and lack of
flexibility of the educational system. Mini-
mizing the risks and engaging communities
to commit to girls‘ education can be done in
several ways:
? Providing more mosque-based and home-
based schools.
? Implementing public information campaigns
about the positive values of girls‘ education;
campaigns which have proven most effec-
tive have involved community and religious
leaders and propagated educational ideals in
harmonization with Islamic values.
? Involving the families in the process such
that male family members understand the
importance of serving as mahram (chaper-
one) to accompany female members to
school.
? Ensuring that perimeter walls around girls‘
schools are adequate; (community-led ef-
forts have proven to be successful in this re-
gard, in places where educational resources
are scarce).
? Reducing distance of travel by providing
more schools and more centrally-located
schools.
? Ensuring that the curriculum includes the
study of Islamic values and religious teach-
ing.
D Managing Change
This section looks at the financing of the
education sector, the availability and use of
data and knowledge, building capacity, and
making aid work more effectively. It does so
primarily in relation to the Ministry of Edu-
cation (MoE). These issues take on added
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xvii
significance given MoE‘s intention to gain
the endorsement of NESP II by FTI during
1389(2010).
Financing
Education is the second largest sector on the
operating budget and received 11 percent of
the total development budget for
1388(2009). MoE‘s salary bill alone is sec-
ond only to the Defence and Security sector,
which for some time will continue to be the
major source of competition for any extra,
locally generated operating budget re-
sources.
Operating and Development Budgets
There is substantial under expenditure on
MoE‘s Development Budget (43% in 1388).
Capacity to implement at project level re-
mains a challenge. For MoHE, Development
Budget performance was better (61%). The
reasons for under-expenditure s are com-
plex. Numerous players are involved, in-
cluding the sector ministries, the Ministry of
Finance (MoF) and donors. All need to work
together to identify and resolve blockages
and process delays.
Beyond assessment of the proportion of ex-
penditure by programme, and some report-
ing on activities and staffing levels, the at-
tention paid to the monitoring and evalua-
tion function in MoE is low after three years
of programme budgeting. This reflects weak
capacity; relatively little pressure from MoF
or donors for better quality reports; and slow
development of new systems for changing
the nature of information gathering and
analysis. Both budgeting and planning are
still largely driven from the centre; and there
remains some separation even between
those two functions.
External Budget
The External Budget of the education sector
for 1388 (2009) is estimated to be US$203
million, MoE claiming the major share
(US$146 million) and MoHE the remainder
(US$46.3 million). In MoE, off-budget fi-
nancing of the NESP I was through 21 do-
nor partners (including ARTF) and 42 im-
plementing partners.
3
Donors spent US
$896 million against a projected NESP I
expenditure forecast of US$1.565 billion
over the five year period. Spending allo-
cated to NESP programmes suggests that
donor financing is broadly aligned to MoE
priorities.
Donors will continue to fund less than
NESP II‘s estimate of its financing gap.
Even if the suggested amount were made
available, there is doubt that the system
would have the ability to absorb the invest-
ment. Persistent under spending on the De-
velopment Budget will constrain more ex-
ternal budget transfers to direct Afghan con-
trol.
Revenue
Projections forecast rising receipts, but with
increasing demands for Security as well as
Education, this does not necessarily equate
to improved fiscal sustainability in the short
to medium term. Education operating budg-
ets will be dependent on continued donor
financing and non-salary operating costs are
likely to continue to be constrained, limiting
improvement intentions in quality, and gen-
eral service delivery.
The sector itself raises very little revenue.
Budget regulations require all such earnings
be returned to Consolidated Revenue. This
is an emerging issue for the MoHE and the
Universities which see opportunities for
charging for some services.
Financing NESP II
The costing of NESP II has been based on
some carefully calculated estimates using
some internally agreed educational norms.
These estimates have been accepted for the
purposes of the ESA exercise, although it is
only possible to calculate the financing gap
with any degree of acceptable approxima-
tion for the next three financial years, partly
because of low levels of aid predictability
3
The Grants Management Unit (MoE) lists over 60
education sector donors.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xviii
for the sector. These details will be put un-
der greater scrutiny during FTI appraisal. At
present, the budget and NESP plans are not
closely aligned. There is little evidence of
recognition of this fact in preparing annual
operating plans or evaluating the impact of
NESP II intentions. Operational plans for
2010 are late, and this is likely to have a
knock-on effect in the next two years at
least.
Financial Management and Governance:
MoE
Service delivery in MoE is highly dispersed,
but strategic and budget planning are highly
centralised. The shift towards Results Based
Management (RBM) is intended to move the
focus of budget implementation to the moni-
toring of outputs. The central part of MoE is
likely to cope with this but progress is weak
at the provincial level.
Although progress in moving Afghanistan
Financial Management Information System
(AFMIS) to the provinces is good, the proc-
ess involves too many players in actually
delivering the financing for delivery of ser-
vices at the provincial and school levels,
particularly in the Development Budget.
In the medium to long term, planned school
construction will impose a significant strain
on the operating budget as the costs of main-
taining and equipping of schools flow
through. There is some evidence from the
EQUIP programme that school-based grants
are losing their attraction due to highly bu-
reaucratic management demands and some
perceived unreliability of the funding
stream. The medium-term outlook is for
continued imbalance between salaries and
operating costs. This is destructive of efforts
to improve quality.
Procurement
Good procurement includes annual pro-
curement plans related to the annual budget,
consistent with the NESP (for MoE). It pro-
vides the basis for timely and proper acqui-
sition of goods and services and sound
budget execution.
Low expenditure leads to concerns about
poor governance and accountability relating
to public expenditures. This is one of the
main reasons for the large share of donor
assistance channelled through the external
budget as donors seek to bypass weak gov-
ernment systems and deliver resources to
projects and programs directly. Improving
public expenditure governance is also a key
prerequisite for donors to shift from the ex-
ternal budget to the core budget. This is a
stated priority objective of the government.
AFMIS, the Ministry of Finance and Pro-
curement
AFMIS is a fairly robust system. If MoE
gets its wish for greater levels of Operating
Cost budget being allocated to both Goods
and Services and Investment codes, AFMIS
should be able to match greater management
decentralisation in MoE, provided the nec-
essary training accompanies the change and
MoF does not slow the process.
Procurement and Planning
The decentralisation of the procurement
process is in MoE plans. Threshold limits
for local procurement rules have been in-
creased. AFMIS expansion to the provincial
level this should provide some support for
improving levels of expenditure. There are
however many considerations to take into
account when developing procurement plans
and the pace at which decentralisation pro-
ceeds.
Internal Audit
MoE has established an Internal Audit Di-
rectorate in the new Tashkil. In the struc-
ture, it reports directly to the Minister, an
important aspect of governance. The internal
audit function in the Ministry is assessed as
very weak at this stage although there is a
small group who would benefit from close
development support. Internal Audit skills
requirements are unlikely to be met for
some time from the local labour market
even after pay and grading transfers are
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xix
completed. This could compromise both
capacity building and integrity of process.
There is international pressure for Afghani-
stan to adopt ?good international practice?
in auditing on a government wide level and
the Government has committed previously
to greater transparency overall in govern-
ment. There is likely to be a very long term
transition and require dedicated international
support.
Knowledge and Data
Good plans and programmes need to be
grounded in authoritative monitoring,
evaluation and research and to be strongly
informed by reliable and timely educational
data.
School Surveys and Annual Report
Important advances have been made over
past four years in surveying schools and
other educational institutions that fall under
the aegis of MoE. An Annual Education
Summary Report has been prepared since
1386 (2007). This is a highly labour inten-
sive paper-based activity prone to a high
margin of error in the collection and tran-
scription of data and anecdotally subject to
manipulation.
Data Gaps
The lack absence of school age/grade infor-
mation is especially problematic. It is well
nigh impossible to monitor progress towards
Afghanistan EFA and MDG related goals
over time. Age/grade information is impor-
tant too because children‘s learning chances
are that much greater if they participate in
schooling at the correct, official age. Chil-
dren who start late are more likely to drop
out or fail to progress, especially girls.
Better quality-related indicators are needed,
especially on school completion, transition
rates from primary to lower secondary and
so on up the system, pupil /teacher and
classroom /student ratios, the availability of
learning materials and textbooks, instruc-
tional hours per week (and year) and some
disaggregation of examination data to allow
the assessment of skills and knowledge that
has been acquired. There is also a need,
sooner rather than later, to begin to monitor
and report trends over time.
Knowledge Gap: Knowledge Sources
The challenges of the rapid expansion of an
education system while improving the qual-
ity of learning from a very low base pose
enormous problems. One potential answer is
to make more use of research and compara-
tive experience. But the knowledge base in
Afghanistan is disparate and weak. Most
applied research is conducted within the
framework of donor-supported activities or
research undertaken to help define donor‘s
own strategies and programmes.
Building Capacity
The acquisition of skills and knowledge is
important, but so too is experience and the
sharing of experience. Developing systems,
structures, networks and resources is collec-
tively all part of the capacity which deter-
mines collectively whether a school, a Pro-
vincial Directorate or a Ministry of Educa-
tion fulfils its statutory responsibilities and
achieves its service delivery objectives.
One significant indicator of capacity is the
ability of the MoE to spend its development
budget. As noted earlier, this remains stub-
bornly below 50%. This either suggests a
level of unrealistic ambition and/or an ab-
sence of capacity (including in other minis-
tries, such as MoF at sub-national levels) to
be able to deliver on planned programmes.
A proxy and imperfect measure of the ca-
pacity of those working in the education
sector is their educational background and
qualifications. Fewer than 7% in MOE‘s
workforce have university degrees. Just 24%
of the teaching force has completed Grade
12 education.
The capacity of the cadre of technical, ad-
ministrative and management staff in MoE
and their ways of working is difficult to as-
sess in any quantitative sense. But during
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xx
NESP I close to 1,500 national and technical
advisers were recruited, supported by donor
funding. This is a strong proxy measure of
the limitations of government civil servants
in being able to deliver the MoE‘s ambitious
expansion programme.
At an organisational level, MoE has been
developing a closer fit between its struc-
tures, systems and procedural ways of work-
ing and its NESP II goals and programmes.
If these changes work well, they will be
important elements of a capacity develop-
ment strategy. In this regard, the ESA team
finds the need for stronger coordination and
cross-ministry communication mechanisms
at the top end of the Ministry.
In moving forward, it will be necessary for
the MoE to conceive of capacity-building as
a core theme running through all of its work.
Good policy needs good process; good re-
sults need good process. In these relatively
?early days,? process may be more impor-
tant than policy or results as it is the means
of embedding the basis for continuing im-
provement.
Aid for Education
Aid Dependence: Aid Effectiveness
For the foreseeable future, the expansion
and the qualitative improvement of the edu-
cation sector will continue to depend on
external aid. It important therefore, that the
partnerships between education sector aid
agencies and implementing organisations
are effective. Making aid work well is core
business for MoE and for other education
sector ministries too, as it is for the Gov-
ernment of Afghanistan as a whole, and for
its donor partners.
The Situation in 1389 (2010)
The MoE in 1389 (2010) is now better
equipped to manage its sector, to offer lead-
ership, and to maintain the right balance
between enabling external partners to work
productively in Afghanistan while limiting
and preventing unwanted developments.
Managing this balance is difficult. Compara-
tive experience also suggests that it is not
easy for development agencies to improve
coordination in difficult and challenging
environments, finding that managing and
advancing their own programmes and pro-
jects is challenge enough.
The Aid to Education Picture
There is no reliable and complete database
on donor activity, maintained to serve policy
and planning on an ongoing basis.
Better Aid Practice
Clearly in a situation where the financial
gap is considerable and capacity within the
education system is weak, it is difficult for
governments to take a strong lead. One con-
sequence of this in some countries is a will-
ingness to accept additional assistance with-
out undue attention to its long term benefits.
Conversely, donors restrict their support
assessing that the fund utilisation capacity of
the government and MoE is low, that plans
and strategies are insufficiently credible
and/or that procurement systems, audits and
the channelling of funds is not transparent.
An aid effectiveness menu for donors is
likely to include:
? Channeling funds through the government‘s
core budget (as, for example, through
ARTF);
? Providing predictable financing for the full
period of the government‘s education stra-
tegic plan or plans, at levels commensurate
with the scale of the challenge and the com-
petency of the sector to deliver;
? Supporting operational costs (with safe-
guards), as well as development budgets;
? Being responsive to urgent needs;
? Ensuring that ministries are involved from
project/programme planning through to
completion, to ensure that a real contribu-
tion to the achievement of education sector
goals is being made;
? Reducing the number of parallel project op-
erating systems and units;
? Providing technical assistance geared to
strengthening capacity;
? Setting aside time and technical capacity to
give strong technical support to ministry-led
sector coordination;
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxi
? Subsuming national or organizational identi-
ty in support of the government/ministry‘s
identity;
? Acting creatively in support of joined-up
and coordinated ways of working; e.g.
through pooled funds, trust funds, joint re-
views, join technical assistance etc;
? Being transparent in the dissemination and
reporting of all aspects of education sector
work;
? Providing in-country policy advice, based on
good comparative experience;
? Minimizing the level of separate reporting
formats and requirements.
In Afghanistan, which is a ?young? gov-
ernment system with a very large of number
of donors and implementing agencies, pro-
gress is being made towards greater align-
ment and coordination, but this is still at a
relatively early stage.
Support for Education through Budget Sup-
port: ARTF
The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund
(ATRF) enables donors to provide support
for Afghanistan‘s operating or recurrent
budget, in other words, to move funds into
the core budget of the government. In addi-
tion to providing salaries (including for
teachers, given that ARTF effectively sup-
ports 50% of civilian salaries) and operating
costs, the Fund is used for priority pro-
grammes, such as the EQUIP programme,
for the purpose of improving the quality of
education. Thirty international agencies are
moving most or some of their aid resources
through this mechanism. It provides a major
support platform for education and for more
coordinated ways of working.
Projects and Programmes
Most discrete projects and programmes sup-
ported by education sector donors are ex-
plicitly or broadly aligned with NESP pro-
grammes and strategies. One of the largest,
the ARTF-funded EQUIP project is in the
process of being integrated into MoE. In this
way, it is envisioned that this programme
intended will be sustainable within govern-
ment systems. But given the large number of
aid supported projects, it is almost inevitable
that there will continue to be separate units
managing programmes in parallel to gov-
ernment systems.
The Role of NGOs
Many NGOs are influential in Afghan edu-
cation. They have long experience in the
country and draw on generous financial
support from overseas. They reach into parts
of the country that government cannot. It is
estimated that there are more than 60 IOs
and NGOs active in the education sector.
4
Their diversity means that there is a range of
capacities and varying degrees of linkages
with government systems.
PRTs in Education
See section C.
Making Aid Work Better
A recent DFID funded study on sector wide
approaches in Afghanistan concluded that
the education sector as a whole is not ready
for a sector wide approach. It added, how-
ever, MoE is the most SWAp ready part of
the education sector. The ESA concludes
that moves in this direction should be taken
with some caution, building first on current
developments.
As a result of a joint initiative by MoE and
Canadian CIDA, the Afghanistan Educa-
tion Development Board (EDB) was estab-
lished in December 2008 to help coordinate
aid to education. In April 2010, the Educa-
tion Development Board was transformed
into the Human Resource Development
Board (HRDB). The work of the EDB has
laid the foundation for moving towards the
ambitious objectives which HRDB has set
for itself. In due course, HRDB will require
a stronger cutting edge, where ministry and
donor representatives bring greater decision-
making authority to the HRDB table, to give
stronger impetus and effect to resource mo-
bilisation, coordination, alignment and har-
monisation.
4
This is an inexact figure given that there said to be
100+ literacy providers.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxii
A second initiative designed to foster coor-
dination and ministerial cooperation, backed
by donor partners, is enshrined in the work
of the clusters. This represents a new ap-
proach to inter-ministerial dialogue and co-
operation. The human resource develop-
ment cluster comprises MoE, MoHE,
MoWA, MoLSAMD and more recently, the
Ministry of Public Health. Efforts are being
made to bring the private sector into the fold
as well. Its product is yet to be seen.
The third development with potential to
promote a more holistic approach to educa-
tion sector policy and practice, and bring
about stronger donor coordination, is the
Education for All Fast Track Initiative
(EFA/FTI).
These are all time-consuming activities
which work largely through the mechanism
of working groups. At best, working groups
sit firmly within the mainstream of ministry
work through its directorates and depart-
ments; at worst they can create parallel
structures with no real authority. There is
evidence of both.
There is obviously both enthusiasm and
momentum for working in a more coordi-
nated manner. Both need to be sustained.
This means strong oversight of these activi-
ties by a proactive HRDB Secretariat. Much
has been achieved in the past few years to
promote dialogue across the education sec-
tor. The challenge now is to move towards a
more coordinated and synergistic action
plan.
E Conclusions and
Recommendations
This section brings together the main con-
clusions of the ESA. Deliberately, it does
not follow the sequence of the four main
sections of the report; rather, it is designed
to capture some core messages and to pro-
vide a short list of recommendations for the
consideration of education sector ministries
and their donor partners.
The Education Sector in Afghanistan is
complex, a complexity that has to be man-
aged and coordinated if national education
goals are to be achieved. It is a sector where
the majority of the country‘s population are
primary stakeholders. And the secondary
stakeholders - those who work for education
- are the largest civilian workforce in the
country. There are multiple implementing
agencies. This can facilitate flexibility and
responsiveness; it can also mean overlap,
duplication and lack of coordination. There
are separate education strategies from indi-
vidual ministries which fall within the
broader framework of the Afghanistan Na-
tional Development Strategy (ANDS).
The Education Sector is rebuilding. After
years of neglect and distrust, there is evi-
dence of a new belief in the value of educa-
tion. Latent demand is emerging. Slowly,
the capacity of education delivery systems is
strengthening from a very low base. Partner-
ships are being forged with communities in
support of education. Bridges are being built
between Islamic education in its many forms
and formal state schooling. There is in-
creased dialogue across ministries and with
education sector donors. Communities have
demonstrated their ability to secure and sup-
port their schools in the face of insurgency
and thereby help to stabilise their own local
community. And there are new links inter-
nationally which help to rebuild Afghani-
stan‘s place in the education world.
The Education Sector is reforming. It is
aiming high. It plans to achieve the educa-
tion MDGs by 2020 and make progress on
all six EFA goals, a very ambitious agenda.
It has embraced strategic planning and rec-
ognised, in rather general terms, the need for
education to deliver the skills, the knowl-
edge and the values to contribute to the
achievement of broader economic, social
and peace goals as these are set out in
ANDS. It is initiating systemic change in the
professional development of teachers, re-
thinking the place of universities and creat-
ing other higher education institutions and
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxiii
renewing curriculum at all levels. It is re-
structuring ministries to reflect programme
priorities. The need for greater sector coher-
ence is being discussed across ministries and
there are worthwhile efforts to effect better
donor-government coordination.
The Education Sector has made important
initial gains. In 2010, seven million chil-
dren are registered in school (with a gradual
increase in the proportion of girls), 170,000
teachers are teaching, new and revised text-
books are in schools, and, more slowly, edu-
cation infrastructure is being built and refur-
bished. There is, with external support,
some rethinking of pedagogy in schools and
universities, and in defining and promoting
the place of in-service teacher training in the
fabric of Afghanistan‘s education. Islamic
education is being strengthened. Communi-
ties have been encouraged and enabled to
support and protect their schools through
assemblies and shuras. There has been some
delegation of authority to the sub-national
levels of the education system. Donors have
largely sustained their levels of aid to educa-
tion.
But the Education Sector has to confront
immense challenges if these gains are to be
consolidated and if the 1393 (2014) and
1399 (2020) education goals and targets are
to be achieved. Notably, there is the need to:
? Reduce the enormous wastage (human and fi-
nancial) as the result of children failing to com-
plete their basic education; teachers trained to
teach who don‘t teach; development budgets that
are not spent; and operating costs that are inade-
quate for supporting change.
? Exercise greater prioritisation in programming.
? Give priority to a small set of higher order edu-
cation outcomes defined in terms of access, re-
tention, completion, quality, transition to the
next level of education, equity and relevance.
? Match available financial resources to operation-
ally manageable programmes with clearly-
defined educational results.
? Break the bottlenecks and remove the inefficien-
cies which delay the formulation of budgets, al-
lotment of funds, procurement of goods, execu-
tion of programmes and reporting of results.
? Make data and knowledge work better for plan-
ning, monitoring and review.
? Improve intra ministerial coordination at all
levels
? Take a longer term approach to capacity devel-
opment within ministries, beyond the short term
imperative to recruit Technical Assistants (TAs).
? Make aid better coordinated, more transparent,
and hence more effective.
In addition, the Education Sector has sub-
stantive policy issues to resolve:
? The education of girls is central to achieving
EFA and MDG goals and Afghanistan‘s wider
development objectives. A whole sector strategy
on girls and women‘s education is required if
levels of access and of quality are to improve
significantly.
? Improving the security of schools and students
that builds on good practice, in association with
defining ways in which education can contribute
to stabilisation and peace.
? Managing quality improvements during rapid
expansion; identifying acceptable standards and
norms. The future expansion of secondary edu-
cation will pose particular problems in this re-
gard.
? Working with employers, identifying the skill-
sets needed for the modern-sector economy; de-
velop and programme coherent responses and
encourage education-industry partnerships.
? Enhancing the benefits of Islamic education
through closer engagement with State education
and vice-versa.
? Ensuring equity of education service provision
across Provinces.
? Enabling (and possibly facilitating) the private
sector to play its part in rebuilding and reform.
? Analysing carefully the place of IT in education
in improving access, quality and relevance
In the short term, the priorities include:
? Finalising NESP II and making it operational
quickly.
? Passing the Higher Education Law
? Maximising the benefits to accrue from the HRD
Cluster; and considering the benefits of the Fast
Track Initiative.
Recommendations
1. Review and revise, as necessary, edu-
cation sub-sector strategies and plans
to ensure that programmes and sub-
programmes are prioritised against
the criteria of forecasted resource en-
velopes, system capacity and risk
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 xxiv
analysis. Under the current plans, not
everything can be done as proposed.
2. Reach agreement, at ministerial levels,
for a joint task force of the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Fi-
nance (with assistance from the World
Bank in its role on ARTF) to work
through and resolve the bottlenecks
and poor practice that delay and
harm the delivery of education ser-
vices.
3. Develop and gain high level approval
for the development and implementa-
tion of a comprehensive sector strat-
egy for girls’ and women’s education.
4. Develop a cross-government strategy
on skills development to meet the
main challenges of rapid economic
growth/labour market needs.
5. Undertake a formal review of the
quality of general education in Af-
ghanistan and on how best to build, in
a realistic way, on the programmes
that have been implemented thus far.
Particular attention should be paid to
time spent on learning, the impact of
shift systems, classroom pedagogy, as-
sessment, and the quality of school
supervision.
6. Give the HRDB more teeth. Based on
its revised EDB objectives, develop an
action plan for the Board and con-
sider moving towards a Memorandum
of Understanding between the Gov-
ernment of Afghanistan and education
sector donors consistent with the Af-
ghan Compact and ANDS. Establish a
joint review team for NESP II
quickly.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 1
Introduction
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is rebuilding and reforming its education services and
systems, guided by a mission that recognises the centrality of education for stability, good
governance, poverty reduction and prosperity.
5
The National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan (1385-1389/2006/2010) or NESP I set
important goals, programme objectives and targets to be achieved in 1389 (2010). It is an ap-
propriate year therefore to analyse the state of the education sector as NESP I moves into
NESP II (1389-1393/2010/2014).
The year 1389 (2010) also sees the launch of the new National Higher Education Strategic
Plan (1389-1993/2010-2014) and - hopefully - the enactment of the new Higher Education
Law. And there are important initiatives across government, through partnerships with devel-
opment agencies and with non-governmental organisations, to promote human resource de-
velopment more strategically, in a more coordinated way.
In moving forward in these directions, the Government of Afghanistan (GoA) wishes to work
with and learn from a broader international community. The Education for All Fast Track
Initiative (FTI) offers one such opportunity. In seeking the endorsement of its new sector plan
(NESP II) by FTI, the Ministry of Education (MoE) benefits from international scrutiny based
on comparative experience. It also opens up the possibility of additional external resources for
the education sector.
This is the backdrop for this sector analysis which has been commissioned by MoE with its
partner development agencies, working together in the Education Development Board (EDB),
now relaunched as the Human Resource Development Board (HRDB).
Terms of Reference
The terms of reference for the analysis of the education sector in Afghanistan are set out in
Annex 1. The international team contracted to undertake the study has been asked to provide a
comprehensive analytical overview of the education sector; a stock-taking of the education
sector in its totality. Particular emphasis has been placed on the importance of:
? Consulting with key stakeholders
? Setting the analysis within wider national policy frameworks, notably the Afghanistan Millennium
? Development Goals (MDGs) and the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)
? Reviewing the overall resource envelope for education
? Assessing the responsiveness of the education sector to national development policies
The sector analysis has been conceived by MoE as the first of four steps in the process leading
to the endorsement of NESP II by FTI. The second step, into which the findings of this analy-
sis will flow, is an initial assessment of NESP II.
Methodology
Work on the sector analysis was delayed by some months. It commenced early in March 2010
for a period of up to three months, running in tandem with the initial assessment of NESP II.
5
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2008. Education Sector Strategy 1387-1391 (2007/08-2012/13) p.1. Afghani-
stan National Development Strategy. Pillar IV, Education and Culture.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 2
The report team has been answerable to the EDB and guided and advised by the EDB Secre-
tariat (MoE). The evidence base for report includes:
? Documentary and data sources (Annex 2
? Semi-structured stakeholder meetings (Annex 3 Record of Meetings)
? Visits to three Provinces; to Herat 16-20 April; Nangarhar 25-27 April; and Bamyan 2-4 May.
Where possible and appropriate, the circumstances, levels of progress and approaches to the
development of the education sector in Afghanistan have been contrasted with wider com-
parative experience.
Defining the Sector
In any education sector analysis it is important to recognise that learning activities come in
many forms. Education is not the sole preserve of one system or one service provider. Learn-
ing is part of the life blood of religion, culture, family and social life. As a pathway to maxi-
mise individual potential, extend freedoms, build capabilities and open up opportunities it
follows many roads. And its role in contributing to economic growth, improved health, sus-
tainable development, and peace and security requires a broad range of educational ap-
proaches and responses.
Accordingly, it is difficult to draw boundaries around education. But boundaries have had to
be drawn.
6
Essentially, this is a study of the GoA‘s role as an education service provider in
achieving its access, quality, relevance and equity goals; while recognising that NGOs, donor
agencies, and community-based organisations as important implementers of many govern-
ment programmes. It is also necessary to set education in a wider national economic devel-
opment, security, and poverty reduction setting. And to examine broader, sector wide, human
resource development initiatives.
Most attention is given to the work of the Ministry of Education (MoE) which carries the pri-
mary though not exclusive responsibility for meeting the basic education needs and demands
of nearly 45% of Afghanistan‘s population; its young people. But given Afghanistan‘s consti-
tutional commitment to promoting education for women, to enhancing literacy, and the need
for marketable skills in the economy, the advocacy and influencing functions of the Ministry
of Women‘s Affairs (MOWA), and the education and training activities of the Ministry of
Higher Education (MoHE) and the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
(MoLSAMD) require analysis.
The Structure of the Report
In interpreting its remit, the team has:
? Framed its findings in broad strategic terms, with particular reference to GoA‘s higher order education
goals as these relate to access, quality, equity and relevance.
? Placed education within its national economic, social, political and security environment, especially
as this relates to the country‘s overall human resource and skills development agenda
? Analysed the strengths and weaknesses of different parts of the education sector with particular refer-
ence to a) their contribution to the achievement of higher order sector goals, and b) the degree to which
they function efficiently and effectively
? Highlighted some very specific challenges facing the education sector, notably in advancing gender eq-
uity and furthering greater gender equality, in combating insecurity, and in being inclusive.
6
MoE and the Education Development Board in setting the terms of reference for this study determined that the
work of four ministries should be included: MoE, MoHE, MoWA and MoLSAMD.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 3
? Addressed those issues which are of structural and institutional importance. Of particular concern and
relevance to the FTI endorsement process is the need for better data, for the efficient and effective use
of limited financial resources, for building capacity and for making aid work effectively.
This rationale translates into a report of five main sections. Section A is entitled The Educa-
tion Sector in Context. Section B, which lies at the heart of the report, is Taking Stock of the
Education Sector. Section C identifies Three Special Issues and Section examines Managing
Change. Section E draws Conclusions, and points to how the main findings of the sector
analysis may help to refine the current draft of NESP II.
Limitations
As noted above, establishing boundaries for the education sector is problematic given the
range and the diversity of education and training activities in Afghanistan. The crucial rela-
tionships which necessarily exist between line ministries and the Ministry of Finance (MoF),
as these play out centrally and at the provincial and district levels, add to this complexity. A
high degree of dependence on external aid further complicates the institutional environment.
Capturing this complexity in a relatively short time has been challenging.
The Sector Analysis is, by its very nature and terms of reference, a broad overview of the sec-
tor drawing on as much pertinent evidence as possible within a variety of scheduling, organ-
isational and security constraints.
7
Acknowledgements
The limitations referred to above should in no way detract from the warmth of the welcome
that the team received from school children to ministers. As the Meetings Schedule (Annex 3)
demonstrates, numerous organisations, departments, institutions, agencies, and individuals
shared their experiences, their knowledge, their frustrations and their hopes. We hope that this
sector analysis will repay in some small measure their contribution to our findings.
The team wishes to acknowledge specifically the help and guidance provided by Abdul Was-
say Arian, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Education, and Mirwais Masood, Education De-
velopment Board Secretariat Director.
8
7
Obtaining documents in a timely way was a particular constraint.
8
Our thanks too to the ASI/ESA Translation and Support Team
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 4
A The Education Sector in Context
The first part of this Education Sector Analysis (ESA) is in three sections. Section 1 sets the
scene, historically and in legal terms. Section 2 places education into its wider development
context, before Section 3 introduces Afghanistan‘s main education strategies and the plans.
1. The Context
1.1 An Impressive Story
No report on education in Afghanistan in the year 1389 (2010) can start without acknowledg-
ing some of the extraordinary achievements of the past eight years. Figure 1 captures part of
this story. It shows a revolution in the number of children registered in Afghanistan‘s schools
since 2002, and the beginnings of a revolution in enabling girls to benefit from a basic educa-
tion.
Figure 1 School Enrolments (Grades 1-12) in Afghanistan: 1319-1388 (1940-2009)
From a position of almost complete system collapse during the time of the Taliban, MoE with
the support of the international community has made remarkable gains. Since 2001, recorded
attendance in formal schooling has grown from one million children to seven million, includ-
ing 2.5 million girls. Tens of thousands of teachers have been hired and received some train-
ing, thousands of schools have been built or refurbished, curriculum renewal has and is taking
place, and millions of textbooks have been printed and distributed. Literacy programmes have
been provided to hundreds of thousands of persons across the nation and teacher training col-
leges have been established in every province.
9
1.2 A Longer Perspective
These considerable achievements need to be set within a longer historical perspective.
There is a long tradition of learning in Afghanistan. As early as 1500 – 900 BC, Brahman
Monks taught philosophy and religion in the northern and eastern parts of present-day Af-
9
Exact number are detailed in later sections where data are available
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 5
ghanistan.
10
In the centuries that followed, invaders and conquerors, including Buddhists, Zo-
roastrians and Avestics, established schools and centres to spread their philosophies and
teachings.
11
With the introduction of Islam, mosques formed the nerve centre of political, religious and
educational activities.
12
During Islam‘s Golden Age (8th – 12th Centuries AD), Madaris
13
(Islamic colleges of learning) were established in many of the great cultural capitals of the
region. In the area of present-day Afghanistan, Masjid schools were established as the primary
educational institutions for inculcating the Islamic faith, teaching reading, writing and relig-
ion; in addition, they served as feeder schools into the more prestigious Madaris.
14
Under the
Abbasid Empire, pursuit of a wide range of theories and avenues of knowledge flourished.
15
There were also major educational advances made in Herat under the Kurts and, subsequently,
the Timurids.
In the beginning of the twentieth century, tensions began to rise between traditional Islamists
and more modern Islamists over the role of education in the Islamic dynasty. Under the reign
of Amir Habibullah Ghazi and, subsequently, King Amanullah, Foreign Minister Mahmud
Tarzi made education an engine for social change. He reformed the Madrassa system, intro-
duced compulsory education, co-educational schooling, and inaugurated the first girls‘
schools.
16
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the People‘s Democratic Party of Af-
ghanistan initiated a nationwide literacy and educational campaign. In tandem with the intro-
duction of rigorous curricula, students were inculcated with Communist philosophy and eth-
ics.
17
This ideological campaign was resisted fiercely in many parts of the country, particu-
larly in the more conservative, rural areas. It was seen as opposing Islamic culture, family
values and religion. Hence, a resistance movement was launched against the introduction of
formal education as communities perceived it as a vehicle for ideological colonisation.
With the entry of the Americans into the Cold War arena of Afghanistan during the 1980s and
1990s, another ideological campaign was launched – this one being an anti-Communist cam-
paign. Between 1984 and 1994, USAID funded the printing and distribution of over 10.5
million primary school primers in Afghanistan as part of a widespread information campaign
to spur resistance to the Soviet occupation.
18
10
Education in Afghanistan, initially published in Encylopaedia Iranica, volume VIII, Fascicle 3, Mazda Pub-
lishers, 1998, pp. 237.
11
Ibid.
12
Educational Institutions in the Golden Age of Islam;http://metaexistence.org/educationalinst.htm
13
Madari is the plural form of ?madrassa.‘
14
Education in Afghanistan, initially published in Encylopaedia Iranica, volume VIII, Fascicle 3, Mazda Pub-
lishers, 1998, pp. 237.
15
The Abbasid ?curriculum for formal madrasa education included jurisprudence.....literary studies, philology,
composition, reading, syntax, rhetoric, prosody, history, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, algebra, music, poli-
tics, ethic, domestic economy, logic, dialectic, dogmatic, theology, metaphysics, natural science, medicine,
chemistry, surveying, veterinary, agriculture, phrenology, dream interpretation, astrology and magic,‘ as cited in
the above-mentioned article Education in Afghanistan, in the Encylopaedia Iranica.
16
"M. Tarzi: Forgotten Nationalist, " American Universities Field Report Service: South Asian Series, VIII, No.
1, 1964.
17
Thousands of teachers and professionals were sent to Russia and trained in the Communist ideology, millions
of books were printed and ideological campaigns were disseminated.
18
Mahmood Mamdani, Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, p.64. Much has been documented about the patently-violent
images and militant messages contained in these books which condoned violence through supposed education.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 6
1.3 Legacy of Distrust
The legacy of using education for ideological purposes has left some Afghan communities
suspicious about the role and objectives of formal education. At worst, communities perceive
education as a tool designed to defile and degrade Islamic culture and values. In the decade
since the fall of the Taliban, anti-government elements have capitalized on these fears and
suspicions. There have been a number of anti-educational campaigns and violent attacks
against schools propagated by insurgent elements. These attacks are not necessarily reflective
of an ideological opposition to education. In many cases, these acts are more of a statement
about opposition to perceived colonization, governance or military activities or fear of a cor-
ruption of Islamic values.
In spite of lingering pockets of doubt and suspicion, most Afghans welcome education. Where
schools are not close to home, students are known to walk two – three hours each way to re-
ceive an education. Teachers in some Community Based Schools have been providing their
services for years as volunteers. When schools have come under attack by insurgents, teachers
and students have found ways to meet elsewhere to continue their studies. The dedication on
the part of service providers and the hunger on the part of the population for education is one
of the key factors by which Afghanistan‘s education sector is able to offer some learning op-
portunities for more than seven million school children.
1.4 Challenges Ahead
Achievements there have been, but there is much still to be done. It is a sobering fact that only
about half of a fast growing school-aged population is in school. The education sector must
almost double its service capacity to provide education for more than five million out-of-
school children, most of them girls. It has to curb precipitous female attrition rates. The geog-
raphy of Afghanistan makes these tasks even more daunting. The insurgency creates difficul-
ties in providing education in areas of conflict and insecurity. There are also challenges in
recruiting and training the tens of thousands of teachers needed to realise ambitious educa-
tional goals, and in constructing and refurbishing schools.
In the face of these challenges, the public commitment to education remains strong. More-
over, there is an evident sense of purpose within government to provide quality education for
all. This level of commitment, if well guided with appropriate policies, plans, resources and
human capacities, can be a formidable driver for the achievement of Afghanistan‘s educa-
tional goals and objectives.
1.5 Education’s Legal Underpinning
In meeting these challenges, education has a relatively strong legal and constitutional plat-
form from which to act, as shown in Textbox 1.
The Education Law of Afghanistan (1387 (2008) confirms that education is a compulsory
requirement for Grades 1-9, the basic education cycle in Afghanistan.
19
Enforcing this re-
quirement is currently unrealistic. Article Four requires that the state will provide free educa-
Because of the scarcity of educational resources, these books remained in use throughout the 1990s and into the
twenty-first century, both in Afghanistan and in the Afghan refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan.
19
Education Law of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Decree #56, Islamic Year 1387, Article Four.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 7
tion, from basic education to higher education, to all of its citizens,
20
a commitment which
places an increasing burden on the state as the formal education system expands.
Textbox 1 Constitutional Provision for Education
The Constitution (1382 (2003))
• Article 17: The state shall adopt necessary measures for promotion of education in all levels, develop-
ment of religious education, and organizing and improving mosques, madrasas and religious centres.
• Article 43: Education is the right of all citizens of Afghanistan, which shall be provided up to the level
of Bachelors (lisans) free of charge by the state. The state is obliged to devise and implement effective
programs for a balanced education all over Afghanistan, and to provide compulsory intermediate educa-
tion level education. The state is also required to provide the opportunity to teach native languages in
areas where they are spoken.
• Article 44: The state shall devise and implement effective programs for balancing and promoting educa-
tion for women, improving of education of nomads and elimination of illiteracy in the country.
• Article 45: The state shall devise and implement a unified educational curriculum based on the provi-
sions of the sacred religion of Islam, national culture, and in accordance with academic principles, and
develops the curriculum of religious subjects on the basis of the Islamic sects existing in Afghanistan.
• Article 46: Establishing and operating the higher, general vocational education are the duties of the
state. The citizens of Afghanistan can also establish higher, general and vocational private educational
institutions and literacy courses with the permission of the state. The conditions for admission to state
higher education institutions and other related matters to be regulated by the law.
2. Meeting Afghanistan’s Development Priorities
2.1 Education and ANDS
The main pillars of Afghanistan‘s development strategy are set out in the Afghanistan Com-
pact and the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) which also serves as the
country‘s poverty reduction strategy. The Compact is a five year framework for cooperation
(1385-1390 {2006-2011}) between the Government of Afghanistan, the United Nations and
the donor community. The Compact indentifies three main pillars for development: Security;
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights; and Economic and Social Development. ANDS
defines the strategies by which work in these three areas will be carried forward: planned,
resourced and monitored.
Education and training is important for all three areas, although it is positioned with culture,
as sub-pillar IV under social and economic development. Textbox 2 suggests that education is
of importance across the ANDS framework with a significant contribution to make in secur-
ing security, realising rights, strengthening good governance and developing skills. A literate
and educated population underpins development and stability.
20
Ibid.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 8
Textbox 2 Education, Training and ANDS
ANDS Pillars Education and Training
Security
Education is a force for peace and security. It helps stabilisa-
tion. It can promote tolerance and empathy.
Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights
Islamic education strengthens faith and instils moral values
Education is human right. It is also a means of realising
other human rights. A good education fosters good citizen-
ship
Social and Economic Development
Infrastructure and Natural Resources
The sustainable exploitation of natural resources requires
knowledge and skills
Education and Culture
Good education instils the ability to learn
It can and should sustain a nation‘s culture
Health and Nutrition
Good health and nutrition contributes to better learning.
Education is a means of securing better health and nutrition.
Agriculture and Rural Development
In a predominantly rural country education and training is
key for agricultural development
Social Protection
Education contributes to the protection and wellbeing of the
most marginalised in society
Economic Governance and Private Sector Devel-
opment
Without a strong knowledge, skills and IT base, economic
growth and the creation of a strong private sector is severely
constrained.
2.2 The Scale of the Challenge
At present (1388/2009 data), education‘s ability to play this multi-faceted development role is
severely constrained. In a country with close to 30 million people, with 44% of the population
aged between 0 and 14:
? 162,000 students passed the Grade 9 examination in all forms of education in 1388 (2009), 158,000 in
general education schools. This is the end of the basic education cycle; the knowledge and skills plat-
form which is essential for further advancement in the education and training system.
? 86,000 students passed the Grade 12 examination, 71,000 in general education schools. This is the cadre
with the potential to move into further education and develop the higher order skills which Afghanistan
needs.
? Fewer than 7,000 students passed Grade 14 examinations in MoE institutions, 5,000 of them teachers.
? Approximately 62,000 were enrolled in institutions of higher education institutions.
21
? Approximately 11,000 are in training programmes under the National Skills Development Programme
(NSDP).
22
? Fewer than 2,000 students were enrolled in Grade 14 in technical and vocational institutions.
? The National Institute for Management and Administration caters for approximately 2,500 students.
? Approximately 380,000 people were recorded as registered on initial literacy courses.
Although these figures are for one year only, they represent a very limited knowledge and
skills base from which to progress towards Afghanistan‘s peace and development goals.
ANDS draws attention to skill shortages across the public and private sector. There is a lack
of skilled human resources with experience in water management. In agriculture, with few
notable exceptions, all rural citizens are poor in relative and absolute terms, lacking both
physical and social assets. In the health sector there are inadequately trained health workers
and a lack of qualified female health workers in rural areas. Elsewhere, the numbers and
skills within the ICT work force is a constraint to the adoption and promotion of ICT. And so
this story is repeated across the economy; public and private.
21
The sector analysis team did not have graduation data.
22
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 9
ANDS concludes that for education to contribute to poverty reduction and economic growth it
is important that the skills and knowledge acquired in the education system are relevant to
present day needs and market demands. The content of education in Afghanistan has not
evolved with the times and not for want of good reasons. However, it is urgent now to leap-
frog in time and adopt methodologies and content that suit both individual students and the
people at large.
The World Bank has observed that skills development is vital if youth unemployment and
underemployment are not to pose both developmental and security problems, especially given
that the expansion of schooling has not produced a large number of students with skills to
meet the needs of the labour market. And if Afghan citizens are to replace foreign workers in
providing skilled labour, skills development is essential.
23
The National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 1386-1387 (2007/08) highlights the high
prevalence of child labour in Afghanistan, with over three million children estimated to be
employed or performing child labour (Textbox 3).
Textbox 3 Profile of the Labour Force
? Working-age population (age of 16 and older): 12 million
? Labour force (employed or looking for work): 8 million
? Unemployment rate: 7 percent
? Total number of unemployed: 363 thousand males, 205 thousand fe-
males
? 47 percent of the working-age females are active on the labour market
? 86 percent of working-age men are active on the labour market
? 1.9 million Afghan children aged 6-17 (21 percent) are employed
? 1.2 million (13 percent) children are performing child labour
? 443 thousands in-migrants and 254 thousands out-migrants looked for
work elsewhere
? Iran is by far the most important origin and destination of Afghan labour
migrants
Source: National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 1386-1387 (2007-2008)
2.3 Defining Needs
In responding to this both urgent and longer term challenge, the education sector ministries
have plans for major expansion and quality improvement, as much of this ESA report will
show. In so doing, it will be important, particularly in contributing to higher levels of em-
ployment and to economic growth, to have a good knowledge base of the types of skills re-
quired for a growing economy in Afghanistan, and a well defined and resourced skills devel-
opment response.
To date, the knowledge base of skills needs and shortages is very limited but it is developing.
MoLSAMD and the National Skills and Development Programme (NSPD), for example, are
conducting survey work. One of their recent studies, showed that in urban Afghanistan, con-
struction and service industry skills are in high demand. The percentage of males (25-54 years
of age) in urban areas formally trained in vocational centres is just 2.7% of the male working
23
The World Bank with other donor agencies is supporting the Afghanistan Skills Development Project to help develop a
demand-driven vocational education and training system, and give training institutions autonomy to plan and customize their
programmes and establish partnerships with experienced national and international training providers. By focusing a major
component of the project on market linkages with a rural focus, the project will help build economic linkages in rural areas,
and support the most vulnerable groups – the most difficult issues in Afghanistan to address.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 10
group; 2.3% for women. Over 95% of workers are trained on the job in informal apprentice-
ships.
24
Many lack literacy.
MoHE intends to undertake a national needs assessment of the knowledge requirement of the
labour market and Afghanistan‘s society more broadly, taking close account of the changing
high level competencies and expertise needed in a modern economy. This is important work.
MoE in reviewing the primary and secondary curriculum has been paying attention to the
relevance of general education to life after school and the needs of the economy. MoWA is
advancing the importance of affirmative action for increasing opportunities for education,
skills development and employment for women. Particular reference is made to the demands
of infrastructure, agriculture and livestock production. An analysis is being undertaken of
how best to provide women with these skills. In addition, attention will be given to rural en-
terprise training and to encouraging to the private sector to provide training and job opportu-
nities.
These individual sub-sector initiatives are valuable. But the overall scale of the challenge is
formidable both in terms of the numbers needed in the labour market and the scale of the
knowledge and skills response that is required. While short term targets have been set, this
endeavour will require at least a generation to effect. With this in mind, work is needed on
longer term growth and employment scenarios, setting out alternative, cost effective ways of
strengthening and building up Afghanistan‘s human resource base. Factoring in literacy pro-
grammes, ICT, the role of the private sector and enabling women to become equal partners in
economic and wealth generating activity would be some of the more important components of
such work.
Education is a critical component of the long-term task of rebuilding Afghanistan. Investment
in physical capital, including schools and universities, following the decades of war, internal
conflict and destruction needs to be matched by high and sustained investment in hu-
man capital. It is only through this investment that the development of human resources to
the level required to reach the MDGs and the institutional needs of a stable and secure country
will be realised.
3. Education Sector Policies and Plans
The work of the education sector in Afghanistan is guided by a number of strategic plans.
Figure 2 identifies the more important of these plans and their relationship to ANDS. The first
National Education Strategic Plan (NESP I) predates ANDS but since 2008, ANDS has pro-
vided the broad architecture for sector planning for all ministries working in education and
skills development.
The closest that any of these strategies and plans comes to taking a broad sector wide ap-
proach to education, embracing all of the sub-sectors, is the ANDS Education Sector strategy
(1387-1391/2008-2012). This encompasses the work of all four ministries included in this
analysis. But this document does not appear to have a great deal of programme development
purchase compared with individual Ministry based strategies.
24
MoLSAMD Labour Market Information and Analysis Unit (2008). An Urban Area Primary Source Study of
Supply and Demand in the Labour Market.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 11
Figure 2 Education Strategies and Plans
Econ
3.1 Plan Development
25
The individual plans of sector ministries are a considerable achievement both in the speed
with which they have been constructed and the fact that this type of intense national planning
aided by (some would say driven) external partners is a new experience. Levels of consulta-
tion within and across a ministry, the use and/or dependence on external technical assistance,
dialogue across government, and the involvement of front line stakeholders appear to vary
considerably across different ministries.
26
The National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA) is said to have resulted
from a two year process of consultation with government institutions, international commu-
nity, experts, private sector, civil society and NGOs.
27
The National Higher Education Stra-
tegic Plan has been a long time in the making, with assistance from UNESCO, the World
Bank and the Higher Education Project (HEP), but is described as truly a team effort reflect-
ing the contributions of all the individual and parties [chancellors, representatives of higher
25
An AREU study (2009) on Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) Formulation Process: Influ-
encing Factors and Challenges offers some interesting and probably controversial insights into how plans are
developed in Afghanistan, especially in relation to the role of external technical assistance. Its overall conclusion
is that the final ANDS is written primarily by foreign experts and manifests the vision of international funding
organisations rather than representing a purely indigenous development and poverty reduction plan for Afghani-
stan.
26
There is in most ministries only a small pool of people with the competencies and training to develop plans of
the sort that have been prepared in the last few years. The degree to which these processes have built and em-
bedded capacity for future planning rounds is hard to judge.
27
Only MoWA sets out its Plan Formulation Process in any detail. Annex A of NAPWA. Some anecdotal evi-
dence suggests that it was not as consultative as has been claimed.
ANDS 1387-1391 (2008-2013)
Three pillars
Security
Governance, Rule of Law and
Human Rights
National Ac-
tion Plan for
the Women of
Afghanistan
1387-1397
(2008-2018)
National Higher
Education Strategy
1389-1393 (2010-
2014)
National Education
Strategic Plan for
Afghanistan I
1385-1389 (2006-
2010)
ANDS Educa-
tion Sector
Strategy 1387-
1391 (2007/08-
2012/13)
Economic and Social
Development
National Education
Strategic Plan for
Afghanistan II
1389-1393 (2010-
2014)
MOLSAMD
Strategic Plan
(Draft 2008)
1387-1392
(2008-2013)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 12
education institutions, lecturers, and national and international organisations] who contributed
to its preparation.
28
The first plan developed by MoE (NESP I) had very significant technical inputs from
UNESCO‘s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) with financial assistance
from the Government of Norway. An important by product of this support was the strengthen-
ing of the Planning Department in MoE. The development of NESP II is said to have been
more consultative, including at the Provincial level, with all of the preparatory work being
done in Dari.
29
3.2 Plan Goals and Performance Measurement
Each plan sets out its Ministry‘s higher order goals. MoE emphasises greater access to good
quality education, as does MoHE, emphasising that higher education institutions be more re-
sponsive to Afghanistan‘s growth and development needs. MoWA pursues the twin goals of
women‘s empowerment and gender equality; MoLSAMD, skills development and employ-
ment opportunities. All look to improving the management of their activities.
As their titles imply (except for NAPWA), the documents provide strategic frameworks.
None have time-bound operational plans. The degree to which they stipulate time bound pro-
grammes and programme activities varies. The Higher Education Strategy is perhaps the most
specific in linking intended actions with human and financial requirements.
More generally, it is not always obvious that education outputs and outcomes are the main
drivers for measuring and assessing performance. While MoE might be expected to monitor
progress towards its schooling objectives in terms of enrolment, completion, and transition
(difficult statistically though this is) - and NESP II does give greater weight to these indicators
than NESP I - the very lengthy draft set of performance indicators prepared for NESP II re-
quires very detailed attention to measuring the delivery of inputs.
30
MoWA‘s position (in its education work) is rather different, reflective of its function as a pol-
icy-making body, not an implementer. As such, its primary objective is to set policy and regu-
late compliance pertaining to gender-related goals within each of the other ministries. Hence,
it seeks to influence and monitor. This function is less amenable to target setting. MOWA,
nevertheless, has 40 education programme objectives, all of which require action, by or in
cooperation with, other ministries and bodies. These objectives are a mix of activities, targets
and broad general intentions. Ambitiously, these will be reported by a collective endeavour
of the ministries and the international community, and will be an integral part of monitoring,
coordination and reporting under the Afghanistan Compact and the ANDS.
31
The National Higher Education Strategic Plan is different again. The strategy is defined by the
qualitative improvement of higher education and its better governance and management. It
has objectives and targets set into its sub-programmes but these are not strongly oriented to-
28
Ministerial Preface to the National Higher Education Strategic Plan.
29
MoE is acknowledged as promoting good practice in bringing its Provincial Managers to the centre for con-
sultation and planning activities on a regular basis. At the time of the sector analysis team‘s visit, Provincial
Education Directors were in Kabul for 10 days including briefings on Teacher Training and pay and grade re-
forms.
30
This is not to suggest that measuring the delivery of inputs is unimportant but if people – particularly at sub-
national level – are immersed in monitoring inputs the bigger outcome related picture gets lost.
31
p110. Sub-section 2.4. NAPWA.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 13
wards preparing graduates for defined areas of need in the Afghanistan economy. One of its
specific objectives however, is to conduct a national skills needs assessment. A Monitoring
and Evaluation Unit is being established in the MoHE as part of the Policy and Planning Di-
rectorate, funded by the World Bank.
The draft 2008 MoLSAMD plan links itself closely to ANDS targets and reporting mecha-
nisms.
3.3 Plan Focus and Areas of Linkage
Not surprisingly, policies and plans reflect the educational territory of each ministry:
The Ministry of Education (MoE): General Education (Grades 1-12 schools), Teacher Education, Is-
lamic Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Literacy and Non-Formal Education
The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE): Universities, Institutes of Higher Education and (plans
for) Community Colleges (public and private)
32
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA): Primarily, an oversight, influencing and coordination
role across government to promote parity, equity and equality at all levels of education, for girls and for
women.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and the Disabled (MOLSAMD): A broad portfolio
including pensions, skills development, labour law, kindergartens, orphanages, and welfare for the dis-
abled and the families of martyrs. It leads and supports the National Skills and Development Pro-
gramme (NSDP), the Employment Services Centre Programme, the Labour Market Information and
Analysis Unit, and the Employment Policy Strategy Unit.
It is clear from this simple tabulation, that all four ministries are engaged (some at different
age levels) with promoting and/or developing skills for employment and national develop-
ment. Clearly this is an area of common interest and the ANDS Education Sector Strategy
(1387-1391/2007/88-2012/13) draws attention to the need for better coordination in this area.
A National Vocational Education and Training Authority has been proposed as one contribu-
tion to meeting this need.
There are clearly issues too that link MOE and MOHE, given that students transit from one
level of education to another. Expanding demand for education at all levels is likely to require
a more differentiated and flexible approach to learning, with more bridges from one level of
education to another. Strengthening linkages between sub-systems receives some attention in
NESP II and in the Higher Education Strategic Plan but it seems to be early days in exploring
these issues.
3.4 National Plans: Local Needs
A different issue is the degree to which education plans recognise the circumstances and
needs of different parts of Afghanistan. There is little or no analysis in any of the plans of
inequities and disparities of service provision, resource allocation and differential learning
outcomes in different parts of the country. This is particularly important in relation to the edu-
cation of girls. It is not at all evident that budget allocations to the Provinces for the education
sector are grounded in any way on a needs based analysis. It might be argued that Provincial
and District offices tailor their sub-national plans and programmes to meet their own specific
educational needs. But the evidence of needs based planning at these levels is weak.
The argument might be advanced too that the circumstances of the country are such that gov-
ernment is dependent on donor-led, NGO implemented projects and programmes to make the
32
Community Colleges are planned under the Higher Education Strategy.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 14
difference in those areas government sector development programmes are unable to reach,
albeit under the general oversight of ministries.
3.5 Cross Cutting Issues
ANDS introduces a number of cross cutting issues that sector plans are required to address in
a systematic way. MoWA is tasked with the authority to influence and judge whether this is
true with regard to gender, in the education policies and plans of the other ministries. This of
necessity covers the monitoring of programmes targeted at girls and women, and assessing the
extent to which sub-sector plans are informed throughout by gender analysis and affirmative
action. In teacher training (under NESP I and II), for example, there is conscious effort to
think through the gender implications of teacher education staffing and programming. And
the Higher Education strategy speaks to equity as one its core values. It states: that each insti-
tution should develop its own equity policy and provide annual reports to this effect. But for
reasons that may reflect the complexity of gender values and norms in Afghanistan, gender
equity is not a constant thread that runs through education sector plans. Section C explores
these issues in more detail.
3.6 External Planning Frameworks
To execute the majority of Afghanistan‘s rebuilding reforms and innovations in the education
sector requires external assistance (see Section D). In the spirit and the practice of aid effec-
tiveness there is generally a broad fit between donor specific aid projects and programmes and
national education planning frameworks in Afghanistan. And forums such as the Education
Development Board have been established to promote and monitor this relationship. But the
fact remains that donors do have different ways of working and have their own education sec-
tor priorities, including in individual provinces.
These issues are examined more fully in Section D. The point being made here is that differ-
ent ministries in the education sector have to be conversant with what it is that a relatively
large number of donors can or cannot do. In essence, there is another tier of education strate-
gies and strategy papers to be connected and related to the mainstream of education sector
strategy.
33
Alignment may be intended but is far from being practiced fully.
A further complication is the association of the security forces with education reconstruction
and programming, a matter dealt with in Section C.
This then is the historical, developmental and policy and planning context in which edu-
cation sector programmes and activities are assessed in Section B.
33
It is not being suggested here that aid agencies do not prepare their strategies in consultation with national
ministries.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 15
B Taking Stock of the Education Sector
This core section of the ESA is organised around the provision made for the main groups of
stakeholders in the education system – from early childhood education through to TVET and
adult literacy; by way of general education, Islamic education and higher education. So the
section is about how education is delivered, the main focus being on the responsibilities of
MoE, but taking in other ministries, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and
donor agencies. It discusses, but does not give separate sections to those key elements which
enable the system to work, including school building, curriculum and teaching/learning mate-
rials, assessment and supervision.
4. Early Childhood Education (ECE)
34
4.1 Background
ECE refers to a broad range of educational, stimulation and early learning opportunities that
are designed to better equip children for primary school and beyond. Good quality ECE offers
both developmental and longer-term benefits.
35
For disadvantaged children, ECE has even
greater impact.
36
Given that such a large percentage of Afghanistan‘s school age population
can be considered disadvantaged and at risk, ECE offers distinct and significant opportunities,
especially in addressing the educational challenges which most critically affect Afghanistan‘s
school children: poor performance, low levels of academic progression and attrition.
4.2 Legal Framework
The legal framework for ECE is provided in the Afghanistan Education Law. Article Two
states ...The main objectives of this law are…to ensure and develop pre-school education in
accordance with the needs of the country’s children.
37
But ECE is not compulsory, lessening
perhaps the resources that are made available in a very competitive budgeting environment.
NESP II makes brief and seemingly contradictory references to ECE; both highlighting its
importance but clearly lacking the capacity to move it forward.
4.3 ECE within the MoE
ECE acquired prominence as a MoE policy issue in 2008, when Minister Atmar established
the ECE Working Group (within General Education) to assist policy development for ECE.
Save the Children/US was designated co-chair of the working group which included represen-
tatives from CARE, BRAC and the Aga Khan Foundation. In early 2009, a draft ECE policy
was formally presented to MoE. According to several working group representatives, al-
though the policy received initial endorsement by the MoE, it was neither acted upon nor im-
plemented.
34
In Afghanistan, the emphasis seems to be placed firmly on education and not on the wider concept of Early
Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) or Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which provide much
broader frameworks including health and nutrition.
35
Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise , study by RAND Corporation, Dept of Labor
and Population, authored by Lynn A. Karoly, M. Rebecca Kilburn, and Jill S. Cannon, MG-341-PNC, 2005,
ISBN: 0-8330-3836-2, web synopsis:http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9145/index1.html.
36
Janet Currie, Early Childhood Education Programs, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Volume 15, #2, 2001,
page 215.
37
Article 2, Point 10, The Education Law of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, Decree
#56, Islamic Year 1387.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 16
Notwithstanding this set back, the ECE working group continued to meet to develop an action
plan and to set priorities for the future development of the sub-sector in Afghanistan. With
technical support from UNICEF, the Group began to define national standards for ECE. And
at the behest of Deputy Minister Patman, a steering committee was formed under the ECE
working group.
4.4 New Developments
In the third quarter of 2009, ECE gained its own department within MoE, under the Private
Education Directorate. Three units were established within the department‘s tashkil: for cur-
riculum development, teacher education and policy development. Nineteen staff members
have been recruited
38
but no operational budget is available beyond the payment of salaries;
so neither policy development nor programme planning is moving ahead.
39
These developments have led to a disconnect between the ECE Working Group and the ECE
Department. While the Working Group is co-chaired by a senior MoE advisor, most members
are from the donor community. This is significant as the Working Group seems to have a
more important policy role than MoE‘s ECE Department, as it is spearheading ECE policy
and planning activities. Moreover, no member of the ECE Department sits on the Working
Group. To add to this confusion of roles, the ECE pilot programme is completely donor-
funded and not obviously coordinated with either the Working Group or Department.
4.5 ECE Pilot
Coincidental to the establishment of the ECE Department was an infusion of donor funding
from the NGO BRAC to develop an ECE pilot programme. Twenty Ministerial staff mem-
bers
40
are now in Bangladesh receiving a comprehensive five month ECE training course to
help to enable them to implement the ECE pilot programme. When they complete their train-
ing, they will work to develop ECE standards, curricula and teaching materials as well as the
ECE implementation plan. Only three of the twenty come from the ECE Department and few
have educational backgrounds.
The ECE pilot is envisioned as a one-year project, implemented by the MoE. Fifty ECE De-
velopment Centres will open in five provinces; there will be 10 Centres established in each
province, five in urban areas and five in rural locations. The ECE Department Advisor be-
lieves that the pilot program may be launched by the end of the 1389(2010). As there are no
national budget resources for the programme, however, the programme depends on donor
funds which are now being sought.
4.6 ECE Objectives
As mentioned, the ECE Working Group has developed objectives and an action plan for roll-
ing out the ECE programme nationally. Its goals are to: provide children with holistic devel-
opment through skills training in the areas of cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, physical,
cultural and values development.
41
The Working Group stipulates that all ECE educational
38
Most were moved from other departments within MoE, the ESA team was informed and are now in Bangla-
desh receiving ECE training.
39
Aside from the BRAC-funded pilot programme which is described subsequently.
40
The majority are MoE staff members, but a few are from MOLSAMD
41
These objectives are outlined in the Pre-Primary/ ECE presentation, developed by the Pre-School/ECE Work-
ing Group.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 17
activities should be conducted in an inclusive setting, according to the goals of NESP II and
the Rights and Need Assessment Road Map.
42
The working group has identified the following activities as priorities:
? The development and finalization of a national ECE policy
? The development of materials for the ECE programme, to be utilized on a national level;
? The development of an ECE national curriculum/teaching materials;
? The printing of standard, modern ECE learning materials;
? The development and conducting of teacher training for ECE teachers;
? The development of ECE Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms;
? The launching of an awareness-building campaign on the importance of ECE, aimed at both parents and
the general population.
4.7 Other Pre-school Initiatives
Currently, there are some early childhood education initiatives being implemented in Af-
ghanistan, on a limited basis, through private providers, as well as through some donor-
funded programming.
43
Some of the more prominent ECE initiatives are being implemented
by BRAC, IRC, Save the Children, Aga Khan Foundation and UNICEF.
Another important provider of preschool education is the mosque. There are mosque-based
pre-school teaching/learning initiatives throughout Afghanistan. For many families, these pre-
school programmes play a critical educational role. There is no reliable data on how many of
these activities exist across the country or the number of children attending them, but it has
been estimated that the vast majority of Afghan children attend some kind of mosque-based
programme, for some period of time.
44
Children have an opportunity to learn about their re-
ligion, to develop respect for the teachings of the Quar‘an and to gain awareness of their civic
responsibilities as Muslim citizens, and to interact socially.
MoLSAMD has for several decades, offered a pre-school/ day care programme referred to as
kodakstan (which normally is translated into ?kindergarten?). This appears to be a hangover
from the Russian period when free childcare was provided for all government workers. Since
the nineteen seventies, MoLSAMD has continued to provide childcare centres for the sons
and daughters of government workers. These are essentially day-care facilities, catering for
around 26,000 children, ranging in age from three months to seven years.
4.8 Quality, Access and Risks
Making ECE available to many more Afghan children is desirable, so the results from the
pilot programme will be important. Less clear is the extent to which ECE should be funded
directly from the MoE budget. NESP II places limited emphasis on ECE. This fact and the
failure to properly resource the new ECE Department suggest that there are higher priorities.
As in many countries, and influenced by international targets (MDGs), the priority in Af-
ghanistan is to provide good quality basic education of at least six and preferably nine years
42
The Needs & Rights Assessment Map was formulated by UNESCO and it was endorsed by the MoE in 2010 as
a binding strategy.
43
The private options are quite limited as there are only 240 registered private schools in Afghanistan, only a
few of which offer pre-school educational programmes.
44
There are no known statistics on this issue largely because these are neither formal initiatives nor are they
registered with the Government as educational centres. Moreover, they usually do not require students to offi-
cially enrol. These are simply neighbourhood programmes which offer religious education to pre-school chil-
dren.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 18
duration for every child. Until that goal has been achieved, it is realistic to argue that ECE-
provision be left to the private sector and NGO implementers. Necessarily this response
means that large numbers of needy children will miss out on the undoubted benefits that ECE
offers.
For ECE to be genuinely beneficial in the development of young, disadvantaged children, just
as much care has to be exercised in regard to the conditions of learning (environment, curricu-
lum, teachers and materials) as at any other level of the education system. In this regard, a
cautionary note has been sounded by some stakeholders that some of MoLSAMD
kindergartens create a negative learning environment, and that measures should be taken to
ensure that national ECE initiatives do not replicate these models. Since many of these ?kin-
dergarten‘ centres are extremely under-resourced, it is not unusual for two-three rooms to
accommodate 70- 200 children with extremely high student/carer ratios. In these environ-
ments, children‘s needs cannot be met.
One way to overcome this challenge would be to employ the community and/or follow home-
based ECE models which are being implemented by some INGOs. Save the Children US is
currently supporting 300 community-based play groups which rely on local resources. Non-
literate women are trained in the basic early childhood development concepts, as well as ten-
ets of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) and on practical educational activities,
such as making toys out of local materials. In this way, they can facilitate playgroups in their
houses. Parenting education programmes accompany the Early Childhood Development
(ECD) playgroups. Save the Children‘s reporting and longitudinal impact studies appear to
demonstrate that children who attend their ECD playgroups perform well in subsequent
school environments, with good attendance and retention. The model has the potential to be
scaled up, given it is cost-effective and relies largely on local resources. The Aga Khan
Foundation has established a number of ECD Centres, which also offer potential positive
models for ECE policy development.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 19
4.9 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? International donor communities in favour of
assisting/ implementing ECE
? Development of the ECE Pilot Project
? Many good models and lessons-learned from the
IOs & NGOs which have been providing ECE
? Many of the IO-NGO ECE programmes involve
education of mothers in Early Childhood educa-
tional values, health education, family values,
enhanced communications modalities, commu-
nity development skills; potential for MOE ECE
to replicate/ incorporate some of these good
practices
? Promoting ECE for both genders and learning at
an early age has proven to help boost retention
rate
? The training for 20 persons who will be leaders
of the ECE pilot programme,
? Large numbers of female ECE beneficiaries may
help close the gender gap of enrolment (assum-
ing they continue their with formal schooling)
? No formal policy for MoE has yet been developed
by the MoE (unclear whether MoE will attempt to
roll-out a national ECE program, following the pilot
programme or whether it will work to develop and
implement ECE policy of other providers);
? No resources for ECE in national budget
? Not considered a priority sub-sector and unlikely to
receive much funding in the future
? Ability/ capacity of ECE MoE staff to execute
programming remains unclear
? MoE‘s inability to implement and monitor ECE
programming will be weak in the absence of a na-
tional policy/ plan and ECE training for ECE MoE
implementers (beyond the five month BRAC train-
ing)
? No formal plan yet developed for launching even
the pilot programme, for curriculum development,
teacher training/ certification, etc.
? Most of the implementers training in Bangladesh
were largely recruited from other areas in MoE.
They lack ECE experience, were not (in most cases)
part of the ECE unit prior to training, and do not
(mostly) have backgrounds in education.
? Weak institutional arrangements for planning, man-
aging, regulating and financing programmes.
? MoE discrepancies in expectations regarding future
of ECE, from legislative and operational standpoints
Opportunities Threats
? Substantial potential for new labour opportuni-
ties for young women as ECE teachers (ECE
teaching is considered culturally acceptable by
even many of the most conservative members of
society which would not otherwise allow their
daughters to work; this option is also being pro-
posed by the Teacher Education Department)
? General threats of insecurity and war.
? The entire sub-sector is more donor-driven than
MoE-driven.
? In the absence of an articulated policy, pedagogical
trained staff and a substantial funding envelope,
MoE would attempt to roll out ECE and it would
become a MOSAMD daycare-replication pro-
gramme.
? Questions of how ECE would be offered at the
Provincial levels
? Questions related to whether ECE will replicate
some of the learning which takes place in first
grade, which runs the risk of replicating subsequent
learning and creating boredom among children who
completed ECE
? Without a national budget, a government-delivered
ECE programme cannot be sustained, or worse, will
not be sustained with the quality necessary to oper-
ate effectively
? Action plan very weak and provides a plan for the
Working Group but not for the operations of the
sector
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 20
5. General Education
Afghanistan has one of the youngest populations in the world. The United Nations Population
Division estimates that 45.8% of a projected population for 1389 (2010) of 29.12 million are
14 years or younger; 28% being between the ages of 5 and 14.
45
With the UN projecting a
total population of close to 40 million in 1399 (2020), the demand and the need for a basic
education of good quality for all young people in Afghanistan presents a political and devel-
opment challenge of major proportions.
By 1393 (2014), the Government of Afghanistan plans that 10 million children should be en-
rolled in General Education schools, over three million more than 1388 (2009) enrolment lev-
els. And by 1399 (2020), it is intended that Afghanistan should meet the Millennium Devel-
opment Goal (MDG) of ensuring that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary
schooling.
46
To achieve these and other more qualitative educational objectives is the primary
but not exclusive responsibility of government.
5.1 Definitions
The term General Education refers to Grades 1 to 12 in state schools; covering primary, lower
secondary and upper secondary levels of education. In 1388 (2009) there were 11,444
47
gen-
eral education schools serving 6.514 million students, 37.3% of whom were female, giving a
gender parity ratio (GPI) of 0.59.
48
These figures do not include over 9,000 Community Based
Schools (CBS) serving 312,600 students of whom 200,000 (64%) are girls (1387/2008).
49
Islamic schools are a separate category.
The first six years of general education is for primary schooling. The next three years, Grades
7-9, is classified as lower secondary. Together, the first nine years of schooling is conceived
as a complete cycle of basic education.
50
Grades 10-12 constitute upper secondary education.
There are 5,155 primary schools, 3,643 lower secondary schools
51
and 2,713 secondary
schools (1388/2009). In this regard, the 1386 (2007) Schools Survey: Summary Report notes
that the majority of lower secondary schools provide primary education and the majority of
higher secondary schools provide [both] lower secondary and primary education (p.13.
EMIS, 2008).
52
So, a school is classified by the highest grade level it offers.
45
The second draft of the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP II) in March 2010 uses a total population
estimate for Afghanistan of 33 million people for 1387/2008, also using data from the UN Population Division.
The figure of 29.12 million appears on the World Population Prospects: 2008 Revision Population Database.http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp
46
The Ministry of Education (Planning Department) interpretation of this target is that all Grade 1 school aged
children should be in school and stay in school for the first six years of the basic education cycle from 2015.
47
The total number of schools does not match the total of different types of general schools set out in the follow-
ing paragraph. This is but one instance of where data from different sources is not consistent.
48
As later sections show the numbers of children who are registered is not the same as children attending school
on a regular basis. In 1388 (2009) nearly 900,000 children were recorded as ?permanently absent,? 14% of the
enrolment total.
49
The actual number of Community Based Schools is debated, partly because it seems that some Community
Based Schools are counted in the statistics for general education schools. The sector analysis team could not
obtain data which would enable this contention to be resolved.
50
Basic education is compulsory in Article 4 of the Education Law
51
A figure that is lower for 1387 (2008) by nearly 300 lower secondary schools.
52
It is not possible from the 1386 (2007) and 1387 (2008) EMIS reports to disaggregate primary school children
by types of school. But in 1387, 53% of primary schools were mixed, 32% boys schools and 15% for girls. The
figures for lower secondary were 55%, 30% and 15%; and for upper secondary 38%, 45% and 17%.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 21
General education lies at the heart of the government‘s mission to rebuild and reform the edu-
cation system. Its core objective is that all school age children will have equitable access
without discrimination to quality education to acquire competencies needed for a healthy in-
dividual, family and social life, and to further their higher education.
53
In 1389 (2010), at the end of five years of NESP I, it is appropriate to assess the progress that
has been made towards better access, improved quality and greater equity in general educa-
tion, and to examine the factors that are facilitating or hindering progress.
5.2 Access
It is not easy to track progress on access, quality and equity indicators over time in Afghani-
stan‘s schools. As Textbox 4 outlines, despite major advances since 1386 (2007), considerable
difficulties remain in collecting, consolidating and analysing data. But this problem cannot
obscure the impressive gains that have been made in the numbers of children enrolled in
schools over the past eight years since the current government inherited a system that was
defunct and irrelevant.
54
In 1381 (2002), it is estimated that there were less than one million
children enrolled in school although some reports cite higher figures.
55
By 1388 (2009), total
enrolment at all levels of education had risen to nearly seven million, a seven-fold increase
since 1381 (2002).
56
Within these totals it is difficult to determine the proportion of school
aged children enrolled and participating in general education schooling. It is currently impos-
sible to calculate Net and Gross Enrolment rates although some attempts have been made. The
1387 (2008) schools survey report put the Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) at 65% for boys (in all
general schools) and 40% for girls.
57
Gaining access and staying in school is very much more difficult for girls than it is for boys.
Using gross enrolment data for children at the primary level of schooling (1386/2007), the
2010 EFA Global Monitoring derives a Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 0.63 (0.65 in the latest
1388/2009 data) which is the lowest in the world for countries for which data are available.
58
This is almost certainly the biggest challenge which Afghanistan faces, in both its efforts to
achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) and to enable girls to have the same opportuni-
ties to progress through the education system as boys. Section C examines more closely the
strategic responses that are planned to realise the rights of girls to education.
Table 1 provides data for the number of students enrolled at primary, lower secondary and
upper secondary levels of education for the period 1386-1388 (2007-2009).
59
These data show
a number of important short-term trends:
53
The overall goal of Sub-Programme 1 in the March 2010 draft of the National Education Strategy 1389-1393
(2010-2014)
54
p.10 Afghanistan National Development Strategy Education Sector Strategy 1387-1391 (2007/08-2012/13)
55
For example, on p.26 in the March 2010 draft of the National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan (1389-
1393/2010-2014), it is stated that there were 2.3 million students in general education schools in 1381 (2002).
56
The figure of seven million has been quoted in a number of recent MoE booklets. It suggests that approxi-
mately 700, 000 students are enrolled outside of MoE general education schools.
57
The Net Enrolment Ratio (NER) is the enrolment of the official age group for a given level of education, ex-
pressed as a percentage of the population in that age group.
58
The Gender Parity Index or GPI is the ratio (usually) of female to male for any given indicator. The figure
provided here is a national average, so, for example the GPI at the primary level for Kandahar Province is below
0.25 (1387/2008 data).
59
Data before 1386 (2007) is very difficult to find but see the effort that has been made to track figures in earlier
years at the beginning of Section A. There was a UNICEF supported schools survey in 2005 but a summary of
this data was not available to the ESA team.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 22
? There has been an apparent overall rise in enrolment in general education of over 830, 000 (or 14.8%)
over the three year period 1386-1388 (2007-2009) for all levels of general education, with very strong
caveats about the inclusion in these figures of absent and permanently absent students.
? Lower secondary schooling has increased most rapidly, by 58.8%, indicating the pressure that is being
exerted at that level of the system as more children transit from primary education.
? The Gender Parity Index (GPI) has improved modestly at all levels between 1386 and 1388 (2007 and
2009): from 0.59 to 0.65 at primary; from 0.38 to 0.50 at lower secondary; and from 0.33 to 0.39 at up-
per secondary. The fact remains that girls‘ chances lessen significantly with progress through general
education.
? Progression through the system more generally is limited despite the notable increase at the lower sec-
ondary level. For example, in 1388 (2009), for every 12 primary level students there were three students
at lower secondary level and one at upper secondary. These figures represent a steeply angled pyramid
of access to general education. And as the base continues to widen so the pressure to expand at higher
levels of general education will grow.
Textbox 4 Interpreting Educational Data
The establishment of the Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the Department of Planning
and Evaluation has led to important advances in the collection of administrative data for Afghanistan‘s educa-
tion system. This is reflected in part by the issue of the three annual education summary reports since 1386
(2007). But there are still significant obstacles to overcome before a more accurate situational analysis of the
education sector is possible. This can be illustrated by reference to data on general school enrolment and atten-
dance. Ideally, policy makers would know how many children of official school age are in school and complete
their primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education. Currently, this is extremely difficult to record,
for a number of reasons:
? First, there is no accurate data on population by age, although projections have been developed using
UN data or Afghanistan Central Statistical Office figures. The last National Census was in 1979. Ac-
cordingly, it is virtually impossible to calculate ratios using age at school grade data. No net and gross
enrolment ratios can be calculated with any measure of accuracy.
? Second, enrolment statistics are based on questionnaire based surveys conducted in schools each year
(since 1386/2007) with all the imperfections associated with one off survey data.
? Third, information is not available for all schools. The 1387 (2008) report, for example, records that
information on 1,782 schools is incomplete (17% of all general education schools).
? Fourth, enrolment data are based on attendance at the time of the survey with students being recorded
as attending school, absent from school or permanently absent from school. A student can be registered
as permanently absent for up to three years.
? Fifth, by totalling the number of students in each of these three categories (attendance, absence and
permanently absent) figures for the total enrolment in a school are calculated. So when the data for all
schools is aggregated it inflates the actual number of students participating in schooling.
? Sixth, schools may be tempted to inflate attendance figures because access to some resources is related
to enrolment levels (e.g. school grants from EQUIP); also, some children may be enrolled in different
schools in the course of a year.
These facts suggest that any attempt to calculate gross enrolment rates (GER) or net enrolment rates (NER)
60
is
deeply problematic. The draft of NESP II states that rough age specific data was collected from school princi-
pals in 1386 (2007).
Data in the EMIS annual survey reports suggest that between 800,000 and 1.2 million children are ?permanently
absent? from school. If these children are factored into GER and NER calculations then there is a major inflation
in enrolment and participation levels in general education in Afghanistan. In this regard, while the 1386 (2007)
Schools Survey provides both GER and NER data for all levels of general education (using CSO 1387/2007
projections) the 1387 (2008) report makes no attempt to do this.
60
For the NER see footnote above. GER is the total enrolment in a specific level of education, regardless of age,
expressed as a percentage of the population in the official group corresponding to this level of education. The
GER can exceed 100% due to early or late entry and/or grade repetition.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 23
Table 1 Enrolment in General Schools: 1386 -1388 (2007-2009)
Year Primary
(Boys)
?000
Primary
(Girls)
?000
Primary
(Total)
?000
Lower
Secondary
(Boys)
?000
Lower
Secondary
(Girls)
?000
Lower
Secondary
(Total)
?000
Upper
Secondary
(Boys)
?000
Upper
Secondary
(Girls)
?000
Upper
Secondary
(Total)
?000
Totals
(?000)
2007 2,930 1,738 4,669 534 202 736 203 68 271 5,676
2008 2,942 1,858 4,800 703 318 1,021 240 87 327 6,148
2009 2,958 1,899 4,857 835 416 1,251 292 114 406 6,514
Notes: Figures are rounded to the nearest ?000.
Sources: 2007: 1386 (2007) Schools Survey: Summary Report. 2008: 1387-1388 Education Summary Report. 2009: as yet
unreleased tables for the (1388) 2009 report.
The progress that has been made since 1381 (2002) has to be set alongside the fact that an
estimated five million school-aged children (42% - in some reports 46% - of the estimated
total) are not in school. This figure is almost certainly an underestimate. These are children
who have never been to school, or have dropped out, or who may drop in and out of school on
an irregular basis. Understanding the underlying causes for these different aspects of school
attendance and participation is central to defining policy and practice to achieve UPE.
If Afghanistan is compared with countries worldwide, it is one of just four countries in the
world with more than four million children out of school, India, Pakistan and Nigeria being
the others.
61
These national headline data on access require some unpacking. For example, it seems clear
that there are wide geographical variations in levels of access to schooling across Afghani-
stan; although once again the data is difficult to gather. Table 2 shows net enrolment for gen-
eral education schools (primary and lower secondary) using 1387 (2008) data. It contrasts
high and low performers (chosen on the basis of primary enrolment). While this data must be
treated with the utmost caution, it does suggest the widely diverging circumstances of differ-
ent Provinces. This, in turn, points to the need for differentiated policy, programme and in-
vestment responses if national targets on enrolment are to be achieved. The data also under-
scores the very low enrolment figures for girls even in the better performing Provinces.
Table 2 Net Enrolment in Six Provinces: Grades 1-9
Primary Lower Secondary
Nimroz 105 (M 119; F 90) 17 (M 25; F8)
Khost 92 (M 125; F 56) 22 (M 39; F2)
Herat 88 (M 94; F 83) 25 (M 29; F 20)
Hilmand 33 (M 55; F 9) 9 (M 15; F2)
Badghis 37 (M 52; F 22) 7 (M 10; F2)
Uruzgan 39 (M 65; F 10) 13 (M 24; F1)
Note: NER cannot exceed 100; this points to both unreliable population
and enrolment data.
Source: Table 2 EMIS 1386 (2007) Schools Survey
There are rural and urban differences in enrolment patterns too. Eighty two percent of general
education schools are classified as rural (1387/2008 data) with approximately 65% of all stu-
dents, although the vast majority of these are in primary schooling. As NESP I states, in rural
61
See for example the analysis of out of school children in the EFA Global Monitoring Report. 2010 Reaching
the Marginalised. UNESCO, Paris, 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 24
areas, girls’ participation declines precipitously. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for primary
education is 0.53 in rural areas compared with 0.71 in urban areas. These differences are ac-
centuated at lower and upper secondary levels. Isolation, poor facilities and insecurity com-
bine to limit access to school for rural children.
Lack of security and attacks on schools is also a significant constraint on children attending
school, especially in Southern Provinces. This problem has intensified since 1385 (2006)
(Textbox 5). The Ministry of Education reports that nearly 500 schools were closed for secu-
rity reasons in 1387 (2008) and 1388 (2009), although working with and through local com-
munities has meant that 200 schools have been re-opened. At best, children exposed to these
risks may benefit from home learning although support for this in terms of learning materials
and tutoring seems to be very uneven. Accelerated learning classes may also enable students
to ?catch up? and re-enter schools at an appropriate grade.
During the course of the preparation of this analysis, the Taliban issued a statement that edu-
cation should be protected. Similar statements have been made in the past but it is to be hoped
that this represents a new position for the country as a whole.
Textbox 5 Education under Attack
Between January 2006 and December 2008 1,153 attacks on education targets were reported, including the
damage to or destruction of schools by arson, grenades, mines and rockets; threats to teachers and officials;
the killing of students, teachers and other education staff; and looting. From January 2009 to June 2009, 123
schools were targeted and 51 received threats. At least 60 students and a teacher were killed and 240
wounded. UNICEF recorded 98 school incidents from May to June 2009. Twenty six schools were attacked
and partially damaged because schools were being used as polling stations on election day, 20 August 2009.
Source: pp173-178 UNESCO Education under Attack 2010
The Ministry of Education also categorizes its schools by climatic zone (15.3% are hot season
schools; 79.5% are cold season schools (with 82% of students); and 4.5% are coldest season
schools). There is no available data that relates enrolment to this grouping of schools. But it
can be assumed that for those schools that experience extremes of weather, that attendance
and participation will fall (see below under Quality). This was evident to the ESA analysis
team in Bamyan where heavy rain and extremely cold weather limit attendance at school, al-
though much of the winter is a school holiday.
Given the extraordinarily low base from which the education system has had to rebuild at the
beginning of the decade there has been significant progress. But Afghanistan is still a country
with some of the poorest school enrolment and participation figures in the world. To enrol at
least another three million children into general education by (1394) 2015, requires an expan-
sion of capacity (more schools, more and better teachers, more learning materials, better sup-
port) that will put an enormous strain on a system that struggles to implement its existing pro-
grammes.
5.3 Quality
The real measure of good schooling is the quality of learning outcomes. Many countries find
quality hard to define and hard to measure. Accordingly, quality is often discussed in terms of
the quality of inputs – buildings, textbooks and teachers – rather than the ability of individual
students, to read, to write, to learn how to think and to act as productive and responsible citi-
zens. Increasingly, there is a necessary pressure to define learning outcomes in terms of their
relevance to the skills, employment and the economic needs of local and national economies,
an issue which many education systems are not always adept in addressing.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 25
Clearly the quality of the teaching and learning process is critical but this too is often not well
understood or assessed systematically in many school systems. In Afghanistan a recent study
on the state of teaching quality in 300 schools in Afghanistan will be important in this re-
gard.
62
Perhaps the most compelling and disturbing indicator of the quality of education in Afghani-
stan is its levels of literacy. There are no accurate data on this issue, and literacy is notoriously
difficult to assess, but one estimate puts youth literacy (15-24 years of age) at around 34%
(18% for women) and adult literacy at 28% (13% for women).
63
Given that the education of
mothers is an important factor in children attending school, these low literacy levels are them-
selves a barrier to schooling.
In the absence of other learning outcome related indicators, school completion data for the
primary or basic cycles of education provide intermediate insights into the quality of general
education, as do transition rates from one level of education to the next. But this data is not
readily available over time. Table 3 gives some insights into the inability of the system to re-
tain students at all levels of the general education system for 1387 (2008).
64
It is almost cer-
tain that these data underestimate drop out and poor retention given that they include children
absent from school, many of whom do not return.
Table 3 suggests that for the first four years of primary school, numbers remain reasonably
steady. Thereafter, almost a fifth of primary students may be lost before the end of Grade 6.
As international research suggests, the chances of acquiring and retaining literacy and nu-
meracy are very limited without four to five years of good primary education, so many chil-
dren will fail to reach even minimum standards.
Table 3 Enrolment by Grade 1387 (2008) (in ‘000)
62
Referred to in the Teacher Education Department Report 1388 (2009).
63
Table 2 Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010.It should be noted that both the meaning of literacy
and how it can and should be measured is a contentious issue.
64
Comparing students by Grade for the same year is of course unsound methodologically. But the data shown
give some sense of the levels of drop and limited transition from level to level.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 26
Source: EMIS. Education Summary Report 1387-1388 (2008-2009)
The transition from Grade 6 to Grade 7 results in the apparent loss of one sixth of those stu-
dents who completed the primary cycle. Then, more than half the Grade 7 student population
fail to complete Grade 9. If the methodological inadequacies of this exercise are put aside,
less than one quarter of Grade 1 students can currently expect to complete Afghanistan‘s basic
education cycle of nine years. Less than 10% will reach Grade 12. These inefficiencies in
transition and completion are more marked for girls than for boys. In 1388 (2009), there were
375, 000 girls in Grade 1 and just 25,000 in Grade 12.
One recent study concludes that one significant reason for drop out at the primary level is that
poor attendance disallows children from progressing from one grade to the next. Attendance
that falls below 50% in Grades 1-3 means children cannot move to the next grade. In Grades
4-6, the attendance figure drops to 25%. When this marker is crossed students cannot take
final year examinations. These students and those who have left school are considered
mahroom – those who are denied the right to continue in the following year but can come
back into their old grade within three years. Based on sample evidence, the study estimates 7-
8% of drop out may be explained in this way with wide variations across schools.
65
Examination results serve as another imperfect marker of the quality of education, the most
notable statistic being that many students who are nominally registered or enrolled in school
do not sit or are not eligible to take school examinations (see above). In 1388 (2009), 22% of
general education students fell into this category. Of those who sat examinations from Grades
1-12, over 73% passed and 5.18% failed. The lowest pass rate is at the end of Grade 4, at
64%. This means that 65,000 Grade 4 children (36%) could not move on to Grade 5 plus the
nearly quarter of a million children who were absent from the exam altogether.
These are all indicators and signs of a system that is failing far too many students at great cost
to the country in terms of its human resource needs. Why is this so? What explains these pat-
terns? In large part, but by no means completely, they reflect the quality of the inputs into
schools.
Comparative analysis shows that the longer children spend in school over the course of a year,
the greater their opportunity to master the curriculum and achieve learning objectives.
66
And
at least 80% of class time needs to be spent on learning. Most countries mandate between 700
to 900 formal hours of instruction during each year of primary and lower secondary educa-
tion.
In Afghanistan, the Education Law mandates MOE to determine the beginning and the clos-
ing of the school year in different climatic zones and to set the number of weekly teaching
hours.
67
There is no readily available data on days in school and hours of learning but three
factors appear to suggest that Afghanistan is at the lower end of the spectrum of learning
time.
68
First, between 101 and 175 days are designated holiday periods, varying according to
climate zone. Second, 36% of all general schools operate more than one shift (1388/2009
data). Three hundred and forty six schools operate three shifts or more. Third, absenteeism
from the classroom, for a complex of reasons, by both teachers and students, necessarily inter-
65
Amir Mansory, 2007. Drop Out Study in Basic Education Level of Schools in Afghanistan. Swedish Commit-
tee for Afghanistan. Kabul.
66
See for example, Benavot, 2004. A Global Study of Intended Instructional Time.
67
Article 12 of the Education Law 1387
68
But the Teacher Education Department study (footnote 15) is to look at these questions.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 27
rupts and shortens learning time. Evidence from school visits tends to confirm the insuffi-
ciency of learning time which is as low as two and half hours for some primary grades. Even
for Grade 6 and above contact hours may be four hours or less. Even accepting that Afghani-
stan has a six day school week there is clearly inadequate classroom learning time in general
education schools in Afghanistan. This is a weak foundation for learning.
Textbox 6 highlights some shortfalls in the quality of some of the more important inputs into
general education schools.
Textbox 6 Assessing the Quality of Inputs
Inputs Status
Teachers Of approximately 170,000 teachers in all parts of the education system (1388/2009),
just 27% have the required Grade 14 qualification, as graduates of Teacher Training
Colleges. Nearly 12% have a Grade 1-11 education; just over 7% are graduates.
69
College specific data suggests very considerable wastage between the number of stu-
dents selected for TTC places and the number of teacher graduates actually teaching in
schools.
School Infrastruc-
ture
Based on information for 11,602 general schools (1388/2009), an extraordinary 48%
are said to have no buildings. Seventeen Provinces have more schools without build-
ings than with. There is a total unmet demand for 87,000 classrooms.
School Security For 9,188 general schools (1387/2008), 55% had no surrounding wall. Over 1,000
girls-only schools had no wall.
School Health Of 9,188 general schools (1387/2008) with information on over 33,000 toilets, ap-
proximately 10% are non-operational.
Learning Materi-
als/Equipment
EMIS Annual Reports have little or no information on the availability and use of
learning materials in general schools. But new primary textbooks have been distributed
and are being used (100 new books/86 teachers guides). New secondary texts are
scheduled for 1389 (2010). EMIS does record the availability of science laboratories.
The data suggests that at best 30% of (presumably lower and upper secondary schools)
have laboratories.
Source: Primary source: Education Summary Report: 1387-1388 (2008-2009). EMIS Department, MoE.
This rather bleak picture must be balanced against indicators of progress. NESP I planned,
ambitiously, that by 1389 (2010), 70% of teachers would have passed a competency test; a
new secondary curriculum would be being taught; national testing systems to assess learning
achievements would be operational; and that over 90% of schools would have appropriate
facilities for boys and girls, And progress, even if not at the rate intended has and is being
made.
The roll out of the new primary curriculum is mentioned in Textbox 6. This was a consider-
able achievement. A framework for monitoring its implementation and revision is in place.
The new secondary curriculum and the development of its attendant texts and guides are pro-
gressing even if the 1389 (2010) target will not be met completely. Work on learning assess-
ment and examination revision has moved more slowly with new targets set in NESP II for
1393 (2014). The establishment of a National Education Standards Authority (NESA), an
independent body to be responsible for standards and accreditation has not yet happened.
NESP I planned for 4,900 new schools (and 4,800 outreach classes). ANDS refers to the con-
struction and rehabilitation of 73,000 classrooms (70% in rural areas). The draft of NESP II
states nearly 5,000 schools were developed between 1381 (2002) and 1387 (2008). The Infra-
structure Department states 1260 schools were under construction in 1388 (2009) and that
69
See Teacher Education Department Report 1388 (2009)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 28
1260 classrooms were built. It is not easy to reconcile some of these data. And EMIS appears
to record schools in existence and not schools being built.
70
But some progress is being made.
There have been important developments too in teacher education, from continuing large-
scale recruitment to investment in improving teachers‘ educational standards [See Section 7].
This picture, like that painted for access, points to a general education system that knows
much of what is needed to improve quality but struggles to keep pace with need and to de-
velop the capacity at all levels, from schools upward, to make learning real for all children.
Investment in improving the quality of general education depends heavily on external assis-
tance. There is little or no financing available in MoE‘s own operational and development
budgets to meet the scale and the complexity of improving the quality of learning in Afghani-
stan‘s schools. As Section 16 of the ESA shows, close to 90% of an external development
budget of US$194 million (1388/2009) is devoted to investment in the general education sys-
tem.
This represents a large measure of dependence on external aid for improving quality, a situa-
tion that is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future. However, financial dependence does
not mean that strong partnerships cannot be forged and innovation introduced. It is not possi-
ble here to catalogue or investigate all of the quality education related projects and pro-
grammes in Afghanistan. And there is no evidence of a general evaluation of aid to education
in Afghanistan, outside of individual project monitoring and review. But it is apparent that
donors are working in areas of priority as these are set out in NESP I and draft NESP II
(Textbox 7).
Textbox 7 Two Projects to Improve the Quality of General Education
The Education Quality Improvement Program started in 1383 (2004) financed by ARTF, the World Bank
(IDA) and the Government of Norway. In its first phase, 822 school buildings were rehabilitated or constructed,
30, 000 teachers received training and well over 8,000 School Shuras were established to help to manage and
develop their own schools. Now, in its second phase, the focus remains on a multi-pronged approach to improv-
ing the quality of education through school grants, teacher and principal training and education and better moni-
toring and coordination. It moves money down to schools and their communities in support of the delivery of
school improvement plans, for school rehabilitation and construction and to mobilise and strengthen school
Shuras. The teacher training sub-programme operates at District level through local NGOs and DEOs. For
9,500 school principals the focus is on administration and leadership. And part of the programme is designed to
support the increased enrolment of women in teacher training.
The Textbook Printing and Distribution Project is a grant from USAID to Danish International Development
Assistance (DANIDA) beginning in March 2007 and continuing annually through February 2011. DANIDA
acts as the fiduciary agent for the printing of new curriculum textbooks for school Grades 1 - 6. DANIDA also
works with MoE to ensure that textbooks are distributed appropriately. The tripartite collaboration between the
U.S. Government (USG), DANIDA, and MoE helps to ensure that all Afghan students in primary schools have
better access to quality education.
Sources: EQUIP II World Bank PID, 2008 and World Bank press release April 14 2009. USAID:http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Activity.45.aspx
5.4 Equity
The sections on access and quality point to some major inequities in general level education.
Gender inequity is paramount but there are very considerable variations across the country in
70
The construction is the main activity of NATO/ISAF‘s contribution to education development. It is a focus for
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) across Afghanistan. And infrastructure represents about 32% of the
donors development budget (1388/2009).
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 29
terms of resourcing, the availability of teachers, schools under attack, and therefore, inevita-
bly, disparities in educational opportunities, outputs and learning outcomes.
Later sections of this report will return to the issue of gender and education and of ways of
being inclusive to ensure that no child is left behind (Section C).
This short section examines the degree to which policy statements address inequity. It can be
argued that most children in Afghanistan are disadvantaged and marginalised in all manner of
ways. Most children suffer multiple disadvantages. It is also clear that circumstance of geog-
raphy, language, poverty and insecurity manifest themselves in different ways in different
parts of the country.
NESP I recognised the need for policies and programmes that are responsive to the needs of
nomadic Kuchi children, those with learning disabilities, and those who have missed out on
school and want a second chance. There is attention also to the rural-urban imbalance in
school provision and to schools under attack. Targets were set for at least 35% of Kuchi chil-
dren being able to access special school programmes by 1389 (2010); an accelerated learning
programme for out of school children by 1386 (2007), and support for refugee children both
within and beyond Afghanistan‘s borders. Detailed activities were itemised and costs indi-
cated for a four year period 1386-1389.
Now, in 1389 (2010), it has not proved easy to assess what progress has been made against
these objectives and their associated targets. It is a weakness (which is perhaps understand-
able) that, to date, EMIS annual surveys have not been able to report on these important com-
ponents of the education system and service. In NESP II, the higher order objectives for 1389-
1393 (2010-2014) do not mention the groups referred to above. And there are no relevant line
items in the outline budget for NESP II.
The draft of NESP II does refer to the need to reduce Provincial disparities but this is de-
scribed purely in terms of construction. It is difficult to discern that attention has been given
in either Plan to the differential circumstances and needs of individual Provinces. The alloca-
tion of funds to Provinces in order to meet the scale and the nature of the challenges of deliv-
ering good quality general education does not appear to be based on any education-based cri-
teria but given the significant disparities in the educational performance of different prov-
inces, a much more needs driven strategy and allocation of scarce resources would appear to
be essential.
5.5 Stakeholders
Education – and schooling in particular - is a multi-stakeholder activity. Its first level stake-
holders are children – girls and boys. They are the consumers and the immediate beneficiaries
of a general education. Teachers and those who work directly in and near to schools follow
close behind, including families, households and local communities. Schools and everyone
associated with them are at the front line of basic service delivery.
In Afghanistan, with the school as the focus, educational stakeholders constitute a majority of
the country‘s population. So enabling local, community-based stakeholders to engage with
and support their schools is central to achieving national access, quality and equity objectives.
There is a strong body of evidence that suggests that local support is of real value in many
communities across Afghanistan and not just in Community Based Schools. Through various
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 30
assemblies, school management committees, parent teachers association and other groupings,
schools are sustained through self-help, in managing school grants where these are available
(e.g. through EQUIP) and in negotiating the safety and security of schools where this is
needed (see Textbox 8). In those parts of the country where communities are themselves un-
der great stress, the local school is an institution that represents a form of security and hope.
Textbox 8 Supporting our School: an Example of Good Practice
In Kushtak School (Grades 1-9) in rural Bamyan, there are three Shuras with distinctive functions. The first
involves teachers and parents in promoting school attendance and following up with parents when children
cannot come to school. The group also oversees the use of school management grants received through the
EQUIP programme and in this instance administered in the first instance by CARE International. It was de-
cided to use the $1000 grants for furniture and other equipment. The second committee looks after security,
involving the elders and religious leaders. The third (at the request of MoE in 1387) is about defending
children‘s rights. It involves students as well as parents and teachers. With an estimated number of just 20
children in the catchment area not enrolled in school, it appears that community support is strong and con-
stant.
The Constitution has nothing to say about communities and schooling beyond a general refer-
ence to the establishment of councils in Districts and villages to allow people to participate
actively in local administration. The Education Law is a little more specific. It states that the
law should provide (Objectives. Article 2/7) the opportunity for the participation of students,
parents/guardians and other member of the society in management affairs, and obtaining the
moral and financial cooperation for the promotion and development of education. Article 48
calls for the active participation of students, parents, teachers and local residents in the proc-
ess of education and training.
NESP I recognises that communities have demonstrated their support for their children‘s fu-
ture by establishing schools through community participation without waiting for outside
help. And it has a principal target that there are School Advisory and Support Councils
(SASCs) in all schools.
71
On condition of SACSs being established by 1387 (2008), small
non-discretionary expenditures would be made at the school level through the EQUIP pro-
gramme but the role of SASCs was also defined in terms of school management and the su-
pervision of teachers. NESP II is a little quieter about community engagement in schooling. It
does not figure in its overall objectives. It appears to be more centrist and technocratic in its
approach to community engagement. Some current discussions in the Ministry of Education
regarding a rationalisation of school based Shuras may reflect this also.
Comparative evidence from around the world points to the value of a strong community –
school axis. Some countries enshrine the rights of communities in law to engage in school
development and management. Others encourage flexible responses which are enabling and
supportive of community involvement in schooling according to context. Given the upsurge
of community demand and support for education since 1381 (2002), the Government of Af-
ghanistan would do well to think this issue through with some care as it embarks on its next
five year round of sector development.
Away from the frontline, the Ministry of Education is a key stakeholder, for it provides the
superstructure to make general education work. It is the service provider. It provides the fi-
nancial, technical and human resources to enable all children to learn. It is a complex organi-
sation with 216,000 employees working in a very difficult institutional environment.
71
Also called School Management Committees (SMC)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 31
Much is made in NESP I and NESP II of administrative reform and development (NESP I)
and of strategic management development in NESP II, both of which are seen as higher order
programmes in their own right. This requires close attention to the issues of capacity and fi-
nancing which are the topics for later sections.
Here attention is drawn to individuals in general education as stakeholders in their own right.
It draws in particular on the evidence of three short provincial visits made by the ESA in
April-May 1389 (2010) and on meetings with many officials in MoE Directorates and De-
partments in Kabul.
It is clear that there is a considerable array of talent and expertise within the Ministry of Edu-
cation working for general education. But this is scattered thinly across the system. It is evi-
dent too that the majority of ministry stakeholders have a strong sense of what needs to be
done, with less clarity as to how to do it in a complex multi-layered, political and often
opaque (at the least to the outsider) institutional environment. There are strong leaders at all
levels in the system – from the school principal‘s room, if there is one, to the Minister‘s of-
fice. These are champions for education and they make a difference but on their own they
cannot institute systemic change. There are some inspiring examples of new and innovative
practice but for most ministry officials there are too many constraints and too little space or
opportunity to manage change to rebuild and reform as distinct from administering the status
quo.
The barriers to individuals making a difference are formidable. People who wait for their ex-
tremely modest salaries for months are unlikely to sustain high levels of commitment.
72
Those
who teach without knowing how to teach may work against learning. Those who train to be
teachers but never enter a classroom are a poor return on scarce resources. Those who work in
classrooms and offices at school, District and Provincial levels in environments which work
directly against productivity, may manage to comply with central directives but they cannot
introduce and manage reform.
73
Those who are and/or feel insecure cannot be expected to be
proactive.
There are good examples of people and organisations working together whether in some of
the working groups answerable to the Education Development Board (now the Human Re-
sources Development Board) or through dynamic Shuras at the school level. Less obvious is
the interaction between people responsible for different facets of school education at all lev-
els. Infrastructure, teachers, curriculum, learning materials, supervision, and professional de-
velopment are parts of a single endeavour. They require specialist knowledge but they are not
separate enterprises in their own right. They need to be brought together in support of improv-
ing schools.
There is little question that there has been a new dynamic directed to better education for all
in the past six to seven years in Afghanistan. Equally it is evident that if this momentum is to
be sustained and expectations are to be met, much more attention will have to be paid to ways
of working, communicating and making things happen. There remains quite a strong centrist
approach to the planning and management of schooling, some of which is needed. But the
references to delegation and better support that appear in the National Education Strategic
Plans are not worked through. It is of course right to introduce systemic reforms (e.g. Pay and
72
The sector analysis team met people who had received no pay for seven months.
73
For example, in one provincial office five department managers worked alongside one another in a very
cramped room in a poorly maintained 60 year old building.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 32
grade and new recruitment procedures) but if Afghanistan is going to achieve its very ambi-
tious EFA and MDG goals it needs to empower people at all levels of its organisation to con-
tribute to what is a major mission to change Afghanistan through education.
5.6 Performance Monitoring
NESP I set and NESP II sets ambitious targets for general schooling as Textbox 9 shows.
Textbox 9 NESP I and II: Higher Order General Education Objectives and Targets
NESP I General Education by 1389 (2010)
Access
7.4 million in school from Grades 1-12
Access for minority groups and children with disabilities or
other special needs
4900 new schools and 4800 outreach classes will be estab-
lished: specific attention will be given to rural areas
Construction and rehabilitation of 73,000 classrooms – 70%
in rural areas and 30% in urban areas
Quality
School Advisory and Support Councils in all schools
Ensure all school children have a complete set of new cur-
riculum textbooks
New secondary curriculum and new textbooks and revised
primary curriculum
Write and print 150,000 textbooks and teachers guides
Establish a National Institute of Curriculum Development
incorporating a National Standards
Board for defining and evaluating teaching and learning
standards and accreditation
Strengthen institutional and staff capacities in curriculum
development
Develop and implement a nationally-administered annual
testing system for assessment of learning achievements for
primary and secondary students.
Establish and strengthen teacher training colleges in all
Deliver pre-service training to 17,000 new student teachers
using new curriculum, textbooks and teacher guides
Provide in-service teacher training to the existing 140,000
teachers
Establish a National Teacher Education Institute
Develop a national distance teacher training programme
leading to certification
Construction 18 Teacher Training Colleges with dormitories
for male and female students in each Province
Construction of 389 rural and urban District Education
Resource Centres that will serve as Teacher Resource
Centres, Community Learning Centres and District Educa-
tion Offices
NESP II (Draft) General Education by 1393 (2014) and
1399 (2020)
Access
10 million students will be enrolled in General Education
Schools and the number of schools will reach 16,500. The
net enrolment rate of girls and boys in Basic Education will
increase to 60% and 75% and gross enrolment to 72% and
90%, respectively. (1393/2014).
Gross enrolment rates in basic education for boys and girls
will increase to 104% and 103% respectively; and the net
enrolment rates will increase for boys and girls to 98%
(1399/2020)
12% of basic education graduates will continue their educa-
tion in Technical and Vocational Education programs (2020)
Seventy-five percent of general and Islamic schools, 100%
of technical and vocational schools, 75% of TTCs will have
useable buildings.
Quality
At least 80% of teachers will have passed the national com-
petency test (1393/2014)
At least 95% of teachers will have successfully passed the
national competency test (1399/2020)
The curriculum, syllabi and textbooks of General and Is-
lamic Education will be updated to meet the developing
needs (1393/ 2014)
Sufficient ordinary and development budget will be provided
for all education programs with a ratio of 75% for salaries
and 25% for non-salary costs 1393/2014.
The new Structure ?Tashkil? will be implemented based on
public administration reforms at central, provincial and
district levels (1393/2014).
A comprehensive EMIS system will be functional at central,
provincial and district level and will facilitate informed
decision making, transparency and accountability of educa-
tion services being provided (1393/2014)
The objectives set out in Textbox 9 are the higher order targets (many of which have sub-
targets). They are grouped here under the headings of access and quality but in the plans they
are listed under input related programmes. Equity related objectives are to be found primarily
in relation to access and gender.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 33
Each planning document notes how progress will be monitored. In NESP I it is stated: A
limited set of key indicators …will allow assessment of progress made and results obtained on
the basis of objective targets. Different types of indicators (relating to input, process, output
and impact factors) will be needed according to the level at which the monitoring is taking
place. At the highest central level, monitoring will concentrate mainly, if not exclusively, on
output and impact of the different programs. ... Special care will be taken to make sure that
all indicators are commonly agreed upon by the different stakeholders and development part-
ners in order to ensure smooth coordination and cooperation.
Five years on in the middle of 1393 (2010), the sector analysis team found it difficult to locate
a consolidated set of indicators to measure progress towards NESP I 1389 (2010) objectives
within MoE. It is not data that are held by EMIS.
74
And there was no evidence that this is
regular core business for the EDB.
But ANDS reporting does pick up Outputs against Commitments for the primary and secon-
dary sub-sector under three headings: Increased Quality of Education; Access to Education
and Equal Opportunity for All
75
. Twenty five general education commitments are listed which
largely match NESP I. Reasonably detailed reporting against commitment is provided for
1386 (2007) and 1387 (2008).
76
This matrix, kept year on year, could provide a useful plan-
ning tool.
At the Provincial level, at least on a sample basis, there is no evidence that reporting and
monitoring activities are located within the framework of the Plan. Data is collected but not
on a NESP programme basis. Provincial Directorates do not appear to set their own five year
NESP related targets.
77
NESP II (March 1389/2010 draft) states that NESP monitoring will consist of three broad
elements:
? Monitoring of progress against targets, by compilation of within year and annual progress reports with
information on the performance of each component towards defined targets as set in annual work plans
and budgets.
? Monitoring of resources use against budget, which will be based on expenditures compared to the
budget by programme (operating and development) including utilization of donor funding
? Monitoring and reporting on development partners‘ contributions through external budget projects. The
Ministry of Education, in consultation with EDB members, will develop monitoring and reporting for-
mats for projects/funds that are managed by partners outside of the government budget. The reporting
will be aligned with the NESP programme structure. EDB will consolidate such reports provided by
partners.
These proposals are an advance on NESP I in the intention to have a much closer link be-
tween targets, programmes and budgets and in providing HRDB with a higher order monitor-
ing function.
A very detailed Performance Assessment and NESP II Implementation Indicators (Program
Based) 2010-2014 has been developed by Programme with general education as sub-
74
In an effort to help the sector analysis team EMIS offered to contact individual programmes for their updates
but with limited success.
75
This data is based on Annex VII – Sector Achievements -1387 of Making a Difference: Transition from 1387
Planning to Practice. First Annual Report (2008/09). ANDS.
76
The sector analysis team did not obtain data reported on 1388 (2009) for ANDS.
77
The NESP team was unable to fully verify this fact.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 34
programme 1.1 requiring results, indicators, means of verification, responsible unit and fre-
quency. And this exercise is seen as guiding the strengthening and developing of a compre-
hensive EMIS M and E System.
A great deal of work has gone into developing this framework. In moving forward in this way
it will be important to be quite clear what can and cannot be reasonably expected to be col-
lected. At the unit of service delivery (school, TTC etc) it is better that there be a relatively
small set of indicators that are meaningful and manageable for those who work there. Indeed
at the national level too, there is a strong case for identifying a small set of access, quality and
equity indicators that give a good sense of achievement (or otherwise) across the general edu-
cation sub-sector.
Given that strong emphasis is placed on access and quality as primary policy goals, there is a
good case for focusing on four or five major indicators to get a clear sense of the health of the
sub-sector. These should be measures of enrolment, gender equity, completion, transition and
Grade 12 examination pass rates. This moves monitoring and reporting much more strongly
towards outputs and outcomes rather than a focus on inputs.
This does not mean that the delivery and quality of inputs is not important but these are not
the measures which will indicate success or otherwise in achieving ambitious general educa-
tion goals.
5.7 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Momentum created by expanding general school-
ing in the past six years
? Public demand for schooling
? The engagement of communities
? A gradual – if insufficient – narrowing of the
gender gap
? Advances in curriculum development and teacher
education
? The development of an EMIS data basis
? Insufficient learning time
? Unacceptable condition and facilities in many
schools and in District and Provincial offices.
? Low levels of teacher competency
? Weak implementation capacity at the sub-national
level
? Insufficient coordination across departments re-
sponsible for different inputs
? Poor financial management at sub national levels
? Poor reporting systems: too many input targets.
Not enough attention to outcomes
Opportunities Threats
? NESP II sustains progress
? Improving coordination at the national level
(HRDB)
? Continued donor commitment to improving the
quality of general education
? Building on the experience of schools having and
using grants
? Growing recognition of the importance of girls
education
? Unfulfilled expectations
? Poor quality dampens demand
? Continued insecurity
? Weak commitment and motivation in the educa-
tion service
6. Islamic Education
As noted in Section A, Islamic Education is deeply rooted in Afghan traditions, culture, his-
tory, law, order and economy. It is an important means of fostering cohesion and strengthen-
ing identity in Afghan society. But Islamic Education includes many different types of institu-
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 35
tion and instruction that varies across the country and changes over time. The kind of Islamic
education parents choose for their children depends in large part on what is available. If sev-
eral schools exist in the same area, students may test out the different alternatives.
6.1 Brief History of Islamic Education
Education is central to Islam. Jami'at al-Qarawiyyin in Fès (established in 859) is said to be
the oldest Madrassa in the Muslim world,
78
possibly, the oldest university. Other sources
point to Egypt in 1002 AD
79
or Iraq in the eleventh century.
80
Egyptian Madaris had libraries
and teachers for subjects like astronomy, architecture and philosophy. Versions of the first
curriculum developed in Iraq are still used in Madaris in Pakistan and India. By the end of the
18
th
century, Indian Madaris developed into centres of resistance against British colonial rule
and European influence. In general, Madaris (simply translated as ?schools?) have evolved in
diverse, context specific ways.
Both prior to the Islamic period and parallel to development of Islamic Education, non-formal
training and education have been practiced in Afghanistan for many centuries. The transfer of
skills needed for survival, maintaining cultural traditions and values has taken many forms
including through poetry, song, dance and stories. Many poems, with their origin in the clas-
sical Persian literature, are said to be known by heart by many in the Afghan population even
today.
81
6.2 Forms of Islamic Education
Formal Islamic education differs from more traditional non-formal instruction in several as-
pects: it takes place in a specific setting, most often in the ?education room? in the Mosque
with a special teacher, the Mullah, following the Quran and the Hadits but sometimes other
books and documents too. The most important Islamic Education institutions are the Halaq-
uas (Mosque Schools) and the Madaris.
Halaquas (Mosque Schools) offer informal learning opportunities for children from an early
age (usually about four). It is estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of boys and girls in
Afghanistan attend.
82
Usually, Halaquas are small with one instructor providing an elemen-
tary level of Islamic education. There are few administrative or institutional rules, no entrance
fees nor criteria for entry, and no examinations and certificates.
The pedagogy is straightforward: the teacher speaks while children listen, although questions
can be asked. Writing is taught by children copying what the teacher writes or from docu-
ments. Familiarity with letters and how letters can form words is gained. Some children learn
to read. There is very little difference between the Arabic letters and the letters used in Dari
and Pashto. Often simple arithmetic is taught as well.
78
Wikipedia.org
79
Saleem H.Ali Ph.D, Islam and Education: Conflict and Conformity in Pakistan and beyond; (manuscript un-
der review), December 2007; University of Vermont; (265 p.), see p.32. Here from Kees van den Bosch et al,
April 2008.
80
Nolan, op cit
81
Much of this presentation is from Karlsson, Pia and Mansory, Amir: Islamic and Modern Education in Af-
ghanistan - Conflictual or Complementary?, University of Stockholm, Institute of International Education, p. 5
ff. According to Karlsson and Mansory, the most well-known poet is Rumi, born in Balkh in 1207.
82
Stated by Karlsson and Mansory and confirmed by several informants to the ESA team during Febr-May
2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 36
While copying, repeating and memorizing might be considered to be passive learning, there
are examples of Mullahs trying other ways of teaching including older children teaching
younger children.
Children stay in the Halaquas until they reach the age when they can enrol in Madaris or for-
mal primary schools. If there are no such schools in the vicinity, many children continue for
many years in the Halaquas, although girls tend to leave around the age of 11-12. Some chil-
dren attend both the Halaquas and formal schools.
The Mullahs have several roles including teaching, being heads of the Mosques, providing
guidance to the villagers, and performing ceremonies. Sometimes the Mullah and the Imam
(who leads the prayer) is the same person. Often the Mullahs are paid from the Zakat sys-
tem
83
, where the poor do not have obligations to pay. Although Mullahs are respected in gen-
eral, there are examples of complaints made by parents and the local community, leading to
their dismissal.
Textbox 10 What is Learned in the Halaquas?
In Afghanistan, children should learn to read the Holy Quran, to memorize some minor parts of the Quran, the
five pillars of Islam, the prayers and the praying rituals as well as Islamic moralities and values. Before reading
the Quran, children often use an alphabet book, called Baghdadi Qaida, the Baghdad Principle. It is phonetically
organized and consists of Arabic phonemes and letters and the children learn all the phonemes one by one. Most
children learn to read the Quran in two to three years.
Traditional Madaris are found throughout the country, run by local communities. They ex-
clude girls. As the education is free, the government in Kabul has had relatively little influ-
ence on the structure and functions of these Madaris. Students learn at their own pace and
attend in their own time. The subjects taught are more or less the same everywhere but con-
tent and the quality of the instruction differs depending on the competence and capacity of the
teachers.
Madaris are designed to meet the needs of an Islamic society, so Talibs (students) study Taf-
sir, interpretations of the Quran; Hadith, the sayings by the Prophet Mohammed; Sira,
Prophet Mohammed‘s life-stories; Fiqha, Islamic duties, rights, and rituals; Tawhid, the unity
of God; Mantiq, rhetoric and logic (Socrates); and, Arabic and Pashto literature. A good stu-
dent may pass through and complete the entire training in ten years.
84
Students graduate from the Madrassa after completing a certain number of books in the dif-
ferent subjects. A special ceremony authorizes student to work as an Imam and Mullah.
85
Dif-
ferent religious degrees can also be pursued, including Shekh ul Hadith and Hafiz, as well as
qualifications to become a Faqi (Jurisprudence expert), or a Qazi (Judge). A Qazi has to be an
A‘lim/Sheikh ul Hadith and must know Fiqha (jurisprudence) of all the four Sunni Madhabs
with specialization on the Hanafi Fiqha in Afghanistan.
83
The Islamic concept of tithing and alms; an obligation to pay at least 2.5% of wealth to specified groups in
society when their annual wealth exceeds a minimum level. In addition, Zakat, one of the basic principles of
Islamic economics is based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth. (ANDS p. XVII)
84
Based on Karlsson and Mansory, op cit p. 8, but amended and updated.
85
?Anyone, who has studied Islam, can become Imam or Mullah, but to become Judge or Lawyer a particular
training is stipulated by the government. Principally, only graduates from the Sharia Faculty of the University
are allowed to work as Judges but graduates from traditional second level Madrassas have also been approved
and permitted to work as Judges?. Karlsson and Mansory, op cit
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 37
Some students continued to the Second Level of the traditional system in institutions of which
there were between 15 and 20. And there were some government-run second level Madaris
that existed before the current Government came to power. From Grade 12, students were
allowed to enter the faculties of Sharayat and of Law in Kabul University, to study to be
judges, government officials and teachers for Islamic schools. Some also worked as Mullahs.
The liberation war against the Soviet occupation as well as the decline of primary schooling
during the Communist era prepared the ground for the rehabilitation of modern Madaris. Dur-
ing the Taliban period Madaris were the only form of education encouraged by the govern-
ment.
Today, students in modern Madaris pass through Grades 7-12 following terms that cover nine
months of the year. Each day there are between four and six hours of study, about 50 per cent
of the time being spent on religious subjects. During the Taliban period, the Government
aimed at educating students into a correct and strict view on Islam, while also offering mod-
ern subjects. This allowed students to compete with the graduates from so-called secular
schools. Subjects such as English were included if a teacher was available.
The Teachers/Mullahs were sometimes from other areas and had often graduated many years
ago. During the last years of the Taliban regime, younger teachers trained in Pakistani Mada-
ris were recruited. Some Madaris were partly financed by government, some by private dona-
tion. In addition to boarding organized by the schools, many students lodged in private homes.
Student grants were provided and food was often given; this aid was an important incentive
for poor students to enrol. With the fall of Taliban, MoE continued to support these Madaris
and other Madaris were free to register with MoE.
6.3 The Constitution, Education Law and Islamic Education
The value that is placed on Islamic Education is reflected in the Constitution (1382/2003)
which states, in its first chapter, that: The state shall adopt necessary measures for the promo-
tion of education at all levels for the development for the religious education, and for organiz-
ing and improving the conditions of mosques, madrasas and religious centers.
86
Article 45
establishes that, The state shall devise and implement a unified educational curriculum based
on the provisions of the sacred religion of Islam, national culture, and in accordance with
academic principles, and shall develop the curriculum of religious subjects in schools on the
basis of the Islamic sects existing in Afghanistan.
Article Four of the Education Law states that formal Islamic Education in public education
and training institutions is free. MoE is charged with the duty to organize formal Islamic Edu-
cation (Article Seven). Chapter Four of the Education Law, refers to two levels of Islamic
Education: public educational Madaris and public Dar-ul-Hefaz. It states: Islamic formal edu-
cational level comprises grade tenth to the end of grade fourteenth, provided and expanded
free in the public educational Madrasas, in a balanced and equitable manner, in accordance
with the number of population and Kochis residing in the area and educational and training
standards for the graduates of the ninth grades of intermediate (basic) education level. It goes
on to state that Education in Darulhefazes comprises grade one to the end of grade twelve,
provided and expanded free in the public Darulhefazes.
The Objectives of Islamic education level are set out in Article 22. These are:
86
Year 1382 (2003), Article 17
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 38
? Gain principles, rules, religious precepts, academic and ethical orders of the sacred religion of Islam,
and their uses in the individual and social life, effective and useful participation in the household, Ma-
drasa and the community life.
? Train scholars, orators, preachers, Modrasan, and (memorizers) Hafezes of the Holly Quran, for teach-
ing, preaching, propagating, directing and leading prayers (Imam).
? Train professional teacher for Islamic knowledge and Arabic language to teach in Madrasas and public
and private educational institutions.
6.4 Islamic and Formal Education Structures
Error! Reference source not found. juxtaposes Islamic education alongside the state system.
t is important to underline that the horizontal axis does not represent numbers of children or
importance of different parts of the system. And vertical axis, showing ages and grades is not
a reflection of the age grade participation.
Figure 3 Education Systems and Levels
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Quran or Mosque School
For all children in the neighbourhood of the Mosque. It is non-formal, not regularized and
has no specific administrative or institutional rules. No entrance admission criteria, no fees,
no examinations, and no certificates.
87
For probably 80-90% of all children.
ECE
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(crèches) and
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(nurseries). Few
and only available
in urban areas
4
87
According to Pia Karlsson & Amir Mansory… If no school exists in the neighbourhood the boys can continue for many
years in the mosque school, with irregular attendance but girls tend to quit when they are around eleven to twelve years old.
Students pass through individually in their own pace.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 39
6.5 Islamic Education in NESP I
The overall goal stated in NESP I was to develop a modern broad-based Islamic education
system for all Afghans
88
. Madaris were seen as having played a vital role despite occasional
misuse for political purposes, retaining a unique influence over Afghanistan‘s educational,
political and social milieu. NESP I further recognised that these were institutions that had
served multiple roles both as centres for advanced learning in Islamic studies and as a source
of Afghanistan‘s political leaders.
6.6 Islamic Education in ANDS (2008)
NESP I was written and approved before ANDS, so ANDS refers to NESP I. On Islamic Edu-
cation
89
ANDS states that the vision for the education sector is to provide competent religious
services and raise religious awareness of the public in order to promote their participation in
the development programmes of the Government. This will ultimately lead to poverty reduc-
tion and the development of Afghanistan.
In the Chapter on Governance, Rule of Law, Justice and Human Rights, ANDS lists several
priorities which directly and indirectly have reference to Islamic Education: (i) to improve
infrastructure for religious affairs, such as mosques, shrines, holy places, and religious
schools; (ii) improve the training and capacity of Imams, preachers, religious teachers and
other scholars to raise public awareness and to teach; (iii) finalize a comprehensive culture
curriculum for primary and higher education; … (v) support efforts of the other government
agencies to improve literacy, dispute resolution and to contribute to strengthening of the na-
tional solidarity. The expected results include: (a) reforms implemented in line with Islamic
values; (b) improved infrastructure and financial sustainability of religious affairs, particularly
of the religious education system.
Among the achievements listed in ANDS, since the coming of the current Government, are
the establishment and rehabilitation of Islamic Madaris and Dar-Ul-Hefazs. In its needs as-
sessments, however, ANDS points to: The rehabilitation and construction of religious schools
is the most pressing need for the sector. Additionally there is a need to improve the Islamic
female education system and to hire an adequate number of Imams. It also lists a set of Chal-
lenges and Constraints:
? Lack of qualified scholars‘ - and lack of proper training for the scholars;
? Lack of qualified cadre in religious education;
? Weak coordination among the different religious government and non-government institutions;
? Low level of professional capacity: lack of adequate facilities and competent professionals which hin-
ders the effective implementation of programmes;
? Uncertain funding and the dependence of the religious institutions on private charities. A lack of ade-
quate funding is one of the major constraints in the realization of the sector programmes, which mini-
mize the ability of the government institutions to implement their projects;
? Security problems: continued insecurity is a barrier to the implementation of the programmes in some
parts of the country.
90
Other priorities include reforms in the teaching methods in public and private Madaris and
reforming and improving the coordination of the Sharia faculties of Afghan Universities
91
88
NESP I page 72
89
ANDS page 14
90
ANDS page 68
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 40
Among the results achieved ANDS notes that the increase in the number of reformed religious
schools that teach a broad-based Islamic education curriculum (336) and the establishment of
the National Islamic Education Council to oversee and monitor the delivery of Islamic educa-
tion across the country.
92
6.7 Islamic Education in NESP II (2010)
NESP II refers to Madaris as Islamic Schools and to Dar-ul-Ulums, Islamic Colleges. Four
Programme components are specified: Access to Islamic Education, Student Services, Aca-
demic Supervision, and Management and Coordination. Islamic school construction is de-
scribed under Programme 5, which covers all schools.
6.8 Islamic Schools 1389 (2010)
While considerable registration work is currently underway, Islamic education is not well
documented. A large part of the contemporary development of the Madaris is a result of ac-
tivities beyond Afghanistan‘s borders. Hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals are study-
ing in Madaris in other countries, mainly in Pakistan, because of the lack of access to schools
in Afghanistan. Parents may consider the quality of Afghan schools to be inferior to what is
found abroad or they may not be able to afford to feed them at home. School which offer food
and accommodation free of charge are attractive.
Grade 13 and 14 of Islamic education is called Dar-ul-Ulums. This level is only provided in
central locations in the provinces. As of 1389 (2010) MoE had established 45 such institu-
tions. Most of these colleges have more than 1000 students and increasingly provide accom-
modation, food and clothing. On average, 500 students in each province receive this type of
assistance. Over the past three years between US$0.8 – 1.0 million has been used for this pur-
pose. Dar-ul-Ulums have comparatively good infrastructure including computer rooms and
boarding facilities. MoE believes that these institutions will attract students and their families
and lessen the flow to Pakistan and other countries.
MoE data shows that there are 421 Madaris under government auspices in 1389 (2010), cov-
ering Grades 1-12 Grade (from 6 years of age). There is at least one Madari in each District,
established by Decree of the President. After graduation students can continue studies in Dar-
ul-Ulums.
There are 73 Dar-ul-Hefaz Basic schools in Afghanistan (1389/2010) for Grade 1-12 stu-
dents. The main aim of these schools is memorization of the Holy Quran and all related sub-
jects: Tajweed (phonemes), Lahja (accent) and Qera‘at (recitation). Other subjects include
Fiqa (jurisprudence), Aqayed (belief/catechism), Surf (morphology), Nahw (syntax), Balaghat
(Oration) and other subjects that are taught in Madaris. The pursuit of these subjects depends
on the ability of the students and the time that is available. Graduates from Grade 12 should
know other subjects besides having memorized the Holy Quran.
Dar-ul-Hefaz Special are institutions for the blind, which follow a special curriculum from
Grades 1 to 8. This curriculum focuses on memorization of the Holy Quran and related sub-
jects only. Another category of school under MoE is the Elhaqia, satellite schools (outreach
class (es)) of a hub Madrassa in areas where the establishment of a Madrassa is not possible
91
ANDS page 69
92
ANDS page 114
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 41
because of remoteness of the area or because students cannot travel long distances due to poor
security.
Overall, according to the Deputy Ministry for Islamic Education, there are 593 Islamic educa-
tion institutions under MoE (mid April 2010).
93
Added to which MoE is responsible for
Madaris in Pakistan (two in Peshawar cater for refugees). MoE has the full responsibility for
these institutions, except that local contributions and support are significant.
Table 4 Islamic Schools (MoE) 1386-1389 (2007-2010)
94
1386 (2007)
1387 (2008)
1388 (2009)
1389 (2010)*
Total Number of Islamic Schools 336 485 515 593
* Verbal information from Deputy Minister of Islamic Education. Basis for this figure not known.
The Ministry of Hajj and Endowment also controls some educational activities; approximately
100 Madaris spread across the country, found mainly in local Mosques. The organisation of
these activities is described as relatively loose. They do not have the same curriculum as MoE
schools and they have been characterized by some informants as archaic. Ministry of Hajj and
Endowment informed the ESA team that they wish to terminate these activities.
According to Afghanistan‘s Constitution there is general freedom for anybody to establish
Islamic schools. And there are private Madaris in addition to the categories listed above.
Some of these are registered with MoE, others not. Those not registered and not following
MoE‘s curriculum cannot receive MoE certificates for their graduates.
6.9 Service Delivery Capacity
According to NESP I MoE‘s overall strategy was to make quality Islamic education accessi-
ble to boys and girls across the country. To do this, the Ministry planned to build a Madrassa
(Grade 7-12) in each of the 364 districts in Afghanistan, construct 34 Dar-ul-Ulums (Grade 7-
14) and dormitories for boys, and 34 higher secondary Madaris and dormitories for girls, in
each of the provincial capitals. The implementation of these plans would make quality Islamic
education accessible to approximately 90,000 students by 1389 (2010).
The EMIS report for 1388 (2009) records that of 450 Islamic Education schools under MoE,
179 schools had buildings, while 254 did not. In 1386 (2007) 82 schools reported to have
buildings while 249 did not. These data are unreliable although they do suggest that Islamic
Education schools are in a poor state in terms of infrastructure.
6.10 Islamic Education and Gender
Mosque schools are for both boys and girls. Madaris have traditionally been for males. The
question of equity has resulted in some donors being unwilling to assist the sub-sector. MoE
and other stakeholders maintain that much effort is underway to open up and make this part of
the system more attractive to females. Statistics from recent years (Table 4) show that while
93
Information to the ESA team from Deputy Minister for Islamic Education in April 2010
94
Basis for data: for 2007: (EMIS )1386 (2007) School Survey Summary Report January 2008, Table 7, page 26.
2008: (EMIS) 1387-88 Education Summary Report, Table 2.3, page 62. 2009: EMIS department – received 22/4
2010.
April 2009, MoE reported: ?Currently there are 511 Official Madrassas in the country. Only 7 of them have
buildings and only 222 out of 511 are partially Functional.?.. and..? In addition there are 400 private Madrassas
in the country.? MoE Concept Paper on Islamic Education in Afghanistan, April 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 42
both male and female enrolment is increasing, the male rate is increasing faster, hence the
widening of the gender gap.
Table 5 Male and Female Students in Islamic Schools (MoE) 1386-1388
95
* Verbal information from Deputy Minister of Islamic Education. Basis for this data is not known.
6.11 Stakeholders
Traditionally the main stakeholders in Islamic Education have been the Mosques, the Mul-
lahs, local communities, private and institutional donors, MoE and the Ministry of Hajj and
Endowment. Given that the development and improvement of Islamic Education is a sensi-
tive issue, MoE undertook extensive public consultations and discussions, starting in
1387(2006).
96
It brought together key Afghan political and academic figures in the religious
community in an effort to build consensus and political support for this process. The outcome
of these first discussions was very positive and laid the foundations for further dialogue with
MoE underlining that all developments would be conducted through international, national,
provincial and district level consultations. Close cooperation between MoE and the Ulema
council was established.
6.12 Finance
Traditionally, Islamic Education has been financed by the local communities, the Mosques
and by individuals. In the 1990s Government started to provide some funds for modern Mada-
ris and even stipends for the students. Today such financial assistance has been maintained
and extended. While by tradition there is considerable local community involvement in Mada-
ris, this sub-sector does not seem to have established school related institutions such as PTAs
and SMC to the same extent as the formal schools. Hence there might be an untapped re-
source for these schools.
The costs of Islamic Education and General Education are compared in Table 6 but these data
do not enable any sort of unit price to be calculated as there are many costs not covered, for
instance, textbooks and infrastructure.
95
Basis for data: for 2007: 1386 (2007) School Survey Summary Report January 2008, Table 7, page 26. 2008:
1387-88 Education Summary Report, Table 2.3, page 62. 2009: EMIS department – received 22/4 2010.
96
Information from: A Strategy for the Development of Afghanistan’s Centres of Excellence Model Schools for a
Holistic Education, MoE, Kabul 2006, p.7
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 43
Table 6 Budget 1388 (2009) Islamic and General Education
Sub-Sector
Budget for General and Islamic Education
1388/2009
(000 Afs)
No. of Students
1388 (EMIS)
Opera
tional
Development Total
General Education 6,878,
926
277,362 7,156,287 6514000
Islamic Education 349,8
88
0 349,888 129375
Total 7,228,
814
277,362 7,506,176
6.13 Curriculum and Standards
MoE‘s intention is that formal schools and Islamic schools should follow the same curriculum
for Grades 1-6. From Grade 7 Madaris will emphasise the Islamic curriculum, as formal
schools place more weight on subjects such as Mathematics and Science. The curriculum for
Dar-ul-Ulums in Table 7 shows 33 subjects, many of them with small time allocations
97
.
Table 7 Subjects Taught in Dar-ul-Ulums by Grade and Periods Per Week
Subjects 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1. Holy Quran 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4
2. Hadith 3 3 3 3 4 4
3. Fiqa 5 5 3 3 3 3 4 4
4. Theology 2 2 2 2
5. Principles of Fiqa 2 2 3 3 4 4
6. Principles of Hadith 2
7. History 2
8. Seera 2 2
9. Legacy/Tradition 2
10. Islamic Morals and Ethics 2 2
11. Language 2 2 2
12. Literature 2 2 2 2 3 3
13. Arabic Language 2 2 2 2 2
14. Oratory and Public Speaking 2 2 2
15. Logic 2
16. Sciences of Quran 2
17. First Language 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
18. Second Language 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
19. Science 3 3 3 2 2 2
20. Social Studies 2 2 2 2 2 2
21. Maths 3 3 3 2 2 2
22. English 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2
23. Sports 1 1 1
24. Computers 1 1 1 2 2
25. Wisdom of Shariat 2
26. Pedagogy of Islamic Studies 2
27. Rules of Fiqa 2 2
28. Research Method 2
29. Principles of Invitation to Islam 2
30. Psychology 2
31. Methods of teaching 2
32. Examination and evaluation 2
33. Practical Teacher Training 2
Total 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36
97
Information received from MoE, Curriculum Department 12 May 2010
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 44
6.14 Outputs, Outcomes and Relevance
In accordance with national priorities formulated in the Constitution and in other national
strategy documents, Islamic Education is highly regarded in Afghanistan for developing basic
Islamic values and attitudes. It is a fundamental assurance that the future development of Af-
ghanistan will be based on Islam.
Halaqua provide a first and basic introduction to Islam as well as developing a sense of disci-
pline, expression, working alone and together, and establishing respect for Islam and for peo-
ple. As Halaquas are found throughout the country, enrolling large numbers of girls and boys,
they represent a setting in which children can be together and develop during the hours of the
day when parents and other relatives have other duties.
Higher level Islamic institutions develop competencies in areas where there often are no other
schools and for poorer groups in society. They produce local and national leaders, teachers,
local representatives and private sector entrepreneurs.
MoE plans to strengthen and improve the quality and broaden the scope of the curriculum for
Dar-ul-Ulums in order to attract Afghan students currently studying abroad (notably in Paki-
stan and Iran). The ESA team was informed several times that this intention is beginning to
bear fruit. In the Islamic High School visited in Herat, school management indicated that a
considerable number of the students were previously studying in Iran, and the fact that the
school was operating in Herat reduced the number of new students leaving the country.
6.15 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Islamic Education has strong support from many
parts of the population, in particular in rural areas
and among poor people.
? Islamic Education functions, systems and institu-
tions are well established
? Islamic Education produces personnel for Islamic
religious functions as well as to government
? Parts of IE are community based. Community
ownership of these activities is important and
valued
? Islamic Education has a long tradition in Afghani-
stan
? Low enrolment of females
? Many of the teachers do not have updated compe-
tence in pedagogy or in subjects taught
? Local financing is a strength but could also be an
weakness in localities with limited resources
? Extreme decentralisation on the one hand, and
Governments intention to improve and contribute
on the other, can lead to problems of cooperation
and of management.
? There are issues related to standards and quality
control mechanisms. Training not related to the
need of the modern labour market.
Opportunities Threats
? Dar-ul-Ulums have proved able to attract Afghan
students abroad to come home for their studies
? Widespread and well understood systems
? Local community involvement and private sector
contributions are important assets
? General threats due to current insecurity and war.
? Some Islamic Education institutions have been
used for political purposes
? International and in particular Western govern-
ments and donors seem often not to be willing to
contribute and support Islamic Education.
? Conflicts between different groups of Islamic
Education
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 45
7 Teacher Education
Teachers are the lifeblood of every school system. They work at the frontline. If they do not
teach effectively then children do not learn and the whole rationale for schooling is under-
mined. And if teachers are not well educated, trained, supported and advised then they cannot
be effective teachers.
98
There are 170,000 teachers working in schools under the auspices of MoE. Thirty per cent of
those are women. In (1380) 2001 there were 20,700 teachers in general schools, all of whom
were men. At that time there were four teacher training colleges (TTCs) with an enrolment of
just 400, all men. Nine years on there are 38 TTCs (with one in every province) where over
42,000 students are being educated and trained (38% female).
Under NESP II, as the expansion of the schooling system continues, there is the need for an
additional 119,000 teachers by 1393 (2014) and upgrading of the 60% of existing teachers
with schooling only up to Grade 12. This presents an enormous challenge for teacher educa-
tors and teacher education but one which MoE and specifically its Teacher Education De-
partment, with external support and working through NGOs, is addressing with some vigour.
Work is being carried out on a number of fronts, seven of which are briefly reported on here.
First, it is recognised that not enough is known about the quality of teaching and learning in
schools, including the impact of aid assisted project interventions. A baseline study of 300
Grade 4 classrooms with an appropriate urban-rural mix has been planned.
99
This is informa-
tion and data that does not currently feed through from the Provincial and District school
monitoring process. It is an activity that needs to take place on a regular basis, across various
grade levels. Teacher education, both pre-service and in-service, needs to be grounded in this
reality.
Second, the rapid expansion of the teaching force requires additional teacher training capacity
so that it is possible to run pre-service programmes for 50,000 trainee teachers and 60,000 in-
service teachers. This means four new TTCs being operational by 1393(2014); and 200 well
staffed satellite District level TTCs with the capacity to provide both pre- and in-service pro-
grammes for teachers and administrators. This in turn will require an additional 2,200 perma-
nent teacher educators; a very scarce resource, especially if they are to join TTCs only if they
have proven success as teachers at the level for which they will be training future teachers.
Private TTCs will be registered in accordance with government guidelines.
Third, in-service training is now embedded in the National Programme for In-Service
Teacher Training (NPITT). There are two related programme tracks. The USAID supported
Building Education Support Systems for Teachers (BESST: 1385-1391) has played a lead role
in the development of INSET training packages and provided funding for the roll out of the
programme. Over the past two years, working through six NGOs, 50,000 teachers have re-
98
There are of course similar arguments that can be made for safe, health and environmentally friendly school
buildings and for a pedagogically sound and relevant school curriculum but time and space do not permit a simi-
lar brief elaboration.
99
It is not clear at the time of writing whether this work has been or is being undertaken.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 46
ceived the first round of INSET training and follow up in 11 provinces.
100
A variety of other
training and support activities are organised, including in-school teacher support activities and
school improvement planning. The basic delivery structure comprises 25 senior trainers, 165
team leaders and 1,365 District based trainers. Radio, television and video are being used.
The second track (NPITT-DDT3) working through the World Bank supported EQUIP pro-
gramme also works through NGO organised and managed District Teacher Training Teams
(DT3). They provide in-school support designed to meet the priority needs of teachers and
school principals. This programme is being rolled out across 23 provinces utilising the ser-
vices of three NGO consortia each with one lead agency; what are called three ?packages.?
This work started in April 2009. The intention is that all teachers will work through INSET 1-
4 programmes; every General and Islamic teacher completing INSET 1-3 by 2014 and 50%
working on INSET 4. Teacher circles will be encouraged in schools. And by 2014 50% of
teachers should have access to distance learning opportunities. Small-scale professional de-
velopment programmes, such as that supported by the Aga Khan Foundation in Bamyan, offer
insights into whole school development approaches which are well field-tested in countries as
far apart as Pakistan, Tanzania and Kenya.
The two large, interrelated programmes have much to commend them. One particular virtue is
to bring professional development opportunities very close to schools, a process which should
help to foster teacher commitment and motivation. Another is the creation of District based
teams although it is not entirely clear as to the ways and means by which District Education
Offices are integrated into the programme. There are quite complex quality control issues in
this type of approach to teacher development programmes. But the involvement of 42 provin-
cial monitors in (NPITT-DDT3) supported by experts from BRAC and from the BESST pro-
ject has gone some way in ensuring that a raft of monitoring tools are in place.
Fourth: there is a need to radically improve the capacity and the performance of the Teacher
Training Colleges (TTCs). One college visited by the ESA team had an alarming wastage
rate: of 300 students selected by MoE to start the teacher training programme, a mere 20 be-
came classroom teachers. NESP II plans a complex of measures to upgrade the TTCs and
hence the quality of their output. Apart from additional facilities and staff, the new teacher
education curriculum is being introduced (linked to the general education curriculum) with
400 new textbook titles. An accreditation system for TTCs is to be introduced and the new
National Teacher Education Academy will provide programmes for TTC staff and all those
engaged in teacher education as well being a teacher policy and evaluation centre. An
autonomous National Institute for Teacher Education will be created by 1390 (2011) respon-
sible for teacher education in General and Islamic Education and providing support for other
programmes. These and other measures represent a real push to upgrade teacher education.
Fifth: given that good quality training is not the only incentive to recruiting, training and
keeping teachers motivated and committed in the classroom, some financial incentives can
help to make a difference. To attract and keep more female teachers is major objective, so a
programme managed by IS-GTZ has been initiated whereby a girl student who has completed
Grade 9 or above can receive a scholarship of US$60 per month for her two year TTC course.
Thereafter she is guaranteed teaching employment in her community. In addition, TTCs (25 in
the scheme) who prove effective in retaining girls will receive a grant for US$2000 (or more).
100
In addition, 2,000 school administrators have received training per month for two y and 10,000 teachers have
had subject content training. 1,200 university graduates provide the training.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 47
Unfortunately this programme has been subject to long delays with some of the 1300 girls
enrolled doubting that their scholarship will materialise.
Another incentive based programme focusing on poor security and/or remote Provinces where
TTC lecturers are reluctant to serve, is providing regional allowances ranging from 8,000-
10,000 Afs per month. But this is seen by many lecturers as insufficient, so only 50% of the
needed number of lecturers has been recruited in 20 ?high risk? Provinces.
Targeted schemes of this nature can make a difference but usually only as part of a wider
range of support measures, including professional support and advice, and housing and family
allowances.
Sixth: a major programme is underway to assess the competency of teachers in post. This is
part of, and prior to, the implementation of the pay and grading reforms that are taking place
across government service. Teacher competencies (with the support of USAID technical ex-
pertise) have been established for subjects and Grade levels (1-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12). Re-
lated competencies have also been developed for school administrators. After a pilot test in
June 2009, over 45,000 secondary school teachers with Grade 14 and above took the test in
November 2009. All but eight provinces had pass rates of over 90%. Grade 12 level teachers
were tested early in 2010 with similar results. All teachers will be covered by the end of this
year. These results will enable the pay and grading levels of teachers to go ahead as well help-
ing to identify teaching training and professional support needs.
Seventh: The Accelerated Learning Programme for Teachers supported by BESST is for
teachers who have completed Grade 6 but not Grade 12. It enables them to get through high
school while teaching. This programme plans to get about 40,000 teachers (one third women)
up to Grade 12 level and eligible for TTC in about four years.
Together these and other activities represent an enormously ambitious teacher development
reform strategy, concentrating what many countries would take ten years to undertake into a
much shorter period. It is a programme that operates in a complex institutional environment.
There are multi-layered partnerships (MoE - centrally and sub-nationally, donors, external and
national technical assistance, teachers and teacher training institutions, implementing NGO
agencies, etc) all needing to come together in a coordinated and coherent way.
101
There is too,
the scale of the challenge, meeting the needs of teachers and schools across a country beset by
insecurity, and characterised, in many areas, by remoteness and inaccessibility. And there are
delays in receiving allotments; and procurement procedures (both the donor agencies and the
government) are time consuming and overly procedural.
102
This is reflected in the Teacher
Education Departments apparently poor expenditure performance figures.
Of necessity, it is a programme that is dependent on aid. In this regard it appears relatively
secure given that BESST has two years to run and EQUIP II is newly underway. The General
101
This puts very heavy pressure on the staff of the General Directorate of Teacher Education, to the point that
programme delivery can be threatened.
102
The General Directorate of Teacher Education Annual Report for 1999 appears to show very low expenditure
levels against allotments and budgets, to a point that it is not entirely clear how the programme can function. In a
presentation to the EDB 16 March, on budget execution it was noted that under current financial regulations a
two to three year aid budget of the sort that the Directorate receives is required to be included in a single budget
decree. This would of course give rise to serious under- expenditure if Year 2 and 3 budgets were all included in
Year 1.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 48
Directorate of Teacher Education has strong leadership but it is the scarcity of core national
human resources and expertise that could be the biggest constraint in moving forward.
7.1 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Core leadership
? Sound conceptual foundations
? Good donor support and expertise
? Variability in the quality of implementing agen-
cies
? Low levels of budget expenditure
? Procurement and staff recruitment delays
Opportunities Threats
? Building on the commitment of teachers
? Capacity building of District level systems
? Increasing teachers sense of their empowerment
? To develop clear understandings of best practice
in classroom teaching
? To develop the leadership skills of school princi-
pals
? Over ambition
? Unsustainable systems
? Insecurity threatens national coverage of TTC
staffing and INSET programmes.
8 Higher Education
Afghanistan needs a strong higher education sector. Without the knowledge, skills, applied
research, consultancy capacity and broader cultural contribution which higher educational
institutions can deliver Afghanistan‘s ability to develop a strong economy and deliver high
quality public services will be constrained. There are critical shortages of engineers, techni-
cians, administrators, accountants, agriculturalists and business leaders
103
. As the ANDS
Education Sector Strategy puts it …in higher education there is the need to transform the
monolithic system into a modern system of independent well-managed universities.
104
Like other parts of the education sector, higher education is in recovery and rebuilding mode.
The introduction to the National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014 makes clear that
a system respected in the region 30 years ago was destroyed by war and by violence. The
shell of a system remained. The culture of research was lost. By 2001 there were just 7,800
students representing one of the lowest enrolment rates in the world.
8.1 Higher Education Capacity
There are 22 tertiary level institutions in Afghanistan in 2010 (Error! Reference source not
ound.).
105
Nineteen have reopened their doors since 2001. Fourteen have the status of univer-
sities; eight are higher education institutes. Half of these institutions have a student population
of below 1,500; six with under 1,000 students.
As the new National Higher Education Strategy 2010-2014 makes clear, the tertiary education
sector is confronted by a formidable set of challenges if it is to both expand and provide
higher of education of good quality, relevant to the needs of the economy, both at the same
time. Textbox 1 provides a summary of some of the major challenges.
103
World Bank, 2007. Country Summary of Higher Education
104
P3 ANDS Education Sector Strategy 1387-1391 (200708-2012/13)
105
Institutions in the public sector
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 49
Textbox 11 Challenges Confronting Higher Education
Infrastructure: inadequate (electricity and water supplies insufficient or not functioning). Rudimentary labora-
tory and library facilities. Lack of basic computer facilities. Ad hoc rehabilitation and facility planning.
Financing: a budget of US$35 million 1388(2009) for the 22 institutions barely covers basic costs. Budgets for
learning materials (internet access, textbooks, journals etc) are almost non-existent. Universities are disallowed
from raising and keeping revenue; this in a system where university education is free up to the post-graduate
level. Budgets are based on past allocations not on need. Incentives for efficiency and innovation are lacking.
Governance: Higher education institutions have had no autonomy and must follow externally-generated regula-
tions and rules. Strategic planning within institutions is generally absent or weak although recently six universi-
ties developed well reviewed strategic plans (with World Bank assistance). Pay grades have been based on civil
service scales but were modified and almost doubled in 1388 (2009).
Efficiency: Small institutions are not cost-effective and limit the ability to improve quality. Student teacher
ratios are as low as 4:1 in some universities.
Quality: Many faculty members lack appropriate qualifications and credentials (see
Curricula, teaching materials and pedagogy are very outdated. Dictation of notes is common. There is no qual-
ity assurance system in place except in teacher education where self-assessments are underway and MoHE ap-
proved standards are in place. High age profile of faculty: limited ability to change.
Relevance: Poor linkages with economy – few links with and engagement of employers.
Sources include: National Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014: World Bank 2007. Country Summary of Higher
Education. Plus personal communication from HEP.
The National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014 is seen as the main vehicle for ad-
dressing these challenges.
106
Its implementation will be greatly facilitated when the new
Higher Education Law has been passed and comes into effect. This will enable the creation of
a High Council of Education Institutions and the establishment of an academic accreditation
board. Reforms are also planned to form a department of private higher education institutions
within the Ministry of Higher Education. And for this year‘s budget (1389, 2010) the Ministry
of Higher Education proposed that the four Kabul universities receive their budgets as ?Inde-
pendent Budgetary Units.?
107
These are important steps towards greater institutional inde-
pendence and for the raising of quality.
106
The Ministry of Higher Education plans to hold workshops for chancellors and heads of private higher educa-
tion institutions on the implementation of the strategic (as of February 2010)
107
The decision of the Ministry of Finance on this is not known to the sector analysis team.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 50
Table 8 Higher Education Institutions in Afghanistan
Universities Faculties Students Faculty Members
Kabul Founded in 1931. 15 faculties 13,350 (3,369 women) 541 (129 women)
39 % with Masters/ PhD
Polytechnique Independent higher education
institution in Kabul established
in 1969. Five faculties.
2536 (100 women ) 173 (19) 72% with Mas-
ters/PhD
Kabul Medical Opened in 1932. In 2004 cre-
ated as an independent univer-
sity. Four faculties
1,410 (485 women) 219 (39 women) 68%
with Masters/PhD
Kabul Education Established in 2003; previously
a teacher training and then
pedagogical institute. Six facul-
ties.
7053 students (2361
women)
176 (45 women)
46% with Masters/PhD
Albiruni In Kapisa Province. Initiated in
1998. Seven faculties
1,745 (117 women) 70 (6 women )
12% with Masters/PhD
Balkh Established in 1986. Eight
faculties
5,781 (1,479 women) 259 (60 women )
34% with Masters/PhD
Herat Established in 1988.
Eleven faculties
6,466 (2506 women) 267 (47 women )
37% with Masters/PhD
Nangarhar Established in 1963 Ten facul-
ties.
7.050 (271 women) 248 (9 women) 47% with
Masters/PhD
Khost Established outside of Afghani-
stan during war. Instituted in
2003. Seven faculties.
2,518 (0 women) 132 (0 women) 22% with
Masters/PhD
Kandahar Established in 1993. Six facul-
ties
1,863 (18 women) 131 (5 women) 8% with
Masters/PhD.
Takhar Officially registered in 1993.
Five faculties
1,835 (372 women) 51 (4 women) 16% with
Masters/PhD
Paktia Established in 2005 in Gardiz.
Two faculties
942 (372 women) 46 (0 women) 6% with
Masters/PhD
Bamyan First established 1996. Two
faculties
904 (109 women) 64 (3 women) 9% with
Masters/PhD
Jawzjan Established in 1994. Five facul-
ties
2,256 (307 women) 69 (26 women) 22% with
Masters/PhD
Higher Education
Institutes
Baghlan Two faculties 1,348 (140 women) 47 (6 women) 4% with
Masters/PhD
Faryab Institute of pedagogy from
1987. Two faculties
1,214 (274 women) 42 (11 women) 5% with
Masters/PhD
Kundoz Became an institute in 1994.
Two faculties.
1,139 (190 women) 30 (6 women) 7% with
Masters PhD
Ghazni Two faculties 368 (57 women) 16 (0 women) 12% with
Masters/PhD
Badakhshan Institute of pedagogy with one
faculty
385 (146 women)) 25 (3 women) 4 % with
Masters PhD
Parwan Promoted from teacher training
college in 1999. One faculty
1,237 (137 women) 43 (6 women) 19% with
Masters/PhD
Samangan One faculty 212 (47) 8 (0 women) I masters
degree
Helmand Two faculties 200 (100) n.a.
Source: National Higher Education Strategic Plan; and Ministry of Higher Education website
8.2 Expanding Access
There were there are over 60,000 students in higher education (1388/2009), 21% of whom are
women; almost a nine fold increase in eight years. Nearly 40% of the student population is in
Kabul. Seventy one percent of students are in six of the 22 higher institutions. The proportion
of women enrolled in tertiary education is much lower in the smaller institutions outside of
the main cities. The numbers of women faculty members follows a similar pattern.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 51
Compared with other regional countries, higher education opportunities are still very limited.
Nepal, with a comparable national population, has 320,000 students in higher education.
The target for 1393 (2014) is 115, 000 higher education students, 30% of whom should be
women (a relatively modest increase on current levels). Annual enrolment will grow from
20,000 a year to 38,500 a year. This planned increase represents almost a doubling of the stu-
dent population in five years; an ambitious target. According to MoHE this will require a
doubling of our physical and intellectual resources
108
. Two thousand new faculty members
will be required and 800 additional staff.
The estimated cost of implementing the strategic plan is US$564 million over five years, ris-
ing from US$21 million in 1389 (2010) to US$192 million in 1393 (2014). Even assuming
that the Government provides more funds for the higher education sub-sector, a large financ-
ing gap has to be filled. The Government of Afghanistan is seeking external support, request-
ing that at least 50% of aid should come direct through the core budget.
109
Unlike some low
income countries donors have been relatively supportive of the expansion of higher education
in Afghanistan (see Section 16).
Interestingly, the National Plan has determined that increased access to higher education op-
portunities should be limited to the expansion of existing universities and institutions and
should not include the building of completely new facilities. It states: the Ministry of Higher
Education has no choice but to avoid setting up new universities so that it can focus its scarce
resources on the expansion of its universities and institutes to a reasonable size and provide
them with adequate infrastructure. This is not a universally popular decision, especially in
those parts of the country where there is no local higher education provision. It also places a
very considerable burden on individual institutions in planning and managing their own ex-
pansion.
There is a partial exception to this rule. It is proposed that community colleges should be es-
tablished (taking close account of comparative experience in other parts of the world) to pro-
vide specialized post-secondary education and training short course opportunities.
110
Some
course credits would be transferable to university level education. Although not fully formu-
lated yet, the initial Plan proposal is that there should by over 60,000 students in community
colleges by 1399 (2020) able to access short course, certificate and diploma programmes. By
1393 (2014) there should be 5,000 students in five community colleges.
111
Within the existing 22 institutions some of the expansion can clearly come from greater inter-
nal efficiency. The Plan target is an average of one faculty member/instructor for every 25
students. There will be greater use of working in shifts (after a good number of difficult man-
agement issues are addressed) and classes at different times of the day. But even if internal
efficiencies are taken into account, there will have to be an expansion of infrastructure and
facilities. Fifty seven per cent of the proposed five year budget is accorded to construction and
108
Speech by Acting Minister of Higher Education 7 February 2010.
109
A request has been made too that the World Bank SHEP project and the USAID HEP project be extended
beyond 2010.
110
Suggestions include: science, math, languages and computer science; mid-level training in business, law,
pharmacy, medicine; introductory university level course; business specific programmes; office skills, librarian-
ship, photography, carpentry, plumbing, electrical skills, specialized motor mechanics, TV and computer repairs,
tourism.
111
It is not easy to see in the budget lines of the Plan where Community Colleges are provided for.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 52
maintenance costs. It seems likely that this budget line will be heavily dependent on external
assistance.
Another avenue for meeting the exponential demand for higher education is through the pri-
vate sector. The Plan states: the Ministry of Higher Education will encourage the develop-
ment of quality private education – especially in non-profit institutions. This is at an early
stage in working through appropriate regulatory policy but clearly demand on the scale that
has been planned cannot be met by the public sector alone. The plan suggests that private in-
stitutions should be encouraged to locate campuses in rural areas where access to higher edu-
cation is limited; which seems unlikely. Pilot activity in the area of open and distance learning
is also mooted.
Urgency and ambition runs through the new Higher Education Strategic Plan. The recognition
that neither demand nor the needs of the economy can be met by a one-track approach to ex-
pansion is obviously wise. To make this happen the pressing short term need (apart from ex-
ternal funds) would appear to be wider agreement across government to provide the enabling
environment for the expansion of a diversified system to move ahead.
8.3 Improving Quality
Expansion without significant improvements in the quality of higher education will not serve
Afghanistan well. The poor quality of teaching and learning and the inadequacies of the study
environment have to be improved dramatically. The strong emphasis of the Strategic Plan is
to confront this issue. But given the scale of the problem, the current plan can only start the
process. This is a longer term endeavour which requires action on a number of fronts.
The work for this analysis unearthed very little quantitative data on quality (and cost effi-
ciency) of student throughput, pass levels in different disciplines and where graduates go
within the private and public economy of Afghanistan. Consequently, in this short section
attention is focused on a) the quality of the process by which new undergraduates are re-
cruited; b) accreditation of higher education institutions; c) the quality of faculty and curricu-
lum and d) the benefits of wider international engagement.
Quality control of tertiary institutions in Afghanistan is at an early stage.
112
ANDS endorsed a
proposal for a new accreditation system which will place more stringent requirements on in-
stitutions to meet basic quality criteria. The emphasis will be on institutional accreditation and
not that of individual departments. Poorly performing institutions will be subject to closure; a
very significant change in the culture of higher education.
113
The quality of the student intake is also important. MoHE administers the Kankor examina-
tion, the conduit through which prospective students are admitted to tertiary institutions. One
in four prospective students gets through this gateway. In a more established system the selec-
tion process would be the responsibility of individual universities but it is unlikely that a
transfer of this function will take place in the lifetime of the present plan.
Anecdotally the system is subject to abuse and it appears relatively complex in the way in
which it sets the grade levels which are required for different disciplines and the allocation of
112
Work is most far advanced in teacher education with the approval in November 2008 of Standards for
Teacher Education in Higher Education Institutions.
113
The plan is to establish a Quality Assurance Agency within MoHE, with its own budget line and autonomy
within five to six years.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 53
places to students who do not reach their subject benchmark. Some account of these weak-
nesses is apparently being met by looking at greater equity for Arts students and a closer fit
between the needs of the wider economy and the pattern of subject offers into different disci-
plines.
Across all higher education faculties (2008) 5.5% of a total faculty of 2,526 have PhDs, a fur-
ther 30.1% had Masters‘ degrees and nearly 64% had Bachelor‘s degrees. Nearly 51% of fac-
ulty are Teaching Assistants. This profile cannot be improved quickly. And with older mem-
bers of faculty it is not a cost effective investment. The plan rightly recognises that a step by
step approach is required: focus first on the larger universities in disciplines where appropriate
expertise exists and utilise international scholarships and short term academic attachments.
Much will depend on the new generation of faculty to change the culture of tertiary institu-
tions.
Equally pressing though again difficult to change quickly is the outdated curriculum which
exists in many subject areas. The decision to undertake a consultative assessment (with the
private sector and other ministries) of the needs of the labour market seems a wise precursor
to conceiving a new curriculum framework.
In advancing these and other quality related strategies the value of link programmes and pro-
jects with universities around the world is of considerable benefit. The main thrust of the Na-
tional Higher Education Plan is to start moving tertiary education on to a higher plane as
quickly as resources and capacity allow.
8.4 Resourcing the Plan
Almost certainly the biggest challenge to advancing the goals of the National Plan is to secure
predictable and sustainable funding from Government and from donor agencies. Higher edu-
cation in Afghanistan is being ?run on the cheap.? It cannot continue this way. But as well as
looking for additional finance the time will come sooner or later when the state‘s commitment
to free tertiary education at the undergraduate level will have to be reconsidered. It is an un-
derstandable position for a progressive government to take but as many systems around the
world have discovered it is an untenable one, especially in an expanding system targeting
quality. An early review of this strategy should happen, drawing on a vast amount of com-
parative experience and knowledge, including on how to safeguard the interests and opportu-
nities of financially disadvantaged students.
In addition there is a need to act quickly on enabling tertiary institutions to raise, earn and
keep revenue for their own development.
114
There is little incentive to be proactive within the
wider community when it is known that all revenues go to the central treasury.
114
There is a tentative agreement that institutions will be able to keep funding earned and gifts received by the
MoHE, MoF, MoJ and the Presidency.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 54
8.5 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? A coherent well thought through strategic plan that provides a
framework for action
? Plans to develop a higher education data base as an aid to
policy and planning
? Some good overseas institutional links
? The lack of a clearly thought through
gender strategy for higher education
? The continuing inheritance of a shat-
tered system
? Lack of a management culture in
higher education institutions
? Insufficient to the needs of students
distant geographically from higher
education opportunities
? Lack of attention to the internal effi-
ciency of the system
Opportunities Threats
? The opportunities afforded by the higher education law to be
enabling of a better governed, better quality assured and more
diversified higher education sector.
? Some growing cross government dialogue and consensus on
the need for skills development strategies
? A failure within government to find a
sufficiency of financing
? Ingrained conservatism in higher edu-
cation
? Political pressure to build new institu-
tions
9 Skills for Development: Vocational Education and Training (VET)
and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
9.1 Definitions
Skills development is used here as an umbrella term to cover the full range of education and
training activities designed to develop skills to enhance employment opportunities and con-
tribute to economic growth and development. TVET is used in Afghanistan largely in relation
to the work of MoE: VET is applied to a much broader range of government, private sector
and NGO programmes.
Internationally, the United Nations International Center for Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training (UNEVOC) states that TVET is concerned with the acquisition of knowl-
edge and skills for the world of work.
115
This inclusive definition encompasses all forms of
work including the informal sector, although UNEVOC recognises that some elements of
TVET
116
are formal and organised.
The Afghanistan National Skills Development Program Strategy (NSDP) defines Vocational
Education and Training (VET) … as an umbrella term to encompass a number of skills devel-
opment activities. Those activities have, as their common objective, the provision of knowl-
edge and skills that lead to either wage- or self-employment. Thus the term VET covers short
and longer term training, formal and non-formal, as well as training across all sectors (agri-
culture, commerce, services, construction and industry). It also encompasses the whole area
of second chance skills development (and integrated underpinning education), for those
115
Web-page of UNEVOC
116
Including ?Apprenticeship Training, Vocational Education, Technical Education, Technical-Vocational Edu-
cation (TVE), Occupational Education (OE), Vocational Education and Training (VET), Career and Technical
Education (CTE), Workforce Education (WE), Workplace Education (WE) etc.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 55
women and men whose self-development opportunities were seriously curtailed during the
years of conflict.
117
A further broad distinction is that while VET trainees receive pre and/or in-service training on
for specific skills usually on short courses, TVET (MoE) students study in a formal secondary
education environment which leads to further training and higher education.
9.2 The Skills Deficit
As Section A has made clear, there is an acute shortage of skilled labour to meet the needs of
a growing economy. For the purposes of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Afghani-
stan the shortages of skilled labourers, technicians and managers presents an urgent challenge.
And as the economy expands areas such as agriculture, mining and tourism will require a
wide range of competencies.
At present, low levels of general education, lack of sufficient training facilities and low levels
of literacy are major handicaps. Conflict and war has led to an exodus abroad of many quali-
fied technicians and professionals, leaving the country increasingly reliant on technicians and
skilled labour from neighbouring countries. In addition, during 30 years of insecurity Af-
ghanistan has lacked international professional exchange on developments in VET and TVET.
In this context providers of training services are under very considerable pressure: from the
population in general and young people in particular, demanding better and more relevant
competencies and skills in order to be employable in the work marketplace; from employers
urgently requiring employees with relevant skills; and from donors trying to identify where
best to invest their funds. Within the formal education system huge waves of students are
coming through primary and secondary education, putting even more pressure on the provi-
sion of technical training.
Textbox 12 The Demand for VET
A census carried out in 2009 by the Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development
Program (AREDP) of over 1,708 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in 33
provinces identifies amongst others two major obstacles to private sector enter-
prise growth: a shortage of business expertise and weak access to formal credit.
More than 60% of the SMEs surveyed indicated a need for knowledge-based
business training support, in particular technical (40%), business management
(37%), and financial management (20%).
118
With the increased specialization of labour markets, both governments and the private sector
in most countries tend to prioritise vocational education through publicly funded training and
subsidized apprenticeship. Most industrialized countries have gone through generations of
different technical and vocational education strategies. For a country like Afghanistan, there
are benefits to be derived from building on comparative experience, especially in relation to
new technologies, and adapting new delivery models. With the appropriate use of ICT, ?quan-
tum leaps? in technical, vocational and skill competence development can be expected.
119
117
NSDP Strategy page 3
118
World Bank, AF Rural Enterprise Development Program, Project Information Document (PID), Appraisal
Stage, Report No.: AB4800
119
Parallel to this is the development of telephone system, where large parts of the Afghanistan population now
can use mobile phones, and do not need to go through all the technology development stages including wired
connections.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 56
Currently the Afghanistan VET and TVET sub-sectors use about 50 different standards to
measure qualifications. In part, this reflects the introduction and application of standards by
NGO providers drawing on their home country knowledge, ways of working over which the
Afghan government has little control. And different ministries maintain different curricula,
approaches and standards. Ongoing work to develop a National Standards System is clearly
important in bringing about some greater consistency of standards and oversight.
The Labour Force
Data on labour force and the skills deficit are meagre.
120
Some supporting or more general
sources of information are also useful.
121
And the documents in Error! Reference source not
ound. provide a useful resource,
122
although they are an insufficient basis for forecasting dif-
ferent skill needs. As Section A has suggested longer term growth and employment scenarios
are needed to guide the education and training planners.
Table 9 Labour Force and Labour Market Documentation
Author Year Title Purpose
Agnew, M 2003 Afghanistan Labour Market Informa-
tion Survey, prepared by the Interna-
tional Rescue Committee in association
with the MOLSA
To provide (skills development) programmes... with
reliable and valid data on which to base (IRC)
decisions regarding supporting appropriate kinds
of training...
ALTAI Consulting 2004 USAID Strategy: Private Sector Needs
Assessment
An evaluation of needs of the informal sector and
entrepreneurs as a means of strengthening the urban
private sector
ALTAI Consulting 2006 Integration of Returnees in the Afghan
Labour Market, study commissioned by
ILO and UNHCR, funded by the EC
To provide profiles of the refugees who have re-
turned, to gauge the impact they have on the labour
market and the effectiveness of past and current
support programmes and to recommend policy
options to facilitate into the labour market.
Beall, J. & Schutte.
S
2006 Dwindling Industry: Growing Poverty:
Urban Livelihoods in Afghanistan, a
report for AREU, funded by EU
Scope: The report draws on the findings of five (5)
individual studies conducted earlier that same year
in them main urban population centers.
International
Security Assistance
Force
2007 Provincial reconstruction Team Hand-
book
To consolidate information available from the
Government, ISAF, CFC-A, UNAMA, and interna-
tional agencies, to outline guiding principles and
proven best practices that PRTs should draw upon
MoWA 2007 Women and men in Afghanistan: A
Handbook on Baseline Statistics on
Gender
To establish a statistical data base that would help
strengthen advocacy, planning and policy making
from a gender perspective, especially within gov-
ernment
Patel, S. & Ross. S. 2007 Breaking Point: Measuring Progress
in Afghanistan. Centre for Strategic and
International Studies, Washington
To provide a balanced perspective incorporating
local voices to obtain a measure of those elements
that matters most
USAID, 2007 Labour Market, Livelihood Strategies
and Food Security in Afghanistan: a
special report by the Famine Early
Warning Systems Network
To gain better understanding of labour markets and
labour-based livelihood strategies
Wickramasekara, P.
Et al
2006 Afghan Households in Iran, Profile and
Impact, commissioned by ILO from
UNHCR and funded by EC
To gain greater insight into the dynamics of the
Afghan population and their impact in Iran, espe-
cially in the Iranian labour market.
120
See, for example: NSDP, 2007, A study of Human Resource Supply and Labour Market Demand?
NSDP, October 2008; An Urban Area Primary Source Study of Supply & Demand in the Labour Market
NSDP, December 2009, An Urban Based Study of Labour Supply and Demand, and Public Opinion, Covering
the Media, Tourism and Hospitability Sectors.
121
Government of Afghanistan/EU, 2009, National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. Central Statistical Or-
ganisation.
AREA, Asia Foundation and other institutes and organisations
122
References and comments on purpose are from NSDP, 2007, A study of Human Resource Supply and Labour
Market Demand.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 57
Issues deserving early attention include:
? Assembly and study of all available documentary information related to human resource capacity and
the mapping of different growth and employment scenarios for the next 20 years;
? Collection of data from trades, industries, and the public economy.
? Comparative study of labour forces and markets in countries in the region.
? Shaping these findings for use by policy makers and planners, through the creation of a national data
base.
Much of this forward looking work is premised on the development of a thriving private sec-
tor with local training institutions becoming attuned to the needs of their local economies and
to responding accordingly.
123
MoE‘s primary responsibility is to strengthen basic education to improve the employability
and quality of the future labour force at all levels. Graduating students from basic and secon-
dary education having good basic skills and knowledge provides the platform for further edu-
cation and training with maths, sciences, and languages key in this regard.
9.3 Legislation, Regulations and Policy
ANDS
The Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) presents human and institutional
capacity as a cross-cutting issue, identifying low capacity as a major constraint for develop-
ment. Development of institutional mechanisms to support capacity development is seen as
primary responsibility of the public sector but the strong involvement of the private sector is
also seen as a necessity pre-requisite. Error! Reference source not found. sets out more spe-
cific objectives, activities and responsibilities in ANDS.
According to ANDS…the key priority in the vocational training subsector is to align voca-
tional training and skills development programs with the needs of the economy through im-
proved coordination and implementation capacity at the National Vocational Education and
Training Board (NVETB).
124
The Ministry of Education
The Education Law
125
(which is for MoE) states that secondary, technical-professional, voca-
tional, and artistic education should be provided free. MoE has the duty to organize, establish,
issue licenses and supervise private (educational) institutions in accordance with their needs.
123
MoLSAMD, NSDP, A Study of Human Resource Supply and Labour Market Demand, 2007, page 6
124
ANDS page 14
125
Education Law, The General Provision, Article 4 and 7. Further (Article Eight) MoE is to issue graduation
certificates to the graduates of different educational levels. MoE is further (Article Twelve) to set forth curricu-
lum, educational plan, evaluation system and examination of different educational levels, as well as admission
requirements, number, level of educational standards of teachers, lecturers, and Modrasan, and the principle
method of evaluation and examination and their other academic, professional and specialization.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 58
Table 10 VET and TVET in ANDS; Objectives, Activities and Responsibilities
Vocational Education
Objectives or
Outcomes
Policy Actions or Activities Category Time frame Responsible
Agency
Improved
quality of
vocational
Education
Proposal to formalize existing apprenticeship arrangements and
expand the system. Ensure that a recognized qualification is pro-
vided to people undertaking apprenticeships who have achieved
specified basic competencies.
Legislation
1387
NSDP
Expand the capacity and improve the quality of Vocational Educa-
tion and Skill Development
Institution
Building
1389 NSDP
Improve the capacity of the national VET system to manage and
deliver market driven skills training and linkages to micro-credit and
business development support services is planned to have increased.
Institution
Building
1389 MoL/NSDP
Within the next 12 months, establish an independent National Voca-
tional Education and Training Authority with the responsibility for
managing and co-coordinating national VET policy will be estab-
lished. Teaching and operation of individual VET institutions to be
contracted out.
Institution
Building
1387-TBD it
is a contin-
ued
Program
NSDP
Improved
Access to
Vocational
Education
Target the most vulnerable women and youth in the selection of
training and provision of employment opportunities
Institution
Building/
Gender Cross
Cutting
Issues
1386-89 NSDP
Develop an accessible, regional network of TVET schools and
training centers, including 17 new schools and a school for those
with special needs
Development 1387-1388 MoE/TVET
Dept
Establishment of job-placement centers in all 34 provinces Development 1387-1389
(2010)
MoL/NSDP
The NSDP will procure the services of a variety of training providers
(private/public) for the provision of training to 150,000 unemployed
Afghan women and men through competitive bidding procedures
Development 1385-1389
(2010)
MoL/NSDP
Disaggregate by sex all human related statistics Institution
Building/
Gender Cross
Cutting
Issues
1386-89 MoL/NSDP
Chapter Five of the Education Law covers Technical- Professional, Vocational and Artistic
Education specifically. It is prescribed
126
that:
? Technical-professional, vocational and artistic education level comprises Grade tenth to the end of
Grade fourteenth, provided and expanded in public educational institutions in a balanced and equitable
manner, considering the number of population and Kochis residing in the area and educational and
training standards for the graduates of the intermediate (basic) educational schools;
? Technical – professional vocational and artistic education comprise short terms courses in order to de-
velop and provide professional skills in accordance with societal needs, in the educational institutions
of the ministry of education.
The objectives of the sub-sector are to:
127
? Technical – professional vocational and artistic education comprise short terms courses in order to de-
velop and provide professional skills in accordance with societal needs, in the educational institutions
of the ministry of education.
? Train human resources in the technical- professional, vocational and artistic fields needed by the soci-
ety and international market considering national and international standards, with special concern to
the woman needs
126
Article Twenty-Three
127
Education Law Ch.Five, Art. 24
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 59
? Develop and expand knowledge and skills in the technical- professional, vocational and artistic section,
through theoretical and practical manner, in the needed fields.
? Provide special education for the blind and disabled students in appropriate and needed fields
? Prepare students for admission into the educational institutions and universities.
Vocational and professional occupational skills are also mentioned
128
in relation to literacy and to
basic practical education. This covers large-scale skill training under MoE‘s literacy programmes.
NESP II gives expression to these requirements placed on MoE for the next five years. It
stated goal is to ...provide relevant and quality technical and vocational education for both
males and females in order to enable them to meet the requirements of the labor market in
Afghanistan and the region, and to contribute to the equitable and balanced development of
the country.
129
A specific target for 1399 (2020) is that 12% of basic education graduates will
enrol in Technical and Vocational Education programs to continue their education.
130
More specific objectives include to:
? Increase access to TVET by expanding TVET regional institutes from 16 to 32; TVET provincial schools
from 38 to 102; and establishing 364 TVET district schools.
? Increase enrolment in TVET institutions from 19,500 in 1388 (2009)to 150,000 in 1393(2014).
? Increase enrolment of girls in TVET programs to 30% of total enrolment by 1393 (2014).
? Increase enrolment of children with disabilities in TVET schools to 1,000 by 1393 (2014).
? Develop basic skills of teachers, males and females, to improve the quality of teaching and increase
learning achievements of students
? Develop modern quality curriculum and learning materials to improve teaching and increase student
learning achievements
? Equip the existing schools and TVET centers according to modern TVET standards
? Enhance the capacity of TVET teaching and administrative staff
And its strategy points to the need to:
? Cooperate with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to conduct a study of the labor market
? Support the establishment of private TVET centers and encourage major industries (e.g. business, min-
ing, construction, manufacturing) to set up training units where Grade 9 graduates can enroll and ob-
tain vocational training.
? Work toward a policy of establishing one TVET school in each district
? Improve quality of TVET in-service short-term training courses on teaching methodology for all TVET
teachers will be increased.
? Revise all policies, regulations and guidelines of TVET,
? Reform of supervision and reporting mechanisms
? Develop a database in the TVET program.
NESP II divides TVET into six main components.
131
An autonomous National Institute for
Curriculum Development (to be established in 1390) will improve the quality of curricula
developed for all MoE programmes. This will include responsibility for the coordination of
curriculum development for TVET.
132
NESP II‘s coverage of vocational training as part of the
literacy programme is also mentioned.
128
Under Chapter Ten, Article Twenty-Four
129
NESP II, Page 14
130
NESP II, Page 5
131
NESP II from page 90 to 96 presents the details of TVET under the following 6 Priority Program Compo-
nents:Access to Technical and Vocational Education, Student Services, Develop and Revise Learning Materials,
TVET Teacher Education, Academic Supervision and Management and Coordination.
132
NESP II, Page 11
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 60
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
There are different laws, regulations and codes covering the responsibility areas of MoL-
SAMD. The 2007 Labour Code covers aspects of VET. It includes the objective of continu-
ously improving relevant skills and capacities for the development and consolidation of the
national economy
133
. Chapter Six of this Code covers vocational training and skill develop-
ment of in-service employees. Article 76 declares that employers are responsible for profes-
sional short and long term training courses individually and in groups to improve the profes-
sional levels of the employees, get them experienced and develop their work related skills.
It states too that MoLSAMD in collaboration with the respective organizations will take nec-
essary measures to establish and develop professional training centers at the capital and in
the provinces”. These are designed to cover the promotion of vocational knowledge and spe-
cialization of employees; of professional teachers and instructors; of youth who have been
deprived of education; and of employment and rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
Employers have to bear training costs (Art. 77), while MoLSAMD (and other organisations
with in-service training centers) will have to facilitate in holding on job training programs for
their employees in the capital and provinces. The duration of training is not to be more than
two years. Outstanding employees might be able to continue their education at institutes of
higher vocational, technical and professional secondary institutions in or outside the country.
The Code specifies norms and regulations for Training Centres based in industrial organisa-
tions.
In terms of strategy, one of the five goals and objectives for MoLSAMD is to facilitate Skills
Development Programs [in] ... priority areas ... of direct relevance to VET:
134
? To support the implementation of Afghanistan Compact benchmarks, ANDS and the Afghanistan Mil-
lennium Development Goals.
? To impart trainings in skill development with priority to the Martyrs, Disabled and women.
? To formulate and implement policies, programs and projects which will increase employment opportu-
nities for the labor force, enhance their welfare and build their skills
135
.
MoLSAMD prepared a draft Strategic Plan three years ago.
136
This is being updated to reflect
new realities.
137
The strategy for social protection needs streamlining and review and although
the groundwork for a National Employment Strategy has been undertaken, it needs to be final-
ised.
NSDP lies within MoLSAMD and is considered a primary instrument for the VET and TVET
sub-sectors. It is a product of the National Priority Programme (NPP) for Skills Development
and Market Linkage (SD&ML) announced in 2004 by President Karzai after an extensive
consultative process. Located within the MoLSAMD compound, NSDP functions with rela-
tive autonomy. The NSDP Project Implementation Unit (PIU) reports to a Steering Commit-
tee that comprises 11 ministries (although the Steering Committee is chaired by the MoL-
SAMD Minister).
138
133
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/MONOGRAPH/78309/83636/F774573068/AFG78309.pdf
134
MoLSAMD web-page
135
http://www.molsamd.gov.af/index.php?pageId=1
136
National Skills Development Program Strategy for the ANDS. (May 2007)
137
Information from MoLSAMD 2010 03 22
138
Peter Jensen, DFID: Sector Wide Approach Assessment of the Suitability and Readiness of SWAp Develop-
ment Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase II, p 20.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 61
Financial support for the VET and TVET subsectors comes primarily from the World Bank
and ARTF through the Afghanistan Skills Development Project (ASDP). This flows into
components of NSDP, for instance in establishing a regulatory and quality assurance frame-
work (covering all three education sector ministries) and training (under MoLSAMD). It also
supports MoE in establishing the National Institute of Management and Administration
(NIMA) and its TVET department.
Ministry of Higher Education
The MoHE‘s new strategic Plan gives refers to a National Needs Assessment involving both
the public and private sectors with an emphasis on science and technology and special needs.
This is an assessment that will be coordinated with the private sector on labour market needs
as well as with the Ministries of Education and Labour (see Section 8).
9.4 Access
No comprehensive review of VET and TVET provision in Afghanistan has been located.
139
Table 11, draws from a variety of sources, to give an idea of the scale/ range of provision.
Table 11 VET and TVET: Providers and Activities
140,141
Actors Students Activities
NGO 30,000 Basic vocational skills courses. Many hundreds
Private sector 150,000 Computer literacy and English courses, academic courses in management
and accounting. In the range of 500-700.
Some international/dedicated VTCs. Apprenticeships
Public sector
MoLSAMD About 12,000
enrolled in
2007
142
20 Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), a number of specialized training
centres for public sector employees, mainly short term courses. Variable
quality of training.
MoE, Deputy
Ministry
TVET
Capacity of
16,000
143
Class 9/10
entry require-
ment
51 technical high schools and institutes offering three or five-year courses
respectively. Examples: mechanical high schools (auto repair, machines,
electrical fields), agricultural and veterinary high schools, National Institute
of Management and Administration, commerce high school, vocational
school for women, music high school, school for blinds. Concentration in
Kabul. Limited capacity, lack of infrastructure and variable quality of the
training.
MoHE 65,000 Academic institutions including Polytechnics, Medical, Agricultural and
Economics fields, etc
Ministry of Education
The Deputy Minister for Technical and Vocational Education oversees three departments:
Technical and Vocational Programmes, Vocational Teacher Education, and Vocational Cur-
riculum Development.
139
There are ongoing processes in cooperation between MoE/TVET, UNAMA and others, to map the current
situation.
140
MoE/TVET and UNAMA note Overview of Skills Development Sector with Assessment of Funding Require-
ments.
141
Donors involved in TVET include CIDA, USAID, Norway, Denmark and Netherland. Among the multilateral
agencies, WFP, UNICEF, UNESCO and ILO are involved in TVET. International Financial Institutions includ-
ing the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are providing grants and loans for programmes which
directly or indirectly relate to TVET.
142
Qualified guess – from 2007
143
But see footnote 144.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 62
Of the 51 TVET schools, 15 are found in Kabul City (one of which is not formally ap-
proved).
144
There are seven such schools in Balkh and Herat. Twelve Provinces are without
TVET schools.
145
Table 12 shows MoE TVET students by grade and gender.
Table 12 MoE TVET Students: Grade and Gender 1387 (2008)
146
The figure shows a large gender gap although the male drop-out rate is higher than for female
students. The number of males in Grade 14 represents about 23% of males in Grade 10; the
figure for female students is 45%. Some caution is needed in drawing hard and fast conclu-
sions as these are data for just one academic year.
All 107 female students in Grade 14 in 1387(2008) were studying in Kabul City but there is a
gradual increase in female participation across the provinces. This increase is dependent on
infrastructure improvement. Twelve TVET schools are without surrounding walls and 14
have walls that require rehabilitation.
147
In addition, toilet facilities are of a low standard; of
45 TVET schools for which data are available at least 14 do not have operational toilets
148
.
Subjects on offer also influence female participation.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and the Disabled
The main beneficiaries of MoLSAMD VET programmes are unskilled workers. And priority
is given in MoLSAMD‘s work to orphans, the families of Martyrs and the disabled.
Recent developments include the establishment of 22 Vocational Training Centres (ASDP)
and further expansion is planned. Currently there are over 5000 trainees studying in these cen-
tres. NGOs are financing MoLSAMD Technical Colleges, and one is a Korean initiative. The
centres are designed to provide courses that respond to market needs. Typical courses include
computer technology, auto-mechanics, plumbing and electronics.
In 1388 (2009) MoLSAMD proposed 28 projects to MoF for financing but only five received
support. A sum of US$5 million was allocated for the projects of which US$ 2-3 million was
received.
144
EMIS, July 2009, page 93 (subsequently updated by the Planning Directorate MoE)
145
EMIS, July 2009, page 71 Source for raw data: EMIS, July 2009, page 116.
Data from the Deputy Ministry TVET provided at the end of the ESA mission gives higher figures than the
EMIS data and from Planning Department: 64 TVET Institutions with a student population of 31,429 of whom
5,761 are females. This is a another instance of incompatible data.
146
Source for raw data: EMIS, July 2009, page 116
147
EMIS, July 2009, page 108
148
EMIS, July 2009, page 113
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 63
In addition to its own activities, MoLSAMD emphasises the importance of the participation of
the private sector. Recent research points to increasingly good practice by NGO and the pri-
vate sector are providers, as Textbox 13 illustrates.
149
Textbox 13 Example of NGO Skills Related Programme
NSP (especially its Human Capital Development (HCD) sub-projects which
focus on women), and international and national NGOs (AKDN,
DACAAR, Afghan Aid, Hand in Hand, etc) have supported the develop-
ment of a range of skills and small enterprises in villages. In total some
8,000 groups of different types (e.g. Common Interest Groups, Enterprises,
Farmer Association, Self Help Group) have been formed.
150
MoLSAMD clearly faces problems associated with limited financial and qualified human
resources and a paucity of technical equipment. Its organisational structure has been charac-
terised as being out of date and its management capacity weak.
The Ministry of Higher Education
The MoHE Strategic Plan
151
includes the establishment of 5 Community Colleges intended to
fill a gap in Higher Education training. This development is described in Section 8. MoHE
also has an important role in providing teachers for Secondary Education TVET institutions.
Other Ministries
Most other line ministries have responsibility for the training of their own staff and some min-
istries have projects and programmes with significant elements of skills and vocational train-
ing. One such programme is the Rural Enterprise Development Programme under the Minis-
try of Rural Reconstruction & Development, where men and women who engage in income
generating activities can collectively access technical expertise.
152
9.5 Quality
TVET is designed to provide practical training with appropriate materials, tools and instru-
ments in a realistic setting, reflecting societal and labour market demands. Due to lack of eco-
nomic resources, low political priority, low level status and the lack of training for trainers
and teachers, the tendency in Afghanistan has been for formal VET and TVET course to be
theoretical, based on teacher led, rote learning in traditional classrooms. Where the trainers
and teachers do not have practical experience this situation is exacerbated.
With the rapid global development of technology, the VET and TVET sub-sectors find that it
is impossible to keep pace with updated technology in school workshops. Therefore, closer
relations to industry have often been considered as an important option, with the alternative
that industry takes over the training of its staff from basic levels. This is happening in the
automotive industry. But in many other trades, the level of technology in practical work has
changed dramatically. New work processes, new improved materials and tools, automatic and
computer based systems are developing at a rapid rate. As a result, some people are becoming
?functionally illiterate? in their own field of work. This can be observed in many Government
offices, where computers are taking over, and many untrained officers are left without mean-
ingful roles.
149
NSDP Baseline Data for the Quality of TVET Provision in Afghanistan, May 2009
150
World Bank, AF Rural Enterprise Development Program, Project Information Document (PID), Appraisal
Stage, Report No.: AB4800
151
MoHE, HESP, 2010-2014, p.7
152
Program Document, for Rural Enterprise Development Program, WB webpage.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 64
There tends to be a difference in terms of the relevance of the subjects taught and the tools
and equipment that are used, between Government and private/NGO providers. The latter
cannot survive unless they answer to the demands of the market. The Government TVET and
VET sub-sector are more supply driven.
The qualifications of 1,113 MoE TEVT Teacher and Administrative staff are set out in Table
13. This shows an overwhelming majority of teachers in the Grade 12 to Undergraduate cate-
gory.
Table 13 Qualifications of TVET Teachers and Administrative Staff
9.6 Monitoring and Evaluation
Apart from the data produced by EMIS on MoE/TVET, statistics on the number of institu-
tions, trainers and trainees are sparse and unreliable. In general data and documentation on
TVET is very limited
153
. Even within the same ministry, written and oral sources describing
the same phenomena vary greatly. There are also examples of research based surveys and
studies which are producing results that prove to be very far from accurate. Over the years
consultants coming and going, and referring to each other‘s data and statistics (without refer-
ence to baseline and original sources) has created much confusion.
The willingness and ability to undertake thorough monitoring and reporting varies between
Ministries, but also between departments and sections within the same ministry. Often results
are not shared or discussed across vertical structures and lines, but only reported upwards in
the system. The ESA team has not learned of any thorough, independent evaluation covering
the VET or TVET sub-sectors.
9.7 Stakeholder Cooperation
Cooperation between stakeholders involved in VET or TVET could be improved. This is ac-
knowledged by representatives from ministries and other institutions involved. Cooperation
should be needs-based and not prescribed externally. The NSDP strategy paper has a rela-
tively harsh descriptions of VET and TVET: ...the current situation in the vocational educa-
tion and training sector is one of chaos, with a myriad of unregulated, unqualified and inex-
perienced organizations, providing what is often an arbitrary range of vocational education
and training activities which ignore the needs of labour market, waste resources and lead to
disillusionment of the trainees. And there is a“…fractured provision having no solid founda-
153
Peter Jensen, DFID: SECTOR-WIDE APPROACH, Assessment of the Suitability and Readiness of SWAp
Development Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase II, p 18.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 65
tion or framework, nor links and bridges.
154
There have been some improvements since
NSDP was established but there is a long way to go.
The establishment of an HRDB TVET working group chaired by UNAMA is a necessary and
welcome step although its activity level could be improved. Established in 2009, the Group
includes representatives from MoE, MoHE, MoLSAMD, the Chamber of Commerce and
Industries, the Committee on Education and Skills Policy (CESP), UN agencies, donors and
NGOs. An overview document has been developed that focuses on funding needs rather than
discussing how to address the fragmentation of the sub-sector.
155
The ESA formed the impression that there was more cooperation between stakeholders at
Province and District levels than in Kabul.
The ongoing Afghanistan Skills Development Project (ASDP 2007-13) represents a source of
funding and a frame of cooperation which can be characterised as a ?programme in a pro-
gramme in the sub-sector.? But this does not seem to include building competence and capac-
ity within MoLSAMD. In MoLSAMD, the project is an add-on to the NSDP-programme
which implements its activities in parallel with MoLSAMD. The component of ASDP which
is channelled through NSDP to MoE/TVET does, however, have capacity building elements.
154
NSDP page 10
155
Jensen, Op.cit
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 66
9.8 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High motivation
? Private sector potentially has
capacity and own interest to
provide
? International donor communi-
ties in favour of assisting in
VET and TVET
? Some VET and TVET activi-
ties have potential of being fi-
nancial sustainable
? General lack of competence in Government institutions
? Current concentration in urban areas
? Many VET projects running parallel to government structures, with-
out coordination
? Collaboration with Government actors is formally established at the
highest Ministerial levels, but is not well reflected downwards in the
Ministries
? MoLSAMD has not had PRA process
TVET
? Poor quality of existing training - training tending to be theoretical,
training facilities dilapidated, programs are time-based not compe-
tency based, lack of skills standards, lack of quality control mecha-
nism like accreditation, absence of a national technical teacher train-
ing facilities)
? Training not related to need of the labour market, supply driven sys-
tem, curriculum outdated and theoretical, little industry input in the
formation of curriculum
? EMIS reports 5 TVET/MoE schools having no buildings and in 8
schools there is no information about buildings
156
VET
? Weak institutional arrangements for planning, managing, regulating
and financing training opportunities
157
Opportunities Threats
? Private sector potentially has a
capacity and own interest to
provide
? International donor communi-
ties more in favour of assisting
in VET and TVET
? General threats due to current insecurity and war.
? Bureaucratic, nepotistic, old fashioned, and inefficient structures
? Questions related to trainability of entrants to TVET
? TVET Sub-sector is considered expensive in terms of investments and
running costs
? The Sub-sector suffers from perception that main stakeholders con-
sider other education Sub-sectors to be more directly relevant, for in-
stance to MDG and EFA targets
? Low status in society as more and more emphasis is on academic
fields
10 Literacy
10.1 Understanding the Issue
Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. According to UNESCO, Af-
ghanistan has a literacy rate of 26% for persons above the age of 15, with male literacy being
39% and female estimated at 12%.
158
In absolute terms, this means that there are 11 million
persons over the age of 15 - more than half of the young adult and adult population - who are
illiterate.
159
In rural areas, where three-fourths of all Afghans live, 90 percent of the women
and more than 60 percent of the men cannot read or write.
160
156
EMIS July 2009, page 100
157
From MoE/TVET and UNAMA‘s Overview of Skills Development Sector with Assessment of Funding Re-
quirements.
158
UNESCO utilizes the NRVA 07/08 figures
159
This figure has been cited by multiple sources, including MoE/ Deputy Ministry for Literacy and on the
USAID website (updated 10 April, 2010):http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Program.23a.aspx ; population figures
based on Sept. 2009 population data from the Afghanistan Central Statistics Office of 22.5 million inhabitants
160
USAID website (updated 10 April, 2010):http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/Program.23a.aspx.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 67
10.2 An Historical Perspective
As noted in Section A, current levels of literacy contrast unfavourably with civilizations
which have utilized written languages for thousands of years. Even in recent history, the
Royal government was a strong advocate of expanding the educational system and the promo-
tion of literacy. King Amanullah Khan (reigning from 1919 – 1929) mandated education as a
constitutional requirement in Afghanistan‘s first Constitution.
161
In the 1950s, literacy courses were initiated under King Zahir Shah. During the 1970s, a more
comprehensive, government-sponsored literacy programme was launched.
162
Then, in the
1980s a national literacy campaign was initiated by the PDPA,
163
though this was met with
fierce resistance due to the other ideological elements of the campaign that accompanied these
efforts. Although progress was uneven, literacy training continued after the fall of the Com-
munist government; as literacy resources and materials developed and improved, a conscious-
ness about learning to read and write began to take root, although still predominantly as an
urban phenomenon. But then, under the Taliban regime, many of the literacy gains were lost,
suggesting that, for many people, their hold on literacy was fragile.
After the collapse of the Taliban, a new Western infusion of literacy programmes sprang up
across the country, implemented by a wide variety of IOs and NGOs.
10.3 Ministry of Education: Literacy Goals and Challenges
Bringing literacy to Afghanistan is a key objective of the MoE. It is one of NESP II‘s five
programme areas with a Deputy Ministry devoted entirely to the achievement of national lit-
eracy goals. A total of 4,576 people are employed across Afghanistan under the MoE/ Deputy
Ministry for Literacy,
164
with a presence in every province.
Literacy is defined by MoE as writing, reading and counting in order to enable the society to
take part in the national/ public participation.
165
According to MoE, Afghanistan has 11 mil-
lion people without basic literacy skills. The Ministry has pledged its commitment to achieve
the Afghanistan Education for All goal of increasing the national literacy rate from 26%
166
to
48% by 2014. The achievement of this goal would require making 3.6 million persons literate
in the next 4 years, a hugely ambitious task.
NESP I had already set a number of ambitious targets for literacy to be achieved by the year
1389 (2010):
? Literacy rates would be improved to 48% [now reset to 1393 (2014)];
? 60% of the learners would be female;
? Minority groups such as Kuchis and persons with disabilities would be specifically targeted;
? A national partnership programme of literacy and non-formal education would be built which would in-
clude government, mosques, private and non-government actors;
161
Article 68 of the first Afghan Constitution mandated compulsory elementary education, under King Amunul-
lah Khan, according to many sources including Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan
162
From the website of Women‘s Literacy in Afghanistan, citing their source as ?documents received from the
Ministry of Education‘;http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Women's_Literacy_in_Afghanistan
163
Government of the Communist People‘s Party of Afghanistan.
164
1387 (2008) figures provided by the DM Literacy in April 2010.
165
Definition provided to the ESA team on 21 April by the Head of Curriculum Development for Literacy.
166
MoE estimated average, as cited in A Journey of Education: Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Chal-
lenges and Priorities, informational handbook produced by the Ministry of Education, May 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 68
? 17,000 teachers and 3,500 mullahs would be trained in the delivery of literacy courses;
? 398 Community Learning Centres in rural and urban districts would be established to deliver literacy,
vocational training and social services.
There has been uneven progress towards achieving these goals; only the second has been fully
realised. The MoE cites several critical challenges affecting their ability to work towards and
achieve these goals, the most significant of which is resource limitations.
In 2004, the MoE engaged UNESCO to formulate a standard literacy curriculum. The curricu-
lum was developed after comprehensive consultation. A nine month life-skills based course
was developed involving six months of literacy training (two hours daily) and three months of
post-literacy skills reinforcement. The curriculum is designed to provide the progressive ac-
quisition of practical skills in reading and numeracy within the framework of culture, family
life, livelihoods and Islamic values. The MoE adopted the course as the national literacy cur-
riculum and, since 2004, it has been in use. Many beneficiaries have praised its effectiveness
in providing valuable tools for improved life skills and enhanced understanding of the citi-
zen‘s place in terms of family, professional and community responsibilities.
10.4 Access, Quality and Management
The MoE implements literacy courses throughout Afghanistan, supported by literacy offices
in every province and in many districts. In 1388 (2009), 7,610 literacy courses were provided
for 228,300 students utilising 3,805 MoE literacy tutors.
167
A critical programme management weakness is the lack of established uniform standards
(other than the adoption of the literacy curriculum itself) or minimum requirements pertaining
to the provision of literacy courses. MoE has not taken a lead in this regard nor has it estab-
lished any internal or external overseeing body to set such standards, provide guidelines on
course offerings or to conduct monitoring on the achievement of course objectives.
168
The
UNESCO-developed literacy curriculum is not recognized as an agreed standard. As a result,
there are over 100 international organizations and NGOs implementing literacy training pro-
grammes which utilize a wide variety of curricula, training methodologies, and resources for
courses that range in duration from six weeks to 18 months.
The second largest implementer of literacy courses in Afghanistan, after UNESCO, is UN
HABITAT which runs an 18 month literacy course designed to provide literacy and business
development skills. The World Food Programme implements a literacy programme which has
received mixed reviews because of its use of food incentives for would-be learners to register.
It has been reported that many sign up for the course, but that completion rates are low.
169
The fact that there is such disparate implementation is certainly understandable in Afghani-
stan‘s environment, but stronger MoE management and involvement in the definition and
observance of standards is needed urgently.
167
It needs to be noted that some challenges have been raised about this figure. UNESCO, which is a partner for
the implementation of literacy courses and tracking the number of courses and beneficiaries provided nationally
towards EFA achievement, indicates that ministry initiatives trained only 70,000 persons in 1388 and that the
combined efforts of all literacy courses (MoE, IO & NGOs) = 270,000 beneficiaries.
168
The MoE/ Literacy Deputy Ministry has this authority, but it has experienced challenges in management
capacity to act in this regard. Moreover, many of the literacy implementers have not looked to the Literacy DM
for this guidance, with many not having registered their literacy activities with the MoE
169
UN HABITAT was not interviewed for this assessment due to time constraints. It is recognized that they
would likely have a different perspective on this issue.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 69
For those who acquire initial literacy, there is no structure to ensure that materials are made
available to cement their gains in the post-literacy period. Monitoring and evaluation is identi-
fied as a weak point in both MoE and IO/NGO-implemented literacy courses. Lack of re-
sources to travel to classes is the usual justification given. With little or no monitoring of
courses, there are many reports of classes that do not exist and inflation of class size. In one
case, a PED Department Director reports that he tried to verify the 600 reported literacy
classes which were reported as occurring in his province, but he could only substantiate that
18 of them were active. Literacy departments in the provinces have indicated that they do not
receive adequate support from their MoE counterparts which, in turn, affects their ability to
perform their duties effectively.
One of most critical weakness of literacy program management is perhaps the most funda-
mental: there is no definition pertaining to the specific objectives constituting the acquisition
of literacy. As a result, it is difficult to determine the specific level of literacy skills which are
being acquired by the tens of thousands of persons who are ?graduating‘ each year.
Lack of capacity in the Deputy Ministry for Literacy, weak monitoring and evaluation and
lack of coordination among literacy players are significant challenges towards the accom-
plishment of literacy goals. To strengthen the management of the Ministry and provide sup-
port for attaining its goals, the Literacy Initiative for Empowerment (LIFE), the global literacy
framework led by UNESCO, was adopted in 2008 as the national literacy framework. LIFE
aims to provide support to enable all stakeholders to promote literacy education in a more
effective and collaborative manner. Since the adoption of the framework, the LIFE Coordina-
tion Working Group has met every month at meetings co-chaired by UNESCO and the Dep-
uty Ministry for Literacy, and attended by stakeholders such as UN agencies, NGOs, and
other ministries working in the field of literacy. LIFE has helped the development of: a Needs
Assessment Report for Literacy; the National Literacy Action Plan to achieve NESP II goals;
and, the LIFE Action Plan for 2010. The LIFE Action Plan focuses on achieving five goals: 1)
coordination between the literacy stakeholders, 2) advocacy 3) campaign 4) capacity devel-
opment and quality improvement, 5) resource mobilization.
To rectify the issues surrounding the discrepancies of beneficiary numbers reported and veri-
fication of data, UNESCO and the Deputy Ministry for Literacy are currently developing a
Literacy/Non-Formal Education management information system, NFE-MIS. This will facili-
tate the collection of all relevant information pertaining to literacy interventions and activities
throughout the country. UNESCO expects that this system, if properly utilized and effectively
monitored and maintained, will improve the Ministry‘s capacity in strategic planning and
management. JICA has also launched a literacy programme in two provinces, aimed at en-
hancing the monitoring and supervision of literacy programming.
10.5 Relevance
A key complaint from literacy graduates is that their skills are not recognized as being valid
or transferable to other educational or vocational initiatives. Adult literacy learners cannot
enrol in regular MoE schools following the completion of their courses because of age stipu-
lations. Eighty-six ?supplementary schools‘ for adult learners (largely literacy programme
graduates) exist in Afghanistan, but the majority of these schools are in Kabul. These schools
are the only educational avenues for literacy graduates to pursue further studies and obtain
their high school degrees. The demand for these schools across the nation far exceeds the
supply. The supplementary school visited by the ESA team in Herat was so over-crowded that
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 70
26 women were attending classes in a small bathroom (on the floor and sitting on the win-
dowsills). Yet, the students interviewed were excited about their opportunities to pursue their
education and several walked one to two hours daily to attend the school.
Literacy graduates are also unable to enrol in TVET or vocational classes, so there is an acute
need for bridging programmes to allow literacy ?graduates‘ an opportunity for their skills to
be evaluated as potential candidates for further vocational studies.
The national security organizations are running their own literacy programmes with MoE re-
sources. According to the British Military
170
, these courses are invaluable since the ANA has
depleted its pool of literate candidates which can be recruited for officer level.
10.6 Measuring Progress towards NESP Goals
Meeting the modified NESP II goal requires that basic literacy be acquired by at least 3.6 mil-
lion persons in the next five years; 720,000 persons must gain literacy in 1389 (2010) and in
every year thereafter. According to MoE statistics, 302,817 students were enrolled in literacy
classes in 1387 (2008)
171
, less than half the number needed to reach the EFA goal. However,
only one-sixth of these students - 46,133 - had graduated by the end of 1387 (2008). It may
be that a larger proportion of those enrolled students actually graduated in 1388 (2009), but
there are no data to support this contention.
In assessing these figures, a number of questions arise regarding the reliability of MoE‘s fig-
ures. UNESCO, a partner in the implementation of literacy courses, has indicated that MoE‘s
reported numbers of literacy beneficiaries is three times the number verified by their own
tracking data. Hopefully, these data discrepancies will soon be resolved by the implementa-
tion of the NFE-MIS data collection system.
Regarding the NESP I goal, (60% of the learners should be female), progress has been made
and targets surpassed. In 1387 (2008), according to the MoE, 79% of all literacy learners were
female with 240,292 female literacy learners, compared to 62,525 men.
172
This can be attrib-
uted in part to the targeting of female learners, although it is recognised internationally that
persuading men to join literacy classes is difficult.
Progress in relation to the third NESP goal, (minority groups such as Kuchis and persons with
disabilities would be specifically targeted) has been slow. There are some literacy courses
targeted at Kuchis and persons with disabilities, mainly implemented by the IOs and NGOs.
The MoE is currently in the process of developing a policy to provide literacy training spe-
cifically for Kuchis.
With regard to the NESP I goal of establishing 398 Community Learning Centres throughout
Afghanistan, only 12 have been established to date. These have been established with support
and funding through JICA and the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan
(NFUAJ).
170
Relayed to the team by former UK Embassy Liaison to the British Military.
171
This statistic includes all literacy students in Afghanistan: all students attending MoE Literacy classes, in
addition to all those attending classes implemented by any of the other organizations that are registered with the
MoE.
172
The percentages of female learners in 1388 (2009) fell slightly compared to those for 1387 (2008), with 58%
of literacy learners being female. This is still quite close to the 60% target.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 71
As with most other developmental programming in Afghanistan, the number of literacy
courses offered in urban areas is far higher than those offered in the villages and more remote
locations. Many rural, remote, under-served, and more insecure areas – with the lowest rates
of literacy - have little or access to literacy programmes. This issue of equity and access is
recognized by both the MoE and the donor community. However, finding modalities and re-
sources to solve this issue remains a challenge. Little work has been done, outside of IO and
NGO-led efforts, to provide literacy to persons with disabilities.
10.7 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High motivation of learners, particularly
women
? Sustained support from some donors and in-
ternational organisations
? Many IOs & NGOs capable of providing liter-
acy programmes and able to penetrate areas
where GoA/ MoE has limited access
? Large numbers of women beneficiaries
? Promotes Afghanistan‘s goals of increasing
gender equity as literate women can take a
more active role in civil, political, professional
and community affairs
? Literate persons promote education for their
sons/ daughters
? Increased long-term potential for labour mar-
ket development
? Literacy combined with skills-development,
such as in the NSDP program, seems to be
yielding a significantly greater impact than
providing literacy only
? Integration of literacy and skills development
is also being promoted by UNESCO and UN-
Habitat through their programming
? Weak MoE capacity (to execute and manage, super-
vise, monitor and coordinate programmes). Lack of a
data base.
? Imbalance of access: under-served remote communi-
ties not benefiting
? Inadequately resourced at all levels
173
? MoE-approved literacy curricula not enforced
? No clear means of assessing literacy skills
? Shortage of literacy tutors; teacher training weak and
not standardized
? Better advocacy campaigning required
? Weak linkages to further opportunities through ac-
creditation and bridging programmes
? Multiple curricula and modalities. Lack of post liter-
acy support.
? Literacy teachers drain small pool of qualified teach-
ers.
? Lack of facilities for Literacy Departments on the
provincial & district levels
174
? No budget for construction of Community Learning
Centres
? Insufficient emphasis on the quality of the learning
Opportunities Threats
? High motivation of learners
? Work of UNESCO supported LIFE pro-
gramme
? Lessons to be learned from other countries
? Use of consultants or TAs to raise manage-
ment capacity.
? The comprehensive curriculum review (start-
ing in June 2010).
? Literacy Information Management System, to
assist in management, tracking and M &E.
? UNESCO, JICE & MoE exploring ways in
which literacy learning can be accredited or
applied towards further educational or voca-
tional opportunities.
? Insecurity and war.
? Questions related to quality of learning/ literacy skills
gained by literacy learners
? Literacy courses expensive in terms of investments
and running costs ($100/ learner & $600 if combined
with technical/ vocational skills through the NSDP
programme)
? Little perceivable benefits in terms of immediate
future opportunities—either work or educational
? If more effective follow-on/ maintenance program-
ming is not provided, those who acquired literacy will
lose their skills
173
MoE Deputy Ministry of Literacy Annual Report for 1388; Cited in ?Challenges‘section, page 4 (Dari ver-
sion)
174
MoE Deputy Ministry of Literacy Annual Report for 1388; Cited in ?Challenges‘section, page 4 (Dari ver-
sion)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 72
11 Community Based Education (CBE)
11.1 History and Context
Maktabe Dehate, or home-based schooling, was developed during the time of King Zahir
Shah. Developed initially as mosque-based programmes, these local initiatives offered educa-
tional opportunities for communities without government schools. The focus was on Islamic
education. From the beginning, these activities sought to involve both genders. Gradually,
they expanded to include more academic subjects, in many cases through the assistance of
NGOs and IOs, and they moved from being mosque-based to home-based initiatives. Many
were successful in providing education throughout the repressive years of the Taliban regime
because they were operating ?under the radar screen.‘
Former Minister of Education Yoonus Qanoni decided to capitalize on the success of home-
based schooling when launching MoE‘s first Community-Based Education (CBE) pro-
gramme. This programme was further invigorated under Minister Atmar, as it proved to be
successful in providing education to remote and underserved areas of Afghanistan. Accord-
ingly, NESP I stipulated the establishment of Community Based Schools (CBSs), or ?Out-
reach Classes,‘ as one of its principal goals. MoE would work through implementing partners
(UN and INGOs) in order to provide educational services in those areas not being serviced by
government schools. It was planned that by 1389 (2010), 4,800 CBSs would be established
throughout Afghanistan, a number nearly equal to the 4,900 traditional schools NESP envi-
sioned as a target for the same year.
CBE schools were established primarily to cover Grades 1- 3, anticipating that children would
be ?mainstreamed‘ into the nearest MoE school from Grade 4. In practice some CBSs are now
offer schooling beyond Grade 3 when the nearest MoE school is too distant or there are secu-
rity issues in the area.
It was initially envisioned that the CBE programme would run for four years, but it was ex-
tended to a fifth year, with a slated completion date of December 1390 (2011). At this point, it
is planned that MoE will have absorbed the management of all CBE schools.
CBE schools are generally accepted, supported and well-integrated in their local communities,
making a contribution to stabilisation and better security. And, as shown below are an impor-
tant means – in a ?low key? way - to attract more girls into school.
10.1 Access
CBSs are proving to be one of the more effective and innovative educational initiatives of
MoE. They have increased children‘s access to educational opportunities within local com-
munities, resulting in increased school enrolment, particularly for girls. MoE statistics record
242,562 students benefiting from CBE; this represents 5% of all children enrolled in school in
Afghanistan, most of whom previously had no educational opportunities. This reflects greater
parental willingness to let their children attend school when the school is in a safe location
and close to home.
The ratio of girls benefiting from CBE, compared to boys, is 1.25: 1. This is significant be-
cause the programme does not target girls. And yet it is the one educational initiative that pro-
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 73
vides education to as many girls as it does boys.
175
This shows that significant interest and
commitment to girls‘ education does exist in Afghanistan. It demonstrates too that the issues
and challenges which contribute to girls‘ low enrolment rates in MoE schools can be over-
come.
According to the MoE‘s Department of Basic Education there are 7,269 Community-Based
Schools (2009) as Table 14 shows.
176
Table 14 Community Based Schools 1388 (2009)
Community Based Schools 7,269
Teachers 7,247 4,954 male
2,293 female
Students 242,562 107,979 boys
134,583 girls
Source: EMIS 1388 (2009).
10.2 Management
NESP stipulates that while the CBSs or outreach classes should be supported by NGOs, they
are a MoE programme. As such, CBSs are required to use MoE textbooks and curricula,
which, in turn, MoE is pledged to provide. According to NESP I, the CBSs should be con-
nected around a ?hub (MoE) school.‘
177
The ?hub school‘ is supposed to take a lead role in
monitoring and supervising the educational activities of the CBSs and is tasked with reporting
CBS data to MoE, including enrolment, class size, number of teachers, etc. According to
NESP, all outreach classes (CBSs) will also be eligible for all Ministry-supported school sup-
ply distributions and will be included in all school assessment programs. And CBE teachers
are eligible for MoE in-service education programmes and they can seek accreditation and
employment by MoE subject to assessment of their qualifications.
MoE has entered into agreement with the following partners for the implementation of Com-
munity-Based Education: PACE-A, BRAC, Save the Children/Sweden-Norway, Swedish
Committee of Afghanistan, UNICEF and Save the Children/UK.
ESA meetings with a variety of stakeholders indicate that CBSs are providing a valuable and
needed service in previously-underserved and under-resourced areas of Afghanistan. Never-
theless, some irregularities are apparent, largely relating to the management and quality of
CBE. Many CBSs report that MoE resources, texts and support have not been received. They
are often made to feel that their needs are subordinate to their traditional MoE counterparts.
Management oversight and monitoring through the ?hub schools‘ seems to be occurring ir-
regularly, if at all. The Chief of Party of one CBE implementing agency indicated that over
several years of CBE programme management, he was not aware of any MoE oversight, man-
agement or data collection at the field level on the CBE schools in his area.
Discrepancies in field level reporting are highlighted by MoE data which reports 242,562 stu-
dents as participating in the CBE initiatives, set against data from implementing partners that
puts the number at over 400,000. While EMIS reporting is supposed to reflect statistics of all
175
There are more female literacy beneficiaries than men, but that is related to the fact that many of the programs
and implementers are specifically focusing on women.
176
Provided by the Director of Basic Education in May 2010.
177
National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,
page 52.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 74
CBE schools, the apparent weaknesses of monitoring and reporting and the large discrepan-
cies in basic data raises issues that deserve further attention.
There are concerns, too, regarding disparities in the quality of CBE teaching and learning.
This reflects a lack of over-arching management, implementation of standards as well as the
availability of inputs. The pool of qualified persons in rural Afghanistan who can serve as
teachers poses a largely fixed constraint. Given these constraints, CBSs are allowed to ?bend
the rules‘ regarding teacher qualifications and to hire the most appropriately educated persons
available to do the job. In many CBE schools, high school students are attending their classes
in the afternoon shift and serving as teachers for CBE morning shifts. There are also reports of
students far younger than high school-age serving as teachers. One implementing partner re-
ported that he found sixth graders serving as teachers in one of his rural Bamyan CBE
schools. He remarked that while the lack of qualified teachers is regrettable, there are no more
qualified persons available to serve. At the same time, such findings demonstrate a very evi-
dent dedication to learning among volunteer teachers in rural areas.
178
Other disparities in quality appear to reflect the different management styles of different im-
plementing partners. Although the MoE has established a CBE policy, the reality is that CBE
is not utilizing a consistent framework. There are variations in the quality/ quantity of training
provided by the Implementing Partners (IPs) to CBE teachers and in relation to the standards
demanded and the resources that are provided.
It is also reported that the transition of CBE students into the MoE schools at Grade 4 has not
always been seamless, as not all MoE schools have been ?accepting? of the CBE students
even thought they have been accepted in school. It is not clear whether this is the result of a
negative perception on the part of the local MoE officials who do not view CBEs as legitimate
educational entities and/or there is perceived to be sub-standard performance on the part of
the CBE students. CBE implementers provide assurances that it is not the latter. They provide
evidence (mostly anecdotal and qualitative) of the high academic performance of CBE stu-
dents. The Director of Basic Education who oversees CBE within the MoE also sees CBE as
being effective in providing education to students who would otherwise be deprived. No ap-
parent differences have been detected between the performance of the mainstreamed CBE
students who join the MoE in Grade 4 (and sometimes later) and the students who were pro-
vided with regular MoE education for the first few years.
Although there may be disparities in the quality of the teaching in CBSs, this may be offset by
increased availability of educational resources, compared to MoE schools. While, as men-
tioned, there may be challenges in CBE schools accessing MoE resources, these schools are
typically well-resourced by their implementing organizations. CBE students‘ access to sound
and up-to-date educational resources may be one reason that, despite potential disparities in
the quality of education, the performance of these children is reported to remain on-par with
their peers.
178
CBE teachers are all supposed to be part of the MoE system and are therefore supposed to be paid. However,
there are several issues surrounding payment. One is that the various implementing partners all offer different
pay scales. Many of the teachers get paid very little (with some receiving approximately. US$50/ month), and
many more say that they have not been paid in months. It is not clear what kind of salary (if any) is received by
schoolchildren who also serve as teachers. Hence, it seems fair to say that many of these are de-facto volunteers.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 75
10.3 Equity
CBE schools can be found in 32 of Afghanistan‘s 34 provinces and in 292 of the 408 districts,
but the distribution of the CBE network is far from proportionate. The majority of the CBSs
are concentrated in Central Province, then going East into Nangarhar and extending into the
northern areas of the country. There are generally few CBSs in the security-challenged areas
of Afghanistan where educational services are so critically needed. There are none in Zabul or
Helmand, for example, and relatively few (compared to the population and needs) in Kan-
darhar. There have been discussions (for two years or more) among the implementing organi-
zations of the need to map demand to determine where the most acute educational needs exist.
This exercise, while critical, has not yet been initiated.
10.4 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High motivation on the part of communities
? Modality proven successful in underserved rural
areas
? NGOs have capacity
? Donor support is available
? Many CBE schools are better resourced than
some government schools
? CBEs are secure because of low profile, location
and community ownership
? A successful model for providing education for
girls
? Parents more willing to let children attend CBE
schools because of proximity and safety
? Flexibility of the system: able to utilize what-
ever community resources are available
? Able to respond to teacher shortages by utilizing
lesser-credentialed teachers, in places where
there are none available
? Lack of capacity of MoE to manage or monitor the
CBE schools
? No uniform geographic coverage; concentrated
largely around Kabul and in the East and North
? Weak coordination between MoE and implementing
partners and between the IPs themselves, particu-
larly at field level.
? Absence of monitoring and quality control
? Standard setting and enforcement variable; depends
on the implementing partner
? Great variances of teacher salaries and qualifica-
tions.
? Questions raised about teacher credentials and
minimum teacher qualifications in CBEs‘ use of
lesser-credentialed persons, where others are not
available
? Weak and contradictory data, particularly concern-
ing beneficiary numbers.
Opportunities Threats
? High motivation
? Private sector potentially has capacity and inter-
est to provide
? Has potential to offer education in the insecure
areas by operating ?under the radar‘ in ways the
traditional government schools cannot.
? Insecurity and conflict, limiting CBE ability to meet
needs in most underserved area.
? Questions on the quality of CBE schools; the readi-
ness of students to enter mainstream education
? Major educational stakeholders consider CBE ir-
relevant or even inferior
? CBE teachers do not have the status in society or the
?credibility‘ of MoE teachers
11 The Private Sector
Private education refers to educational services not administered by local, state or national
government. Private providers retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole
or in part by charging their student‘s tuition fees.
179
In Afghanistan, private education is pre-
sent from pre-primary to tertiary level institutions.
179
Wikipedia ?Private schools?
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 76
NESP II reports that 159 private schools have been established with 37,180 students; but not
all private schools have been registered by MoE although registration is free of charge. A new
policy allows for registration at the provincial level and not just in Kabul.
180
Only when
schools are registered can they receive textbooks and assistance from MoE.
A subcategory of private schools is religiously affiliated and denominational schools. NESP II
states that ... If these schools align their activities with the formal curriculum, the Ministry
will issue permits for them to operate as private schools.
181
This category probably includes a
considerable number of unregistered private schools.
A further category covers TVET and VET institutions which exist all over the country (but
mainly in urban areas). For example, NESP II mentions that there are seven private VET insti-
tutes in Kabul and Balkh.
182
MoE is encouraging the establishment of 50 such institutions by
1393(2014) (see Textbox 14).
Textbox 14 NESP II and Private TVET Institutions
“In line with the national Constitution and the Education Law and strategies to strengthen the private sector for
the provision of technical and vocational education, the Ministry has made the registration process for private
schools easier, and will provide support for them. Among the plans and programs to increase the number of
private technical and vocational schools will be the establishment of private-public joint ventures; facilitation
of donor support for private schools; and the provision of curriculum, syllabi and educational plans to private
institutions. The Ministry will also develop a policy regarding the provision of scholarships for Grade 9 gradu-
ates to enrol in private TVET institutions.”
11.1 Stakeholders
This sub-sector of education is relatively small in terms of its stakeholders and service pro-
viders although it is expanding quite quickly. Now GoA is looking for more interest from the
private sector in general and from private education and training institutions in particular.
MoE is encouraging the setting up of private Teacher Training institutions.
183
Major stakeholders include NGOs, employers, individual entrepreneurs and donors and on
occasion local communities and CBOs. In 1388(2009) MoE established a Division for Private
and Special Education with 100 officials although at present its precise role is unclear.
11.2 Legislation, Regulations and Policy
Article Forty-Six of the Constitution declares ... The citizens of Afghanistan can establish
higher, general, and vocational educational institutions and literacy courses with the permis-
sion of the state...and ...the state can also permit foreign persons to establish higher, general
and vocational educational institutions in accordance with law.
184
The conditions for admis-
sion to state higher education institutions and other related matters are to be regulated by law.
The 1387 Education Law
185
refers to private education in three chapters (Textbox 15). This
make clear that private education should use the unified national curriculum (with an exemp-
tion for private international educational institutions), and that teaching shall be in Pashtu and
180
NESP II, page 63
181
NESP II, page 35
182
NESP II, page 48
183
NESP II, page 72
184
The Constitution of Afghanistan, Year 1382 (2003)
185
Education Law, Decree #:56, Date: 31/4/1387, Official Gazette: Serial # (955)
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 77
Dari. Private employers are mandated to provide literacy and practical education for illiterate
employees.
Textbox 15 Reference to Private Education in the Education Law
Ch. 8, #30, (2): ?A unified educational curriculum shall apply in all public and private educational and training institutions.
Private international educational institutions, stated in article (11) of this law, are exempted from this provision.?
Ch. 8, #32, (1): ?Teaching in the public educational institutions, stated in this law, national private educational institutions
and educational and training programs and centers for literacy and basic practical education, shall be taught in one of the
state official languages (Pashto and Dari).?
Ch. 10 #37 Compulsory Learning of Literacy and Basic Practical Education.
(1) Teach literacy and basic practical education to the illiterate and less literate for contractor of employees of the public
and private organizations are compulsory.
(2) The ministries and public and private organizations shall provide grounds for literacy and basic practical education
programs with cooperation of the ministry of education in their related departments.
(3) Method to implement literacy and basic practical education programs in their related ministries and private and public
departments, shall be prepared in accordance with separate rule and be approved and organized by the ministry of education.
(4) Ministries and public and private organizations stated in paragraph (2) of this article are obliged to provide the station-
ary, place to teach and employ the literacy and basic practical education teachers.
(5) The ministry of education shall prepare and provide books, learning materials and grounds of learning for literacy and
basic practical education teachers of the ministries and public and private departments, stated in paragraph (2) of this
article .
In 1385(2006) regulations for private educational institutes were developed and approved.
186
ANDS refers to expanding the scope for private education in the context of economic growth.
187
NESP II emphasises MoE‘s assistance to private education provision;
188
highlighting registra-
tion, evaluation, and the provision of technical support. The Higher Education Strategic Plan
(HESP) also underlines the importance of quality private higher education institutions in
meeting the increase in demand which public provision cannot meet alone.
189
It proposes gov-
ernment support for non-profit making tertiary level institutions in acquiring land, duty-free
imports of educational material and equipment, and access to scholarships and research fund-
ing in critical areas.
11.3 Financing
Tuition fees paid by students are the main income for private education institutions. Tuition
levels fluctuate greatly, reflecting patterns of supply and demand. MoE indicates, for instance,
that fees for nursery schools can vary from 300 to 2000 Afs per month.
190
While the Govern-
ment and MoE subsidize these institutions in terms of the provision of books, courses and
seminars, and inspection, very little is known about the economic structure of the private edu-
cation subsector.
191
11.4 Quality
In the private education market place, potential trainees and their families have little basis for
specifying their needs and demands let alone be able to assess quality. Computing and English
are popular subjects for private education institutions to deliver but the extent to which poten-
tial clients can establish what competencies they need is problematic. It appears that some
private institutions are operating to very low standards. On the other hand there are percep-
186
NESP II, op.cit. page 18
187
ANDS, 120
188
NESP II (5 January 2010) page 17 and 22
189
HESP p.21
190
Interview with Directress of Private Schools, 3rd of March 2010.
191
The ESA team was not able to assess this inspection.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 78
tions that some private education institutions are of a better standard than governmental ser-
vices.
Private schools covering the same subjects and grades as government institutions use the same
textbooks and curriculum. In some private schools supplementary books and materials are in
used to improve the quality of learning. In a school visited by the ESA team supplementary
material was considered especially important and a major reason for the schools‘ popularity.
Teachers in private education institutions are normally well qualified and experienced and
their salaries are usually higher than their government counterparts. In private schools of a
high standard MoE inspectors are instructed to check whether teachers are graduates or not
and may advise them to take higher education programmes as necessary.
NSDP has undertaken a comparative study of 498 technical education and training institutions
-NGOs, private and government institutions.
192
One criterion for comparison was Training
and Learning. NGOs scored best (136 marks) followed by private providers (123) and with
the public sector last (111). The main findings are presented in Textbox 16.
Textbox 16 Comparison of VET and TVET Institutions
193
Training and Learning
Indicators
Assessment
Institutional Objectives NGOs clearly defend the project objectives and implementation strategies. Pri-
vate sector set up clear objectives and expansion plans, institutional objectives on
market needs. Public sector teach the same skills regardless of tested demands –
chances for introduction of new and market oriented skills are limited.
Curriculum NGO curricula either copied from other countries or developed by experts with
little attention to the Afghan context.
Private sector adjust curricula based on the need of the market ... tries to include
new subjects
Public sector curriculum is not regularly reviewed and not revised. Is old and not
based on the need of the market. But some exceptions
Syllabus Only the more academic parts of the private sector syllabuses are regularly up-
dated.
Instructional Materials NGOs provide some support to develop up-to-date instructional materials and
teaching methodologies and this has influenced students‘ learning in a positive
way
Most higher academic private centres use adequate instructional materials.
Public: use very outdated instructional materials. However some exceptions as
the Afghan Korea Vocational Training Centre and those developed by JICA
Teaching Methods and
Techniques
International NGOs have often tried to adopt innovative teaching methods, but
this is not the case with majority of local NGOs.
Most higher academic private centres use improved teaching methods and tech-
niques.
Public sector lacks effective methodology (there are exceptions)
Other Related Teach-
ing/Learning Indicators
In general the training institutions have not developed effective systems to moni-
tor and evaluate training and learning processes and to assess their effectiveness
and relevance
The study also included (i) Governance and management, faculty and staff, research and de-
velopment, extension, consultancy and (ii) Linkages, resources and support for students. In
192
Baseline Data for the Quality of TVET Provision in Afghanistan, National Skills Development Program. May
2009, page 16-17
193
Based on and copied from National Skills Development Programme, op cit.page 16-17
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 79
general, and for most of these aspects, NGO institutions had the best scores followed by the
private sector.
11.5 Private Education and Equity
An important consideration is how the growth of private schools will impact on access to, and
quality of, the formal government school system. Private schools of good standard will inevi-
tably charge high tuition fees. The consequences will be that only students from more affluent
segments of the population will be able to access these schools while the poor have no other
option but to send their children to MoE schools or to community based schools. This might
reinforce and develop further socio-economic differences in society, not only due to the tui-
tion, but due to the segregation of highly qualified teachers with higher salaries and more ef-
fective education in the private schools, and teachers with less qualification and sometimes
lower quality infrastructure in the formal government schools. In many developing countries
this is leading to a reduction in social cohesiveness with, for example, senior civil servants
failing to use the government-provided systems within which they work every day for their
own children. Government schools should never be seen as safety net schools for the poor.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 80
C Three Special Issues
This section highlights three dimensions of educational provision in Afghanistan which can
properly be regarded as impacting across the whole sector. The first (Inclusive Education)
explores the needs of groups frequently excluded from schooling as a result of factors beyond
their control, for example, young people with disabilities and the children of nomadic pastor-
alists. The second section (Education, Security and Peace) emphasises the very particular con-
text and circumstances of trying to develop, from a very low base, a modern education system
which can be grown in an environment where stability is often still elusive. Finally, (Advanc-
ing the Gender Agenda) documents the scope and scale of perhaps the most important chal-
lenge for Afghanistan – that of ensuring that girls and women are able to make their full con-
tributions to the development of the society. Planning for, and resourcing, these areas need
creative and sometimes unconventional approaches. If Afghanistan is to achieve its aspira-
tions in respect of UPE/EFA/MDG targets, then the needs of all the children identified here
will have to be met.
12 Inclusive Education
12.1 Defining Inclusive Education
Inclusive Education typically refers to the ability of educations systems to meet the needs of
populations vulnerable to exclusion from and within the education system. It draws on rights-
based frameworks which stipulate that all children – those with disabilities and other groups
vulnerable to exclusion -- should receive education in the same setting and utilizing the same
resources as other children.
In communities which are struggling to develop and/or post-conflict settings, children are
excluded from education for many reasons: because of their gender; being a part of a tribal,
nomadic, ethnic or religious minority; through deep-seated poverty; conflict; isolation; dis-
ability and just the absence of schools.
The ability of a government to be inclusive is dependent on political will, resources and the
capacity to respond to inequity and disadvantage. Identifying vulnerable groups is often prob-
lematic and laced with political overtones. All countries, whatever their economic status, have
groups which are vulnerable to exclusion both from and within their societies, which have
created obstacles to their realising the benefits of education.
12.2 Afghan Context
In Afghanistan, the Afghan Constitution and the Education Law provide the legal framework
for providing education to all sectors of the population. Afghanistan has further embraced the
goal of Education for All which stipulates a comprehensive educational service delivery
which is able to meet the needs of all special categories and groups of children, including the
disabled, the economically vulnerable and other potentially-marginalized groups.
Many educational specialists argue for mainstreaming all children within the framework of a
general education for all. In Afghanistan, however, with at least five million children out of
school, this approach is far from a reality. Given the circumstances of geography, lack of
population data, mobility, and cultural issues, even identifying vulnerable populations and
their educational needs becomes a major task.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 81
12.3 MoE Commitments
The current Minister of Education has embraced Inclusive Education (IE) as a goal to which
Afghanistan is strongly committed. Speaking at the 2008 International Bureau of Education
Conference, he said The Constitution and the Education Law of Afghanistan guarantee all
children the right to education regardless of their gender, their abilities and disabilities, as
well as their backgrounds and circumstances.
194
He pledged Afghanistan‘s commitment to-
wards the establishment of inclusive and child-friendly pilot schools, in addition to a number
of other Inclusive Educational goals
195
.
Earlier, NESP I made a number of strong commitments on Inclusive Education. It recognized
that one of the first essentials was to identify populations which might be vulnerable to exclu-
sion and assess their needs. It stated ... an effective school mapping survey is urgently needed
in order to identify underserved communities.
196
‘
In addition, NESP I committed to:
? Develop policies and guidelines for education of disabled children, in coordination with MMD, MoL-
SAMD, and other government organizations;
? Establish and equip special schools/ resource centres for disabled children and provision of supplies,
special sports materials and equipment for children with disabilities in the formal schools;
? Develop specialized learning materials for children with special learning needs including gifted chil-
dren, nomadic children and children with physical or learning disabilities;
? Attain, by 1389, a net primary school enrolment rate of 45% and 30% for boys and girls with disabili-
ties, respectively;
? Establish and operate, by 1389, 35 provincial resource centres for children with disabilities;
? Meet the needs of Kuchi children, conduct survey and research to identify travelling routes, stay loca-
tion and duration and number of school age children in coordination with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
to develop policy and guidelines for the education of Kuchi children;
? Provide 35% of the Kuchi children with specially-adapted programs of formal education;
? Provide wheelchair ramps for 20% of all schools constructed.
In 1389 (2010), the Ministry accepted the UNESCO-developed Needs & Rights Assessment:
Inclusive Education in Afghanistan as a framework for developing Inclusive Education policy
and planning. The assessment provides a comprehensive framework for meeting the needs of
all segments of Afghanistan‘s school age population, with a focus on the specific needs and
ways of working to best provide education to groups which may be vulnerable to exclusion.
12.4 Moving Commitments into Practical Realities
MoE has a section devoted to Inclusive Education as part of its Directorate for Private Educa-
tion with two persons in the section, although there is provision for four positions in the tash-
kil.
197
But a recent decision is that Inclusive Education will be elevated to the status of a Unit
and placed within the Directorate of Basic Education. The TORs for the Unit have been
drafted by UNESCO and are under review by the MoE.
194
Address of the Minister of Education in Nov. 2008 at the International Conference on Education, 48th ses-
sion, 25-28 November 2008 Inclusive Education: The Way of the Future.
195
Ibid.
196
National Education Strategic Plan, 1385 – 1389, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, p.
62.
197
The remaining two positions have been vacant for some time. There are no current efforts to recruit for the
vacant positions, according to the Head of the Directorate who oversees the Unit who argues that IE needs to be
elevated to a Directorate able to meet the needs of providing inclusive education for all Afghan children.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 82
The existing section‘s focus has been on children with disabilities, in the absence of a stronger
human and financial base. Support is being provided to the School for the Blind in Kabul (one
of only two government schools dedicated to serving the needs of the disabled). Also, 12
schools have been equipped with wheelchair ramps. The IE section has not been involved
with developing policy or programmes for other vulnerable populations because of their man-
date and resource availability. Kuchi education is covered by another section within the MoE.
The IE section is also supporting a UNESCO, UNICEF and MACCA-supported pilot pro-
gramme, dedicated to introducing IE to 29 MoE schools. The schools focus on meeting the
needs of all disadvantaged children living within their catchment areas and providing support
to the teachers to adopt IE and child-friendly principles. Six booklets on Inclusive and Learn-
ing-Friendly Environments (ILFE) serve as teacher training guides to introduce the principles
of IE and their practical application. These guides were developed by UNESCO and are part
of their global Toolkit for Inclusive Education. They have been translated into Dari and
Pashto and are currently being adapted to suit the needs and condition in Afghanistan.
An active Coordination Working Group on IE is dedicated to moving IE goals and objectives
forward and is co-chaired by MoE and UNESCO. In order to develop a greater understanding
of IE, UNESCO organised a conference (1388/2009) in which several senior Ministry stake-
holders participated. The conference attendees identified 12 groups most likely to be excluded
from educational opportunities in Afghanistan, and therefore, in need of special programmes.
The groups are listed in Table 15 below. Girls were identified as the group most likely to be
vulnerable to exclusion from education.
UNESCO and the Inclusive Education Coordination Working Group have since implemented
a series of discussions with MoE personnel to raise awareness of the need to expand their
concept of IE to include these marginalized populations. However, as the Table 15 suggests,
there is a long way to go in first obtaining accurate data and then to developing the appropri-
ate strategies.
13.5 Vulnerable Groups
Girls’ Education
Many IE specialists would be reluctant to include a gender-related category on the grounds
that mainstream education is for all children. But the circumstances in Afghanistan largely
dictate that girls are vulnerable and require targeted action. The education of girls is discussed
more comprehensively later in this section.
Children with Disabilities
There are no reliable data on children with disabilities which is compounded by a deep and
pervasive stigma regarding disability. This often results in parents with disabled children be-
lieving that they are judged negatively by their community. Hence, many children with dis-
abilities remain hidden within family compounds.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 83
Table 15 MoE’s Identified Priority Groups for Inclusive Education
Groups Available Data Strategy
Girls Approx. 6 million school age
children are girls
Girls Education Working Group developing
strategies to more effectively reach girls
Children Affected by
Conflict and War
No reliable data; 400+ schools
remain closed
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children Affected by
Drugs
No reliable data No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children from Ethnic,
Language, Social &
Religious Minorities
As many as 3.6 million chil-
dren
198
belong to Ethnic, Lan-
guage, Social & Religious Mi-
norities
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children from Poor
Economic Backgrounds
Approx. 8.4 million school age
children live in poverty or sub-
standard conditions
199
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children in Conflict
with the Law/ Children
in Incarceration
4,000 – 5,000 children are in
custody of the Ministry of Jus-
tice, according to MoE sources
200
MoE, in conjunction with Ministry of Justice,
is responsible for providing education to this
group
Children Living Far
Away from Schools/
Villages where there are
no schools
No reliable data until school
mapping occurs but likely a large
percentage of the 5 million
school age children not attending
school
MoE addressing this issue effectively through
Community-Based Educational initiatives
Children Living on the
Street/ Homeless Chil-
dren
No reliable data, but homeless-
ness not prevalent in Afghanistan
No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children Suffering from
Neglect, Abandonment
and/or Abuse
No reliable data No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Children with
Disabilities
No reliable data MoE Inclusive Education Section responsi-
ble: Kabul-based activities are occurring*;
Also MoLSAMD implements some educa-
tion for children with disabilities through
the orphanages they operate.
Nomadic (Kuchi) chil-
dren
1.0 – 1.5 Million Kuchi Chil-
dren
201
MoE/ Kuchi Education responsible: limited
educational activities are occurring*
Working Children No reliable data No specific MoE activity/ outreach*
Note: *To the extent that these populations are available/ reachable within the catchment centres of the
UNESCO, UNICEF and MACCA -sponsored Pilot Schools for Inclusive Education (which are all located within
the Kabul area), these populations are targeted through these initiatives.
For most children in Afghanistan, the trip to school involves a long walk across difficult ter-
rain, perhaps, dodging sewer trenches and oncoming traffic. This is challenging enough for
able-bodied children. For children with disabilities, a daily commute of this nature is rarely
possible. Resources are scarce for children with disabilities in terms of child-sized crutches,
wheelchairs and appropriate prosthetics; such resources are even scarcer outside of urban cen-
tres. Few schools have ramps or special seating or toilets able to accommodate children with
disabilities. The production of books in Braille is very limited as well; therefore, only a small
minority of children with visual impairments have access to educational resources. Few
teachers have knowledge of the Afghan Sign Language. Hence, the ability of the education
198
?Needs & Rights Assessment: Inclusive Education in Afghanistan? estimates that 20 – 30% of children can
be defined as minorities, depending on how widely the term minorities is applied, MoE/UNESCO, 2009, page 13
199
Estimate from the Needs & Rights Assessment: Inclusive Education in Afghanistan. 2009.
200
MoE/ Deputy Ministry provided this estimate in meeting w/ ESA team, April 2010.
201
Estimate from the ?Needs & Rights Assessment: Inclusive Education in Afghanistan,? 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 84
system to offer quality education to children with visual or hearing impairments is quite lim-
ited.
202
Rough estimates suggest that 75% of children with disabilities are not attending
school.
203
The Inclusive Education section believes that is not uncommon for children with disabilities
to be denied access to school by the principal or District Education officials. This is particu-
larly true in remote, rural areas where physical disabilities are often misunderstood and as-
sumed to be indicative of other cognitive disabilities. The IE Head of Section tries to inter-
vene and raise awareness of school officials about the value of Inclusive Education when he
can, in Kabul. But Moe‘s IE section has no authority to overturn a school‘s decision to deny a
disabled child his/ her education.
204
According to UNESCO, there are also a number of exam-
ples where principals have begun to welcome children with disabilities into their schools, both
with and without the intervention of the IE section or the Master Trainers for IE.
That said, there is clearly a need for MoE supervisors to be trained to identify and mitigate
failures within the system. Public awareness campaigns and training programmes at district
and provincial level are also needed. And a review system is needed whereby a school offi-
cials‘ decision to deny a child access to education is reviewed by a higher body.
Kuchis
Kuchis are pastoralists who raise and herd livestock. There are an estimated three million Ku-
chis in Afghanistan,
205
of whom 1 – 1.5 million are children.
206
They have been identified by
the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan as one of the most vulnerable popula-
tions in Afghanistan. Years of war, coupled with successive drought seasons have threatened
the lifestyle of Kuchis, many of whom have been unable to find suitable pastures for their
livestock and have lost large numbers of their herds as a result. Moreover, due to their ex-
tremely low levels of literacy and inability to settle easily into sedentary lifestyles, they are
ill-equipped to adopt other livelihoods; only 2% of [Kuchi] men and 0.05% of women (are)
able to read and write and only 6.6% of boys and 1.8% of girls attend school.
207
NESP I committed MoE to ensuring that at least 35 percent of Kuchi children would have
access to formal education by 1389 (2010).
208
Resources, however, have been quite inade-
quate to meet this target. Kuchi community leaders have indicated that only a tiny proportion
of Kuchi children in southern and eastern Afghanistan have access to formal schooling, and
that government education efforts are not enough.
209
But senior stakeholders in MoE have
indicated interest in formal education among the Kuchis is weak.
202
Data from UNESCO
203
Rawa News Service, 21 Oct. 2008; carried by IRIN News
(http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/10/21/afghanistan-disability-deprives-children-of-
education_9843.html)
204
The IE section described the case of a girl whose family was informed that they could no longer send her to
school because of a skin disorder which school officials feared might be contagious. The IE section was unsuc-
cessful in their efforts to persuade school authorities to re-enrol the child.
205
Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuchi_people
206
Using the USAID livelihoods guideline of approximately seven persons per Afghan household.
207
Children in Crisis website report:http://www.childrenincrisis.org/files/additional/fact_sheets/AfghanistanFactSheet.pdf
208
National Educational Strategic Plan 1
209
Afghanistan: Mixed report on Kuchi education, 17 Feb. 2010, IRIN News Service:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/6ecd7908be11c6d0af340126544e04ae.htm
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 85
Nonetheless, there seems to be significant discrepancies over the number and quality of the
educational initiatives provided for the Kuchi population. In February 2010, the MoE reported
to IRIN News Service that they had established ten schools for Kuchis in the South and the
West of the country, as well as 26 learning centres.
210
Other evidence suggested that many of
these Kuchi schools were not being used.
211
The former Head of the Independent Directorate of Kuchi Affairs (IDKA) shared with IRIN
that the ...the government claims it has built schools for Kuchis in some provinces but those
are empty buildings with no teachers, no books and no other facilities.
212
In a May 2010 inter-
view with the ESA team the Head of Education for the IDKA, gave a more positive account,
stating that MoE had built approximately 100 primary schools which were attended by an
estimated 42,210 Kuchi children, including an enrolment of 30% for girls. When asked if he
considered these schools ?functional,‘ he indicated that only eight schools had buildings, the
rest were on open ground.
While it is a positive development that MoE is providing educational services to Kuchis, these
initiatives appear to be reaching, at best, only 10% of their NESP targets. There also appears
to be significant disparity pertaining to the quality of the education being provided.
13.6 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? High potential commitment from donors.
? Strong commitment by UNESCO and the IE Work-
ing Group
? High level of commitment to IE
? Pilot schools with positive results: replication po-
tential throughout the country
? Master Trainers (specializing in Inclusive Educa-
tional approaches) have demonstrated positive re-
sults in reaching populations which are vulnerable
to exclusion
? Where IE has been introduced, those schools and
communities are experiencing a consciousness shift
about the way they view populations which are vul-
nerable to exclusion
? IE has been introduced as a subject matter for stu-
dents at the Kabul Education University.
? General lack of capacity, resources and person-
nel devoted to IE within MoE
? Challenges in identifying and meeting the needs
of populations vulnerable to exclusion
? Prevalent negative perception about populations
vulnerable to exclusion in Afghanistan
? Marginalized groups often hidden and stigma-
tized
? Not a shared commitment to IE in mid and lower
MoE levels (PEDs, DEDs)
? Commitments are being made at a high level but
are not translated into practice
? Schools do not understand the concept of inclu-
siveness and equal access
Opportunities Threats
? Good prospects of funding from the International/
donor community
? Elevation of IE to Unit status within the MoEGains
in development image by embracing IE
? High Level Round Table Discussion (3 June 2010)
and a National Conference on in July 2010.
? General threats due to insecurity and conflict.
210
Ibid.
211
Ibid.
212
Afghanistan: Mixed Report on Kuchi Education, IRIN News Service, 17 Feb. 2010;http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/6ecd7908be11c6d0af340126544e04ae.htm
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 86
14 Education, Security and Peace
14.1 Historical Context
Many political theorists have emphasized the critical importance of education in maintaining
state stability... while it is theoretically possible for a state to remain stable without the citi-
zens being properly educated … it is extremely unlikely. The way education helps to maintain
order may be understood by examining how the lack of proper education contributes to disor-
der.
213
Education is well-established as a key to building stability. An educated population is one of
the most powerful foundations for fostering peace and mitigating conflict. While many of the
international donors are re-evaluating their commitments to Afghanistan, the one area where
commitments will likely remain strong is in the area of education, because of its pivotal role
in peace-building. In the words of Cornelia Pieper, Germany's Minister of State at the Federal
Foreign Office, Only educated Afghans will be able to drive forward their country’s develop-
ment and foster peace. (The statement was made in reference to Germany‘s investment of 110
Million Euros in education and culture in Afghanistan.)
214
14.2 Education and Security
In Afghanistan, as in other countries, investment in education is an investment in the devel-
opment of the individual and his/her community, human capital, labour market development,
and national peace and stability. According to Asia Foundation‘s 2009 Survey of the Afghan
People, Afghans rated insecurity —attacks, violence, and terrorism—as the biggest problem
facing the country, followed closely by unemployment, poor economy, and corruption.
215
This
survey, conducted yearly, for five years now, is the largest public opinion poll conducted in-
country; the 2009 survey involved interviews with over 6,000 Afghans in all 34 provinces.
Not surprisingly, the top-listed challenges are all inter-related. In the provinces and districts
where insecurity poses the biggest problems, there are correspondingly high levels of unem-
ployment, weak economy, lawlessness and corruption. There are some obvious reasons for
this, as well as some factors which may not be as apparent. Environments which are insecure
or lawless often pose challenges to the free movement of goods and persons. As access to
markets and jobs is restricted, negative economic consequences are manifest. Correspond-
ingly, in tandem with the disintegration of the rule of law, bribery and corruption become
normative measures to effect transactions in this limited-access market.
In Afghanistan, the relationship between security and economic vibrancy is very apparent. It
is hardly disputable that Balkh and Herat are among the most stable and economically-
prosperous provinces outside Central Region while Helmand, Kandarhar and Uruzgan are
near the bottom in both categories. As economic vibrancy is closely related to investment in
human capital,
216
it is not surprising, then, that Balkh and Herat have among the highest per-
centages of children enrolled in school in the country.
213
Anderson, Jeremy, Pg 96, ?The Role of Education in Political Stability,?http://fs6.depauw.edu/~jeremyanderson/research/EducStabilHS.pdf
214
110 Million Euros represents Germany‘s total investment in education and culture in Afghanistan from year
2001 until the end of year 2010.http://www.german-info.com/press_shownews.php?pid=2253
215
Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People, The Asia Foundation;http://www.asiafoundation.org/news/?p=2027
216
Education & Economic Growth, Robert J. Barro;http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/5/49/1825455.pdf.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 87
The issues surrounding security, peace and education interact in a highly complex manner as
do the relevant actors. The stakeholders involved - the Afghan government, the international
and national security forces, educational institutions, communities, students, and the govern-
ments of the international donor community—all have very divergent interests and motives
pertaining to these issues.
First, there are the interests of the international organizations which are providing stability in
Afghanistan. The G-8 countries, NATO and ISAF have committed to investing in Afghani-
stan in the interests of peace, stability, economic improvement and trade development. The
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in particular, have a mandate to assist the Afghan
Government provide goods and services on the provincial level, with a specific focus on edu-
cation.
217
While their objective is to strengthen the capacity and legitimacy of the Afghan
government, there is a certain degree of perceived contradiction in this role. That is, when
government services are provided by an occupying international military force, can such ac-
tions, in fact, serve to strengthen the national government‘s legitimacy? Some view such ac-
tivities as having the opposite effect since the inherent implication is that the legitimate power
broker in the country is not the national government but the international military forces. The
concept of a foreign military helping the national government provide basic services serves to
erode, in the eyes of some constituents, the government‘s legitimacy by demonstrating that
their government is not capable of providing for its people.
That said, the educational assistance provided by the international military forces has been
immensely helpful in providing and rehabilitating critically needed educational infrastructure,
much of which has been provided in places where the Afghan government, with its limited
resources, has not been able to deliver. Many Afghans interviewed by the ESA team- from the
side of the national government, school officials, communities and constituents – expressed
deep appreciation for this assistance.
218
The key impact, they pointed out, of these new and
rehabilitated schools which the PRTs had constructed in their communities, was that more
children were now receiving an education
219
.
Because of the engineering capacity within the PRTs, the PRT-constructed schools are of a
higher quality than Afghan-built schools and typically offer sophisticated learning equipment,
sometimes including science and computer laboratories, hygienic washroom facilities and
play areas. Several school officials pointed to an increased enthusiasm for learning as a result
of the quality of the facilities.
Another benefit of PRT-constructed schools is that they are often able to provide students
with a more protected and secure environment, in terms of encompassing perimeter walls and
a single, impenetrable entrance. These are particularly critical features for girls‘ schools;
many parents will not allow their daughters to attend school unless such security features are
in place.
217
As one of several identified priority areas in their mandate of governance capacity- building.
218
It should be noted, however, that the ESA team did not visit security-challenged areas and where perceptions
may not be the same.
219
The schools provided by the international security forces are constructed in accordance with international
engineering standards, (and are often vertical structures), therefore being able to accommodate a higher number
of students than the Afghan-constructed structures which are rarely more than a single story.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 88
While the schools constructed by the international military may be able to provide a more
secure and protected learning space for children, there are also more vulnerable to attack, pre-
cisely because they have been constructed by the international military forces. Insurgent or
rogue elements, particularly in the insecure areas of Afghanistan, view schools as an easy
target on which to express opposition to either the Government of Afghanistan or to the ?oc-
cupying military forces.‘ While incidents of violence against schools have diminished since
2008 when 673 schools were forcibly closed because of incidents of violence and/or insur-
gency
220
, attacks against schools are still occurring with frightening regularity. (Most re-
cently, there has been a series of ?poison gas‘ attacks in girls schools in areas which were pre-
viously not considered high-risk or insurgent-held areas.)
The School Protection Unit of the MoE tracks the incidents of violence against schools and
maintains a database of school attacks and closures. According to their April 2010 statistics,
there are 402 schools in 11 provinces closed as a result of insecurity and/or violence.
221
The
provinces which have the highest incidence of school attacks, not surprisingly, also lead the
country in levels of insurgency and anti-government activities: Logar, Badghis, Paktika,
Farah, and Ghazni are at the top of the list.
The School Protection Unit‘s database provides a breakdown of school attacks as acts of ter-
ror (in which the school itself is targeted), as opposed to school violence resulting from ran-
dom criminal activities (such as fighting between students or community feuds) which spill
over into the school. According to the 1388 (2009) statistics, the majority of school attacks
were the result of criminal activities rather than terror attacks or school-targeted violence. The
number of persons killed and injured in schools as a result of criminal activities was 113 and
183, respectively, a much higher figure than the number of persons killed/ injured as a result
of terrorist attacks (50/122).
While these statistics are sobering, they offer some hope and potential solutions as well. Acts
of terror or violence which specifically target schools are very difficult to prevent and there
are no easy solutions for mitigating this kind of violence. However, criminal activities that
spill into the schools as a result of community feuds or other random acts of violence are often
preventable by stronger security measures, such as perimeter walls, singular protected school
entrances and body-checks.
The most important feature of school protection is that it must be community-implemented
and community-endorsed to be effective. In areas where communities have built schools
themselves and/or contributed with resources and their own labour to providing educational
facilities, they have a vested interest in protecting these resources. There have been some
amazing testimonies of citizens and community bodies which have banded together to suc-
cessfully protect their schools against rogue elements. The EQUIP programme offers a posi-
tive model of community endorsement of schools which has been successful in keeping many
schools safe.
An important new and interesting development is the recent dissemination of written notices
and public announcements claiming to be from the Taliban, which indicate that they view
220
A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges, Priorities, informational hand-
book created by the Ministry of Education, 2010, pg 9.
221
Data on school attacks and closures, provided by the MoE School Protection Unit, covering years 1387
(2008/ 2009).
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 89
education as an important activity and that they will not target schools. These notices have
been widely disseminated in recent weeks in various provincial locations and may represent a
change of approach by the Taliban. It is, of course, difficult to discern, firstly, if these publica-
tions are originating from elements which represent the Taliban.
222
Secondly, if they do in fact
represent a new Taliban perspective on the protection of schools, the underlying political mo-
tives for taking such a public stance on this issue will need to be determined.
15 Advancing the Gender Agenda
?No development strategy is better than one that involves women as central players. It has immediate benefits
for nutrition, health, savings, and reinvestment at the family, community, and ultimately, country level. In other
words, educating girls is a social development policy that works. It is a long-term investment that yields an ex-
ceptionally high return…. We need those with power to change things to come together in an alliance for girls’
education: governments, voluntary progressive groups, and above all, local communities, schools, and fami-
lies.”- former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, speech at the World Education Forum, 2000
15.1 History and Context
If education in Afghanistan has been politicized, the treatment of gender has perhaps been the
most politicized element of this discussion. Many theories have been propagated about the
Afghan perspective on girls‘ education and the reasons why progress has been so difficult to
attain; many of these theories are rife with misperceptions. There is also a lack of factual in-
formation about recent developments, in terms of how girls‘ education was treated under the
Taliban and more generally about Afghan perspectives on women in Islam, a guiding princi-
ple of education.
It is has been widely-stated, for example, that there was no education of girls during the Tali-
ban regime; that Afghans do not value education for girls; and that they find women‘s educa-
tion threatening or anti-Islamic. Many of these contentions are well grounded.
Until the last decade, many people in Afghanistan lived in such isolation that they were
largely untouched by the modern world. Reliance on subsistence farming as the primary
means of livelihood for over 90% of the country further entrenched the insularity of much of
the population. Except for a very few urban areas, many communities had little contact with
trading or commercial centres; accordingly, in many parts of the country, neither men nor
women had access to formal educational opportunities.
15.2 Political and Economic Importance
Despite remarkable gains in education since the collapse of the Taliban, formidable chal-
lenges continue to plague the country‘s ability to provide education for its female population.
Currently, only 28% of school-age girls are enrolled in school.
223
For Afghanistan to achieve its economic development goals, it must find creative ways to
overcome this major educational deficit. When examining the recent economic emergence of
India, the Philippines and the Asian ?Tiger economies,? the commitment to women‘s educa-
tional goals was a significant contributor to their economic success.
224
Afghanistan‘s com-
mitment to play a more competitive and vigorous role in the global economy cannot be met,
222
The validity of these notices is being investigated by the national Afghan Protection Forces and the NDS.
223
Based on the MoE enrolment data
224
Education & Economic Growth. Robert J. Barro;http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/5/49/1825455.pdf
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 90
unless and until it is able to provide access and quality educational opportunities to its female
population.
15.3 Ministry of Education’s Achievements, Goals, Challenges
MoE is making strong commitments towards providing educational opportunities for girls and
women, recognising the need to enrol and retain girls in school. It has espoused a number of
international targets and objectives regarding girls‘ education, including the MDG and Educa-
tion for All goals. In addition, ANDS posits extremely ambitious targets for providing educa-
tion to girls, as does NESP I.
NESP I committed to achieving the following goals by 1389 (2010):
? 60% net enrolment of girls;
? Significantly reduced gender disparities and provincial disparities;
? Set up and operate a fund to promote girls‘ education and to provide approximately 14,000 scholarships
and incentives (during years 1386-1389) for girls from districts with very low girls‘ enrolment to able to
complete Grades 7 – 12;
? Provide incentives to female students in rural districts to complete Grades 10- 12 (60 students from each
of 223 schools at a cost of $8 per month for 9 months);
? Develop and implement a National Communications Strategy for girls‘ education in close consultation
with partners, local and spiritual leaders and communities;
? Collect information on ?best practices‘ and successful results of girls‘ education and disseminate
through local structures and media;
? Provide training to School Advisory/Support Councils on gender and the importance of girls‘ education.
While these goals were challenging but appropriate, no specific plan was formulated for their
achievement. Moreover, many of these goals are spread across a large number of departments
and directorates within MoE. There was neither a single body authorized to ensure their ac-
complishment nor an entity designated to measure performance. The MoE has no department
or directorate dedicated specifically to girls‘ education.
225
Since the education of girls is con-
sidered a cross-cutting issue, to be integrated throughout education service delivery, the need
for a separate unit or entity dedicated to Gender in Education or to Girls‘ Education was not,
until recently, felt to be necessary.
226
15.4 The Situation in 1389 (2010)
Attendance data reveals that of 7 million Afghan children registered in all form of school, 2.5
million or 28% were girls (1389/2009).
227
This represents a 100% increase in girls‘ enrolment,
just in the past four years
228
. But there remains a long road to travel to reach the EFA goal of
gender parity.
Predictably, girls enrolment in school is lowest in the more rural and insecure provinces. Ta-
ble 16 shows the total number of students enrolled in basic education (Grades 1-9) by prov-
225
There was, previously a Gender Advisor to the MoE, but not currently.
226
In recent weeks, there have been high-level ministerial discussions on the need to create a dedicated sector to
Girls Education; it is not yet clear if this would be a Dept., or even Directorate, since discussions and decisions
on this matter are now being formulated.
227
A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges & Priorities. 2010 handbook
publication of the Ministry of Education.
228
World Bank cites 2004 girls enrolment figures in Afghanistan of 839,000 (enrolment in grades 1-12);http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTGENDER/0,,contentMDK:22481910~menuPK:
336874~pagePK:64020865~piPK:149114~theSitePK:336868,00.html
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 91
ince, disaggregated by gender. It also shows the percentages of students enrolled per province
as a proportion of national enrolment.
229
While enrolment for girls in Kabul City comes close to being on par with boys (4 boys: 3
girls), in Helmand boys outnumber girls by 5:1. The provinces with the lowest enrolment of
girls are: Uruzgan, Zabul, Panjshir, Nooristan, Nimroz, Helmand and Paktika. With the ex-
ception of Panjshir, these are provinces in which serious security challenges prevail.
Retention of girls is also a major issue. Enrolment figures drop precipitously after primary
school (Grade 6) and continue to decline throughout secondary school. In 1388 (2009), the
ratio of male to female high school graduates across Afghanistan was more than 3:1 with girls
comprising just 27% of all 12
th
grade graduates.
230
Some of the key reasons why girls‘ attendance drops off so precipitously after primary school
include: lack of female teachers; limited number of girls‘ schools; cultural barriers; safety
issues; security challenges; distance of travel; lack of relevance/ practicality of the curricula;
and lack of flexibility of the educational system.
Lack of Female Teachers
According to MoWA and MoE, the demand for female teachers greatly exceeds the supply.
With so few girls receiving an education during the decades of war and Taliban prohibition,
the country has a dearth of female graduates and skilled female professionals. The situation is
most acute in the remote and conflict prone areas. Since many families will only allow their
daughters to attend girls‘ schools and/or be educated by female teachers, the fact that only
27% of all teachers are female further restricts the access of many girls to educational oppor-
tunities.
231
Some grounds for optimism come from the larger proportion of women currently
training to be teachers in TTCs.
Lack of Girls’ Schools
The number of girls‘ schools, particularly secondary schools, is not nearly enough to meet
demand. This situation cannot change until more female teachers have been trained and are
prepared to teach in challenging areas. Only then can the gap between demand and supply be
diminished. Twenty nine of Afghanistan‘s 415 districts do not have a single girls‘ school on
any level, and more than half do not have a girls‘ secondary school.
232
There is no girls‘ sec-
ondary school in all of Uruzgan province.
229
Table prepared by the Senior Advisor to the Minister for Institutional Capacity Building and Human Re-
sources.
230
A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges & Priorities. 2010 handbook
publication of the Ministry of Education.
231
National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan: 2008 – 2018; Ministry of Women‘s Affairs.
232
Cited in the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan: 2008 – 2018; Ministry of Women‘s Affairs
and by the Director of MoE‘s Teacher Education Programme.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 92
Table 16 Officially Enrolled Students in Basic Education (Government Schools 1388 -2008/9
No
Province
General Education Enrolment Statistics
233
Officially Enrolled Students in Basic Education (Government Schools) in 1388 -2008/9
Male
Students
Male Percentages
(% of total male
students enrolled)
Female
Students
Female
Percentages
(% of total
female students
enrolled)
Total
Number
1 Urozgan 43,654 1.03% 5,510 0.22% 49,164
2 Badghis 61,935 1.46% 25,243 0.99% 87,178
3 Bamyan 62,962 1.48% 46,106 1.82% 109,068
4 Badakhshan 162,009 3.81% 137,995 5.44% 300,004
5 Baghlan 193,901 4.56% 115,790 4.56% 309,691
6 Balkh 244,836 5.76% 176,428 6.95% 421,264
7 Parwan 115,277 2.71% 62,998 2.48% 178,275
8 Paktia 96,980 2.28% 27,439 1.08% 124,419
9 Paktika 73,918 1.74% 21,264 0.84% 95,182
10 Punjsher 20,271 0.48% 13,796 0.54% 34,067
11 Takhar 156,163 3.67% 116,354 4.59% 272,517
12 Jawzjan 86,522 2.03% 53,123 2.09% 139,645
13 Khost 122,587 2.88% 39,806 1.57% 162,393
14 Daikundy 72,417 1.70% 49,992 1.97% 122,409
15 Zabul 51,738 1.22% 7,333 0.29% 59,071
16 Sari Pul 72,535 1.71% 45,292 1.79% 117,827
17 Samangan 58,233 1.37% 31,656 1.25% 89,889
18 Kabul City 440,732 10.36% 343,381 13.53% 784,113
19 Ghazni 198,361 4.66% 92,002 3.63% 290,363
20 Ghor 110,932 2.61% 56,812 2.24% 167,744
21 Faryab 153,150 3.60% 110,999 4.37% 264,149
22 Farah 62,730 1.47% 27,372 1.08% 90,102
23 Kapisa 79,021 1.86% 37,096 1.46% 116,117
24 Kandahar 96,495 2.27% 29,627 1.17% 126,122
25 Kundoz 137,500 3.23% 88,217 3.48% 225,717
26 Kunar 79,859 1.88% 47,428 1.87% 127,287
27 Laghman 80,395 1.89% 51,576 2.03% 131,971
28 Logar 82,292 1.93% 34,963 1.38% 117,255
29 Nangarhar 328,677 7.73% 212,191 8.36% 540,868
30 Nooristan 24,199 0.57% 16,729 0.66% 40,928
31 Nimroz 26,251 0.62% 18,647 0.73% 44,898
32 Herat 326,203 7.67% 281,333 11.09% 607,536
33 Helmand 96,273 2.26% 20,093 0.79% 116,366
34 Wardak 103,239 2.43% 36,345 1.43% 139,584
35 Kabul 130,657 3.07% 56,226 2.22% 186,883
Total 4,252,904.00 100% 2,537,162.00 100% 6,790,066.00
233
From 2009 Report ?Recommendations for Reform Efforts Focusing on Girls’ Education in Afghanistan,
based on the review of Data collected by the Planning Department, Ministry of Education in 1387,? submitted
the MoE Deputy Minister for Education & the Chief of Planning by Senior Advisor to the Minister for Instit u-
tional Capacity Building & Human Resources.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 93
Distance of Travel
The lack of girls‘ schools means weak geographical coverage which inevitably means longer
travel distances to school for girls. In a culture where girls and boys have vastly different
ranges of mobility and freedom, many families are far less likely to let their daughters travel
any significant distance to attend school as compared to similar for their sons.
Security and Safety
Providing for girls‘ safety on the way to school and then within the school campus and in the
classroom requires particular attention because of the cultural aspects regarding protection
and security of girls as an extension of family honour. Perimeter walls are especially impor-
tant in this regard, both to safeguard the girls, to prevent girls from being seen by persons out-
side the school and to protect against potential intruders. However, there are many other secu-
rity-enhancing activities that a responsive community can undertake to increase girls‘ safety
and thereby increase their participation in schooling. The issue of attacks which have occurred
on girls‘ schools is discussed in the preceding section of this report.
Inflexibility of the System
In some provinces and districts, it appears that once class size drops below a certain level, the
class may be dissolved, apparently to conform with a perceived regulation pertaining to
minimum class size. The class is not absorbed into the grade ahead or below since there is
apparently an unrelated regulation prohibiting the mixing of classes. Multi-grade teaching is
not encouraged. In this regard, it is reported that teachers feel bound by their curricula and are
inflexible or incapable of adjusting their teaching standards to incorporate children from an-
other grade. It has been reported to the ESA team that in these cases children are sent home
and told that the school cannot meet their needs. Since girls‘ class size is typically lower than
boys, this practice affects girls more acutely than boys.
234
There are testimonies of teachers
throughout Afghanistan which have described this.
Another area of alleged institutional inflexibility deserving of further exploration is the appar-
ent academic penalization of female students who chose not to attend classes taught by male
teachers. Because of family and cultural constraints, some female students chose not to attend
classes taught by male teachers. This is apparently more prevalent in girls‘ secondary schools
which occasionally employ male teachers to cover shortage subjects. Some students appar-
ently exempt themselves from these classes. Inevitably, they are given poor grades for those
courses, affecting their overall grades and later educational opportunities.
In both of these examples, it is unclear whether the discrimination against girls is regulation
led or practice-bound. Whichever is the case, further exploration of these issues seems war-
ranted and an assessment and potential solutions is needed, if the schools are to be both re-
sponsive and flexible to circumstance, culture and need.
Cultural Issues
In many rural and tribal areas of Afghanistan, girls‘ low school attendance rates are attributed
to cultural barriers. Cultural and economic issues do play an important role in understanding
the seemingly diminished value of education of women. A typical driver for women‘s educa-
tion, globally, is the promise of financial betterment for women and their families. In Af-
ghanistan, however, given the isolation of communities, the cultural values and reliance on
234
Testimony of teachers as reported to the ESA-Team by NGO implementers.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 94
subsistence farming, women‘s education has often held little economic value of potential
added-income. When women do participate in agricultural or other livelihoods activities -
particularly in the rural areas - their contributions are often unpaid
235
. This applies even to
full-time labour. The net result of the low perceived value of women‘s labour means that even
when girls have the possibility to pursue an education, families do not relate education to im-
proved livelihoods.
While cultural factors do play a part, there is much anecdotal evidence to suggest that these
considerations are largely misunderstood and misused. In the more conservative parts of the
country, it is true that there are significant restrictions on the movement of girls and women
and indeed, these constraints do impact on their ability to benefit from learning opportunities.
But all too often, ?culture constraints? are used as a paper tiger for political structures within
communities, providing an easy excuse for inaction. Many testimonies demonstrate that sup-
posed cultural prohibitions can be overcome or even disregarded, if approached in a positive
way, where a ?win-win‘ gain is perceived. For example, it is frequently said that girls cannot
attend school because of prohibitions on girls‘ movement outside the home. While this is par-
tially true, the origin for the prohibition is not so much a restriction on women‘s movement
per se, but more about preserving their safety which is equivocal to family honour. If the risks
to the girls‘ safety are mitigated, then girls are allowed to travel outside the home and to at-
tend school.
The belief that the Taliban were vehemently opposed to girls‘ education is not entirely true.
The Taliban allowed and encouraged girls‘ education if it was Islamic education and if the
education was conducted in a ?safe and secure place,‘ (such as, in the mosque or in the home).
During the Taliban regime, 30,000 – 40,000 girls (albeit out of several million in the popula-
tion) pursued education in mosque- and home-based environments. This involved formal,
secular subjects as well as Islamic learning. As long as these activities were pursued in
mosques and in concert with Islamic learning, girls‘ education was tolerated and even encour-
aged. This demonstrates that even in the most conservative elements of Afghan society, girls
and women can receive an education as long as it is secure and within the context of Islamic
values.
The evidence shows that barriers‘ regarding girls‘ education can often be overcome when
perceived risks are minimized. For example, if the school is close to the centre of town, next
to or located within a mosque, this diminishes the risks associated with travel and safety. If
there is a maharam
236
who can accompany the female family member to and from the school,
this lessens risk. If the teachers are women, this reduces the perceived dangers within the
school. When the school has security features such as perimeter walls and a secured entrance,
this limits access to strangers. There are now many positive examples of Community-Based
Schools and from the EQUIP programme which demonstrate communities‘ ability and com-
mitment to come together in a pro-active way and to create safeguards to protect girls so that
they can pursue educational options.
Early marriage is another constraint to girls‘ schooling. In rural areas, Afghan girls typically
marry before they are of an age to finish secondary school. Generally, as soon as a girl gets
235
This is dependent on location and ownership of the land the woman works on. If the woman works on family-
owned land, or for part of the family-owned business, the man will usually get paid. Often only in cases where
the woman is a widow and the relationship to the business is not familial, then she will get paid.
236
Girls and women are typically allowed to venture outside the family compound, in even the most conservative
of environments, when accompanied by their maharam or chaperone.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 95
married her education stops, since it is expected that she will take on family responsibilities.
This risk can be mitigated through greater public awareness about the value of education.
Public awareness campaigns, when targeted towards the community at large and conducted in
coordination with community and religious leaders have been effective in helping to change
attitudes towards girls‘ education.
Afghans, as is true in many low income countries, typically invest less in the education of
their daughters than in that of their sons. It is understood that boys will grow up and continue
to support their parents. Daughters, on the other hand, are often seen as having a low invest-
ment potential, since they will join their husband‘s family as soon as they are married. Public
awareness campaigns again have an important role to play in changing public perception in
this regard.
In summary, minimizing the risks and engaging communities to commit to girls‘ education
can be done in several ways:
? Providing more mosque-based and home-based schools;
? Implementing public information campaigns about the positive values of girls‘ education; campaigns
which have proven most effective have involved community and religious leaders and propagate educa-
tional ideals in harmonization with Islamic values.
? Exponentially increasing the number of girls‘ schools and the number of female teachers;
? Involving the families in the process such that male family members understand the importance of serv-
ing as maharam (chaperone) to accompany female members to school
237
;
? Ensuring that perimeter walls around girls‘ schools are adequate; (community-led efforts have proven to
be successful in this regard, in places where educational resources are scarce).
? Mitigating distance of travel by providing more schools and more centrally-located schools;
? Ensuring that the curriculum includes study of Islamic values and religious teaching.
15.5 Responding to the Challenges
Recent decisions indicate a strengthening of MoE‘s commitment to girls‘ education. The Min-
istry is currently in the process of creating either a new Department or Directorate devoted to
the education of girls. In addition, it has also just created a Gender Advisory Unit which is
envisioned to serve as an in-house policy advisory board for actualizing girls‘ educational
goals. Seven positions have been approved for the tashkil for this unit. These developments
represent recognition on the part of MoE of the need to achieve more visible and vigorous
progress towards national gender goals.
237
As mentioned, when accompanied by their maharam, women and girls are allowed to travel outside the home.
The issue is providing familial incentive to women‘s education such that the maharam feels responsible to ac-
company female members to and from school, which in many environments is not the case.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 96
15.6 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Extremely high motivation
? International donor communities in favour of
assisting in girls and women‘s education
? MoE commitment to achieving EFA/MDG targets
? CBEs are a proven vehicle for moving girls‘ edu-
cational goals forward
? Economic incentives for girls to pursue education
and for scholarships appear to be achieving suc-
cess
? Positive models found in the EQUIP programme.
? General lack of political will combined w/ capa-
bility to achieve gender parity
? Current concentration of girls‘ schools in urban
areas
? Many women‘s educational and technical voca-
tional skills-building programs not equipping
women with skills relevant to the labour market;
projects running parallel to government structures,
without coordination
? Supply of girls‘ schools and female teachers sig-
nificantly lower than the demand
Opportunities Threats
? High motivation
? Private sector potential
? International donor communities prioritise assist-
ing women‘s education
? Engage whole communities in support for girls in
pursuing their educational ambitions
? Establish tutoring, mentoring and counselling
programs to encourage girls to stay in school
? Enormous long-term labour market implications
? Newly-formed Gender Advisory Unit
? Prioritization of Girls‘ Education as a Dept or
Directorate by the MoE
? Public Awareness campaigns, when involving
religious and community leaders, have had a dis-
tinct positive impact on community acceptance of
girls‘ education.
? General threats due to current insecurity and war.
? Bureaucratic, nepotistic, old fashioned, and ineffi-
cient structures
? Very few women in positions in authority in MoE,
MoHE or MoLSAMD
? Women‘s low status in society continues to be a
barrier to moving gender goals forward
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 97
D Managing Change
The final section of this sector analysis looks at four issues: the financing of the education
sector, the availability and use of data and of knowledge, building capacity, and making aid
work effectively. It does so primarily in relation to MoE. These are important issues in their
own right in taking forward education plans and programmes but they take on added signifi-
cance in the context of MoE‘s intention to gain the endorsement of NESP II by the Education
for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA/FTI) during 1389(2010).
Under FTI‘s current guidelines for the assessment and appraisal of education sector plans,
particular attention is given to resource mobilisation and financial management, including
projected financing gaps over the period of the plan. Second, critical knowledge and data gaps
are identified. Third, the capacity that is available and will be needed to manage the imple-
mentation of the plan will be assessed. Fourth, evidence of coordination, alignment and har-
monisation will be gathered to gauge how aid is working and might work better. It is with
these FTI-related considerations in mind that the following four sections have been devel-
oped. With or without engagement with FTI, each has a crucial role to play in the develop-
ment of the education sector.
16 Financing Education
16.1 Overview
The government budget makes a clear distinction between the Operating Budget which is
largely the recurrent budget, increasingly financed by local revenue and the Development
Budget which is mainly concentrated on capital spending, which is almost entirely financed
by the donor community. There is also an External Budget where donors manage the expen-
diture of additional financing, not always transparently to the local system. This budget is
critical to the development of education in Afghanistan and will be required to remain at a
high level for several years. This budget reflects the substantial commitment of the interna-
tional community to supporting ANDS, the EFA and MDG goals for education, and its con-
tribution to the long term economic growth, social development and stability of Afghanistan
The education sector remains the second largest sector of the operating budget. It received 11
percent of the total development budget for 1388 (2009). MoE dominates the sector: its sala-
ries bill alone is second only to the Defence and Security sector, which for some time will
continue to be the major source of competition for any extra locally generated operating
budget resources. It is presently the largest employer on the budget and is the most pervasive
sector in its reach.
16.2 Operating and Development Budgets
In 1388 (2009), the total funds available to the sector and the level of execution of the on
budget resources are summarised in Table 17 below.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 98
Table 17 Education Sector Finances in 1388 by Ministry: On Budget
OPERATING BUDGET $000 DEVELOPMENT
BUDGET $000
Item 21 Item 22 Item 25 Total
Education Budget 291432.517 23579.05 860.506 315872 196877
Actual 280549 24727 711 305987 80053
Variance 10883 -1147 149 9885 116000
% Spent 96.26 100.04 82.62 96.87 41.00
Higher Education Budget 18710 14233 690 33633 45519
Actual 19936 12391 610 32937 27811
Variance -1226 1842 80 696 17709
% Spent 100.06 87.05 88.04 97.93 61.1
Science Academy Budget 2439 442 22.4 2903.4 936
Actual 2405 441 0.73 2846.73 187
Variance 34 1 21.67 56.67 596
Source: MOF Treasury, Education Sector focal Point. MoLSAMD excluded due to poor data
A notable feature of this table – and one which is important in a planning context – is the sub-
stantial under expenditure in the Development Budget, especially in MoE. Indeed for MoE
this is not a great improvement on 1387 (2008),
238
and suggests that capacity to implement at
project level is still a challenge. For the MoHE the Development Budget performance was
better; 61% of its appropriation of about US$45.5m. This is a marked change over previous
years. Even if the assessment is expenditure against allocation, the performance in MoE is
about 60% with one or two provinces spending over 90% if reports are correct.
239
The appar-
ent overspend in the goods and services item is not considered material.
Beyond assessment of the proportion of expenditure by programme, and some reporting on
activities and staffing levels, the attention paid to the monitoring and evaluation function in
MoE is low in spite of three years of programme budgeting. While attention is given to ?in-
spection? there is a limited results orientation. This is a function of several issues including:
overall weak capacity of staff (especially outside the central core of TA); relatively little pres-
sure from MoF or donors for better quality reports; and slow development of new systems for
changing the nature of information gathering and analysis. Both budgeting and planning are
still largely driven from the centre and there remains some separation between even those two
functions.
16.3 External Budget
The External Budget of the Sector for 1388(2009) is estimated to have been US$203m with
MoE claiming the major share of about US$146m and MoHE a further US$46.3 m as shown
in Table 18. This appears likely to be the pattern for the foreseeable future.
238
In 1387 (2008) MoE spent $64 million of US$149 million or 43%. Spend rose by US$19 million (nominally)
or 29% year on year.
239
These were not able to be reconciled due to pressure on MoE arising from the move from one fiscal year to
the next.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 99
Table 18 Education Sector - External Projects 1388 (2009) (US$000)
Ministry of Education
Construction and School Improvements 40,611
Food Assistance, Construction and Rehabilitation of Primary Schools 31,560
Basic Education 23,135
SCA Education Program 9,093
Community Based Education 6,077
Training Programs 5,103
Vocational Training 4,890
Literacy Programs 4,630
French Language Training 4,270
Primary Education 2,256
Girls Access and Retention in Education 1,710
Books 1,600
Teachers Education 1,247
Other; Scholarships, Education development, Capacity development, Support 9,763
145,945
Ministry of Higher Education
Higher Education Programs 9,534
Design & construction of 16 faculties of Education 8,560
Human Resource capacity of Engineering Education 7,412
Financial Management of American University of Afghanistan 4,417
University Cooperation 3,889
Renovations and construction at Kabul University 3,567
Promoting the civilian sector 1,636
Other: Training Programs, Capacity building, Scholarships 7,254
46,269
Ministry of Information and Culture
Training for Liaison officers 63
Ministry of Public Health
Education planning and Teachers Education 1,856
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
Support to livelihood (Badakhshan province) 300
Basic Education 4,117
4,417
Ministry of Martyrs, Disabled and Social Affairs
Afghan Korea Vocational Training Centre 500
Learning for Community Empowerment Program 1,234
1,734
Science Academy
Research, Archives, Support and promotion of National Archives 891
Administration Reform and Civil Service Commission
Afghan Building Capacity Program 1,907
Grand Total 203,082
Source: Ministry of Finance, Donor Management Unit
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 100
In MoE, the off budget financing of the NESP I was through 21 donor partners (including
ARTF) and 42 implementing partners. According to the recently re-established GMU,
240
do-
nors spent some US$896 million of a NESP I projected US$1.565 billion over the period of
the Plan.
Table 19 Ministry of Education: NESP1 External Budget Plan by Programme
NESP Program Planned Budget (US$) Percentage
General Education 220,836,903 14%
Teacher Education and Working Conditions 161,871,000 10%
Education Infrastructure Development 857,514,991 55%
Curriculum Development and Learning Materials 192,229,606 12%
Islamic Education 24,746,106 2%
Technical and Vocational Education and Training 15,749,400 1%
Literacy and Non-formal Education 45,980,050 3%
Education Administration Reform and Development 46,216,646 3%
Total 1,565,144,702 100%
Source: MoE Grants Management Unit
Table 20 Ministry of Education NESP1 External Budget Funding By Programme (Actual)
NESP Program Confirmed Budget Percentage
General Education 200,958,917 22%
Teacher Education and Working Conditions 118,713,894 13%
Education Infrastructure Development 453,046,688 51%
Curriculum Development and Learning Materials 50,681,791 6%
Islamic Education 556,696 0%
Technical and Vocational Education and Training 15,209,601 2%
Literacy and Non-formal Education 44,468,492 5%
Education Administration Reform and Development 12,451,930 1%
Total 896,088,010 100%
Source: MoE Grants Management Unit
In broad terms, the priority weighting of the Ministry as suggested in Table 19 is reflected in
the funds allocation by donors, as indicated in Table 20, with the exception of Islamic Educa-
tion. This substantially meets one of the stated government and MoE goals that donor financ-
ing be aligned to MoE priorities.
It is expected that donors will continue to fund somewhat less than NESP II suggests is the
full unfunded financial requirement. In any case there is some doubt that the system has the
ability to absorb the investment, and if the persistent under spending on the Development
Budget is not turned around it will be some time before more external budget transfers to di-
rect Afghan control on the development budget occur. See the later discussion on the MTEF
for the on budget and off budget estimates and forecasts to 1391(2012). Clearly, the donor
coordination task in MoE is substantial; the work of both the GMU and HRDB reflect this,
and are sensible vehicles to start to address the issue.
240
The unit was established in 1385(2006) and disbanded in 1387(2008). It was re-established by the current Minister.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 101
16.4 Revenue
The government set a goal of fiscal sustainability (100% financing of annual operating costs
in the budget from local revenue) by 1392 (2013). For 1388 (2009), the indications are that
local revenue will slightly exceed target.
241
Projections for the future are for rising receipts
but, due mainly to increasing demands in the Security sector as well as Education, this does
not necessarily equate to improved fiscal sustainability in the near term. The 1392(2013) tar-
get looks unlikely to be reached. Education salary budgets will therefore be dependent on con-
tinued donor financing of the operating budget. More worryingly from a service delivery and
support perspective, non-salary operating costs are likely to continue to be constrained. This
will severely constrain achieving quality improvement objectives, Monitoring and Evaluation,
and general service delivery, unless donors move to fill the gap.
MoE does not raise significant revenue for its own purposes and in any case the budget regu-
lations require all such revenue to be returned to Consolidated Revenue. This is a significant
emerging issue for the MoHE and the Universities which see opportunities for charging for
some services (particularly night courses and some specialist or postgraduate classes). In the
view of MoHE the return of fees and charges to Consolidated Revenue diminishes incentives
as well as opportunity to move more quickly down the quality education path. MoE has ex-
pressed no intention to explore this avenue, presumably also, because the collections accrue
directly to the Treasury single account.
In a weak system, however, it is understandable that there is some reluctance on this issue
from the Finance Ministry. As the overall system, and perhaps the gradual move towards sec-
tor wide approaches mature, this might be considered more actively. There are signs of de-
mand for some of the likely chargeable services and if they are currently being met, for exam-
ple, by students going to other countries, then there could be an opportunity cost as well in not
considering how to make user charging work for some parts of the Higher Education sub-
sector. User charging is not advocated for primary and secondary schools in the government
sector, as it is contrary to the Constitution, although there is some community willingness to
contribute in cash and kind through School Management Committees or PTAs.
Sector wide, financing of Education in Afghanistan therefore continues to be a challenge. In-
creasing security costs look set to remain a high priority and the main competition for any
additional resources. At the margin, donor and Ministry objectives may differ but the pattern
noted above suggests this is not a major diversion. The risk is that donors will shift to other
sectors. The case is made for sector wide approaches where donor financing is predominant
(as it is in Afghanistan) on the grounds, inter alia, of improved aid effectiveness; better
alignment of financial and strategic plans; greater cohesion between components of the sector;
improved governance and institutional strengthening. There are incentives for both the gov-
ernment and donors and some risks, particularly as responsibility and financial management
and allocation in particular pass onto indigenous and often immature management systems.
These have been widely canvassed and continue to be discussed.
242
See the section D.4 on
aid.
241
At time of writing the last formally available report was for Q2 1388(2009) Fiscal Bulletin, MoF
242
See, among other sources, Jensen, P; Sector Wide Approach: Assessment of the Suitability and
Readiness of SWAp Development Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase I Final Version
9 September 2009 and Jensen, P; Sector Wide Approach: Assessment of the Suitability and
Readiness of SWAp Development Assistance for Afghanistan– Phase I Final Version. 9 September 2009 and
Venner, M: Public Expenditure Review: Afghanistan Education Sector Public Expenditure Review, Mar 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 102
16.5 Financing the Plan
Table 21 summarises the estimated cost by MoE of the NESP2 in the May version.
Table 21 Summary NESP II Budget Requirement Estimate (US$ million)
Operating Development Total
1389 513.65 738.37 1252.02
1390 695.71 769.86 1465.57
1391 840.39 861.48 1701.88
1392 1005.53 923.11 1928.64
1393 1181.75 930.82 2112.58
Total 4237.03 4223.65 8460.68
Source: MOE Budget Planning Directorate Exchange Rate Afs50= $1.
This estimate is supported by extensive tables developed by MoE, incorporating among other
things annual inflation figures agreed with the MoF and baseline teacher numbers also agreed
with the MoF and reflected in the budget. Thereafter, however, many of the assumptions
about growth are drawn from within the Planning Directorate or use assumptions about class
sizes and pupil/teacher ratios (for example) that may not be agreed with external parties and
impose considerable pressure on the system. Estimates of the numbers of teachers to be re-
cruited are generally above those incorporated in the current budget forecasts for 1389-
1393(2010-2014) and when taken together with the intention to increase the proportion of
post high school qualified teachers for example, do not rely on any apparent assessment of the
capacity of Teacher Training Colleges or the Universities
243
to meet those targets. Data that
would support a testing of the assumptions are not yet available although in one interview at a
teacher training college it was suggested that the number of graduates of the college who went
into teaching was fewer than 20%, with 5% possibly going on to university. The reason given
was that most graduates went into the private or NGO sectors at higher rates of pay.
For the purposes of this analysis chapter Table 22 is taken as an assessment of the scope of
NESP II as produced, unconstrained by the availability of resources or capacity limitations. If
there is an application for membership of the FTI it is assumed these details would be sub-
jected to more detailed scrutiny. On this assessment there were one or two minor calculating
errors detected (that if rectified would marginally increase the estimated costs) but in the time
available the full background material was not subjected to any rigorous testing or sensitivity
analysis in part because of some of the limitations inferred in the preceding paragraphs.
– Phase Ii Final Version. 9 September 2009 and Venner, M: Public Expenditure Review: Afghanistan Education
Sector Public Expenditure Review, Mar 2009.
243
Unlike the MoHe Strategic Plan there is no real discussion of the links between the two Ministries and the connections
between some of their larger goals as reflected in ANDS or the MDG targets.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 103
Table 22 MoE NESP II Estimated Costs Compared to Budget Plans
Ministry of Education Budget Proposal versus Budget MTEF Plan and NESP2 (US$000)
1389 1390 1391 Total
Op Dev Total Op Dev Total Op Dev Total Op Dev Total
NESP
518.80
716.04
1,234.84
674.5
746.36
1,420.86
804.06
746.36
1,550.42
1,997.36
2,208.76
4,206.12
Re-
quest
506.26
681.21
1,187.47
516.60
751.04
1,267.63
522.16
792.28
1,314.44
1,545.01
2,224.53
3,769.55
Agreed
360.50
175.04
535.54
516.60
192.98
709.58
522.16
202.63
724.78
1,399.26
570.65
1,969.90
Exter-
nal
Budget
269.29
136.06
102.02
507.37
Poten-
tial
Funds
804.83
845.64
826.80
2477.27
Gap
430.01
575.22
723.62
1728.85
Notes
1. Request is initial budget request to MoF in budget cycle. Some front end reductions were made to NESP bid by Committee
in MoE.
2. Agreed is what was submitted to Parliament for approval in agreement with MoF.
3. External Budget 1389 source MoF GMU with non assigned sums allocated to MOE. 1390 and 1391 from MoF GMU
Predictability Table.
4. Exchange rate for NESP $US1= Afs 50 (NESP) used in initial assessment by BPU. Exch Rate for budget $US1=Afs48.5
(budget basis).
5. Primary Source: Budget Planning Unit, MoE
In Afghanistan one of the main issues is the alignment between plans and available resources.
It is clear that at present the budget and strategic plans are currently poorly aligned and there
is little evidence of timely recognition of this fact in preparation of annual operating plans or
evaluating the impact on the NESP II intentions. During the cost review carried out there were
several versions of figures for NESP II due to some continued review. Figures presented in
Table 22 are the best available at the time of writing.
16.6 Ministry of Higher Education
The MoHE has prepared a Strategic Plan for the next five years that is highly reliant on the
donor community for achievement, including for Master‘s and PhD training as well as capital
works such as upgrading buildings, expansion to accommodate new students and the move to
Community Colleges. The operating budget is assumed to cover wages and salaries with vir-
tually no minor capital and only small amounts of goods and services expenditure. The MoF
?Predictability of ODA Table? currently indicates expected levels of commitment over the
MTEF period to 1391(2012) (half which could be the contribution to the AUA). This is
summarised in Table 23. The Operating Costs budget was not finalised at the time of writing.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 104
Table 23 Summary MoHE Strategic Plan Estimates US$m
Dev Total Predicted
1389 20.86 20.86 11.57
1390 45.73 45.73 11.38
1391 144.03 144.03 5.08
1392 161.60 161.60
1393 192.14 192.14
Total 564.35 564.35 28.03
Sources: 1 MoHE Strategic Plan, 2. MoF "Predictability Table"
16.7 Financial Management and Governance in MoE
Service delivery in MoE is very highly dispersed but strategic and budget planning are very
highly centralised. Budget execution also is largely driven by centrally determined priorities.
Effective financing (that is achieving the desired results with the resources available) will only
be achieved if there is a sound support network at provincial level and below and some realis-
tic plans related to the available resources. In principle the same applies to MoHE and any
Ministry with a regional presence. The Government‘s shift towards results based manage-
ment (RBM – Textbox 17) is intended to move the focus of budget implementation to the
monitoring of outputs achieved by budgetary funding; with less of a focus on budget execu-
tion although in the short term execution looks likely to be a focal point in the annual budget
cycle
244
. While the central part of MoE is likely to cope with this next step, even with the pro-
gress to date, it is weak at the provincial level for management of this complexity and the pool
of talent to address this is exhausted. The same issue was suggested as a challenge for the
MoHE, even though it is relatively compact. In part this problem could be addressed by ex-
tensive technical assistants (TA) but at time of writing that has not been provided.
Textbox 17 Result Based Management
Budget planning has developed over several years but is still beset by short term interests crowding out the
medium to longer term (in spite of the commitment to the MTEF model). Ministries still complain of short
notice from MoF on budget preparation guidelines. But the 1390 First Circular is likely to be issued before the
end of Hamal (late April). This makes for a very long budget planning and preparation cycle but as it is driven
by moves to take next steps on the links between Strategic Plans and the annual budget and monitoring cycle,
there may be some improvements. Selected Ministries including both MoE and MoHE and the rest of the sector
Ministries, will be developing the 1390 budget in accordance with the principles of Results Based Management
(RBM). This is an ambitious next step and may well be premature as the base from which Ministries are mov-
ing is quite low.
Ministries will be forced under RBM to think more about the results they achieve (from available resources)
against Strategic and Annual goals. This will require more attention to annual operational plans as Ministries
have to think about the activities to achieve results. While both MoE and MoHE have made some ground on
this aspect through their approaches to detailed costing, it is likely that a different mindset will be required.
RBM is in its early stages. It will take years to yield real benefit – let alone allocations based on results – but on
balance it is recommended that MoE and MoHE engage fully in the process from the outset. Education is con-
sidered one of the better equipped Ministries to take this step. As long as the logical framework remains tied to
the Budget and all other parts of the planning architecture are aligned, the investment should be worth making.
MoE may need to consider some aspects of it approach to funds allocation and allotment, to reap full benefits.
There is potential for some sub programme changes, such as making clear distinctions between the primary and
secondary components of General Education, which have been resisted in MoE.
244
This may still be appropriate in the current stage of management capacity even if the plans from the centre are for faster
progress towards results based management.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 105
Another success factor for effective management of (on budget) finances is the pace at which
MoF, through the Moustufiats, embraces adequate systems and supports the client Ministries.
Good progress in moving AFMIS out to the provinces is evident, but there are at least anecdo-
tal suggestions that the process still involves a large number of players in actually delivering
the financing for delivery of services at the provincial and school levels, particularly in the
Development Budget. This added complexity of process does not necessarily reduce fiduci-
ary risk and slows down funds release and execution. There is a pervasive view in Mous-
tufiats that the Ministries are as yet poorly equipped to work with the new system. There is
evidence for this view in the provinces visited, where the overall procurement process is
clearly struggling. Finance however does not seem to think it has an institutional responsibil-
ity to assist line Ministries through training and it remains inflexible to the point of being un-
cooperative in some places. The late passage of the Budget has already more or less guaran-
teed the problems will persist in 1389 (2010), even though in principle this should not be the
case.
In the medium to long term, planned school construction will impose a significant strain on
the operating budget as the costs of maintenance and equipping of schools flow through. MoE
has based its five year plan operating costs budget on the assumption that non salaries compo-
nents of the operating budget will grow from about 13% of the operating budget in 1387 to
about 25% of the operating budget in 1393 and some of the sub goals for the Management
programme reflect this. This is not yet agreed with MoF but is a proxy for the likely outer
limit of costs in this part of the budget. There is some evidence already that the school-based
grants are losing their attraction due to highly bureaucratic management demands and some
perceived unreliability of the funds stream. The medium-term outlook is for continued imbal-
ance between salaries and operating costs. This is destructive of efforts to improve quality in
particular.
The Budget Planning and Expenditure Tracking (BPET) system is a potentially powerful fi-
nancial management tool, and if properly managed should help the ministry greatly improve
the management of its finances. It is still, however, limited to four Ministries, of which MoE
is one, and then only to their central offices. This is likely to persist for some time and rein-
force the centralisation of management information to the relative disadvantage of the provin-
cial and lower levels of MoE. BPET reports at quite detailed level by project code, program,
down to sub component level and location code. It is understood that recent Expenditure
Status Reports prepared by MoE for one donor have been assessed as satisfactory. This is
good progress in the last 12 months.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 106
Textbox 18 Challenges for Grants Management and Performance Assessment
The Ministry of Education in particular has a highly ambitious Strategic Plan for the next four years. In the past
four years it did not achieve expenditure of 50 % of the donor financed Development Budget and only slightly
better proportions of the allotted funds. (It is also likely that donors off budget disbursed only about 50% of
their commitment in 1389.)
According to the 1389 budget proposal from the Ministry, about 57% of the proposed Development Budget
remains unfunded. The GMU therefore has a substantial task in mobilising resources to align with Ministry
priorities. The Unit was disbanded for 12 months was re-established under the current Minister, but separated
from its previous connection with the planning department. In MOE there are over 20 donors and 40 imple-
menting partners and internal coordination is through the Education Management Board with the GMU as the
main proposal writer (working with Working Groups of the Ministry). This is a complex coordination task for
all players including donors, MoE and MoF.
The language and discussion in GMU‘s interface with donors and internal clients are activity rather than per-
formance based. Results are still mainly measured in expenditure terms. Some other challenges identified are:
• Lack of updated tracking systems to verify the donors‘ investment on educational activities.
• Limited and unverified data existence in GMU from past.
• Data collected manually and thus needs verification and proper updating.
• Cooperation issues and familiarity with new systems among MoE civil servants
• The DAD (Donors Assistance Database) is not properly updated, nor does it serve different purposes
that are important for tracking donor investment on education in Afghanistan
Brief discussions with MoHE and MOLSAMD suggest that their capacity for donor interaction on external
budget is also a challenge although the latter only appears to have two projects.
16.8 Procurement
Procurement is the means by which effective and timely expenditure of the non-salaries part
of the annual budget is carried out. The Procurement Law is a critical part of the overall fi-
nancial governance framework and codifies the procedures for spending public money. The
procedures under the law provide a common basis for the purchase of all goods and services
financed by the operating and development budget. Procurement for all goods and services in
the sector is carried out under the provisions of the Procurement Law 2008 which was
amended in 1389 (009) (Textbox 19).
Among other things good procurement process should include annual procurement plans re-
lated to the annual budget as well as being consistent with the Strategic Plan of MoE and pro-
vide a basis for timely and proper acquisition of goods and services and sound budget execu-
tion. The continuing low expenditure rates and high levels of carry forward in MoE (and the
recent surge in MoHE), are an indicator of weak capacity and that operationalisation of plans
is not well done. It is also important as it is an indicator of the progress of the complex and
ambitious planning architecture, based on sound principles, that has begun in Afghanistan.
MoE might consider pressing itself to complete its sound planning and implementation strate-
gies, as a preamble for FTI after which it may be in a better position to absorb the strategic
and technical support that might be provided.
Further, the low expenditure leads to concerns about poor governance and accountability re-
lating to public expenditures. This is one of the main reasons for the large share of donor as-
sistance channelled through the external budget as donors seek to bypass weak government
systems and deliver resources to projects and programs directly, outside of the core budget.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 107
Textbox 19 The Status Quo in Procurement
The 1389 Budget was again delayed in its passage through the Parliament and formal signing off by the Presi-
dent. By mid Saur (second month) no formal allocations had been entered into the BPET, meaning that no
perceived capacity for commencement of major procurements existed. At least in MoE, no action had started
on making annual plans until six weeks into the fiscal year. Not one proposal or procurement plan had been
submitted to the Procurement Directorate at the time of writing. On three provincial visits, not one provincial
director or finance manager had any knowledge of their 1389 operating or development budget and no salary
payments for Hamal had been made by 4 May, in spite of AFMIS being loaded with the necessary data and
allocations. This may be because line Ministries did not advise the provinces of the AFMIS allocation. (It is
possible in some cases DAB did not move cash through the system.)
Late passage of the budget is anticipated in the Public Financial Management Law, which enables the Ministry
of Finance to issue financial cover to 15
th
Hamal to Ministries for operating costs and development budget to
the extent of one twelfth of the previous year‘s expenditure. This was done, but not until late Hamal for 1389.
There is not yet a procurement plan for 1389 in MoE.
Ministries have a reasonable certainty of the final budget up to two months prior to the commencement of a new
fiscal year and could at that time begin the process of developing quite firm annual and procurement plans. This
is not done. As a result not one office contacted had submitted any form of procurement or financial plan to the
centre and no preparations had been made to begin the preparation of a procurement plan or contract prepara-
tions. This will mean that in the 1389 year not one new project will make it to contract stage within the first half
of the fiscal year. As a result most new construction projects will not commence before winter and little of the
US$86 million of new money will be spent in 1389.
It is likely also that large amounts of the carry forward budget will similarly not be brought to contract in a
timely manner. This is a considerable weakness in management and execution of the plan.
Apart from addressing the heavy financial costs of corruption and leakage of public funds
and, thus, poor results and lowered effectiveness, improving public expenditure governance is
also a key prerequisite for donors to shift from the external budget to the core budget. This is
a priority objective of the government.
Table 24 Development Expenditure in MoE by Programme for 1388 (AFMIS) (US$M)
NESP Programme Budget Actual Variance %Spent
General Education 23.1 12.4 10.7 54
Teacher Education 47.1 10.2 37.0 22
Infrastructure 62.8 34.2 28.6 54
Curriculum Development 20.0 8.7 11.3 44
Islamic Education 3.5 0.5 3.0 15
TVET 16.6 5.4 11.3 32
Literacy 5.3 3.2 2.1 60
Education Management 15.1 9.4 5.7 62
Grand Total 193.6 83.9 109.6 43
The most commonly advanced reasons for under achievement of expenditure related to strate-
gic or other plans include the following:
? Weak budget formulation and coordination with purchase plans
o As noted above this is a serious problem and although it is being addressed in the centre, visits
to Provinces suggest extremely weak capacity and very weak links to budgets. Most plans ap-
pear to be top down.
o Budget proposals over-estimate the capacity to implement them and are not sufficiently rigor-
ously screened within the Ministry before submission to MoF.
o In the Ministry of Education one problem is probably the sheer number of contracts that have
to be arranged, unlike the Ministry of Higher Education, which has a relatively small number
of large capital projects (several of which took over three years from concept and finance ap-
proval to budget execution).
? Complexity of procurement rules
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 108
o This was a problem in 1387(2008) when three versions of the Procurement Law were passed.
o There are high levels of requests for better documentation from MoF; high levels of extension
of contracts by MoF; long delays in processing bids, possibly due to a large number of ?ap-
proval? points; and inability to attract qualified bidders. (Prequalification is not permitted un-
der the Procurement Law.)
o The Provincial Governors‘ offices and possibly the Ministry of Economy both create additional
choke points.
? Technical assessments are performed after the contract has been awarded.
? Late approval of the budget by parliament or slow and unpredictable allocation of funds.
o As noted in the opening box this is likely to be suggested again in 1389(2010), even though the
Budget Law provides a mechanism for providing allotments if the Parliament delays the budget
approval.
? Approval for carry forward acquisitions from the previous year took 3 months.
o This was due in large part to the method of submission having being annexed to the budget
submission instead of inclusive. It should not reoccur in 1389(2010).
? Donors impose another layer of process requirements or are unpredictable in their cash release.
o This is reasonably based but the overall capacity constraints in the Ministries may mean the
impact of this is magnified.
o Some donors‘ own budget rules may intrude and magnify the size of the problem. It has been
pointed out that on some occasions, multi-year funding has been disbursed in a single year.
? Multiyear projects are fully appropriated in a single year, this guaranteeing there will be a series of
carry forwards, even if the contract is finalised and construction commences in the first year
Textbox 20 Challenges for Procurement
There was insufficient time to review this area in the detail that appears necessary. Indications are of dysfunc-
tion as well as low capacity across the board.
Mustufiats claim line Ministries are in error but may well be acting to prevent expenditure. They do not see
themselves as facilitators on the evidence of three provincial visits.
Value for money procurement takes second place to lowest price and pre-qualification of bidders is not under-
taken.
Many contracts are for multiple years and financing from both the budget and donor sources may be subject to
different rules and timing. Apart from making procurement more complex this almost certainly places demands
on contract managers who are ill prepared for the task. Financial scheduling in contracts is poorly understood at
several levels and the number of participants leads to project delays. Performance standards in contracting may
not be enforced (on the evidence of one province and some 30 projects).
16.9 AFMIS, the Ministry of Finance and Procurement
AFMIS is a fairly robust system and as it is increasingly rolled out to Provincial and Regional
level that should help with more timely disbursements. That depends however on the capacity
in Moustufiats as well as line Ministries. If MoE in particular were to get its wish for greater
levels of Operating Cost budget being allocated to both Goods and Services and Investment
codes, then AFMIS should be able to cope and match greater management decentralisation in
MoE. In addition the MoE might examine the potential to allocate to lower levels and along
provincial lines rather than holding at central levels of programmes as a means of expediting
payment and potentially improving overall procurement results.
In addition, MoF might consider reducing the number of signatures that are required for pay-
ment, especially for those outside the Ministry chain of management. According to some dis-
cussions, up to 25 signatures have been ?required? to move from approval to acquittal. This
appears at odds with Treasury requirements. It adds nothing to the basic requirements for pru-
dence. Indeed it may act to pervert the standards. MoF should review its procedures and align
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 109
them more closely with the Treasury guidance. This might also include providing allocations
prior to contracting.
AFMIS may have some minor technical issues in relation to processing Development Budget
payments that do create another bottleneck and require paper based work-arounds within the
process. If so, the opportunity presented by a review of AFMIS to investigate any potential
changes arising from the Cluster alignments following the London Conference and the possi-
ble drilling down to test for any provincial differences in expenditure patterns may help find
and solve some problems. This will be led from the MoF.
MoF at the provincial level consistently expressed the view that Ministries are weak in man-
agement and error rates in preparing documentation are high. They do not, however, seem to
see a role for themselves in providing training on the effective execution of their own rules
and procedures or the use of their systems.
For their part, the provincial offices of line agencies persistently refer to the obduracy of
Moustufiats and delays in processing even properly prepared documentation. There appears to
be some truth to this attitude and one Governor‘s office made the same suggestion. At all Pro-
vincial meetings it became clear that Governors‘ offices are part of the chain of assessment
and approval of virtually all procurement actions. At the least this adds another layer of bu-
reaucracy and potentially competing interests to the process.
16.10 Procurement and Planning
As a highly dispersed Ministry it is intuitively attractive to aim for decentralised management
of the procurement process. This is in the MoE plans. Threshold limits for local procurement
rules have been increased which should support that strategy and AFMIS expansion to the
provincial level should provide some support for the expenditure component. There are how-
ever several challenges which should be taken into account when developing the procurement
plans and the pace at which decentralisation proceeds:
? Programmes and their components still operate as information silos with weak coordination and contin-
ued short term focus.
? Operational planning should be more anchored in what can be achieved with the resources available
(and for which there is a reasonable degree of confidence through the MTEF aspects of the budget) as
well as maintaining or increasing the current levels of external budget financing.
? Continuing to develop the links between the various elements of the planning, budgeting, procurement,
accounting and reporting sections is a critical success factor for achievement of the programme budget
and strategic planning objectives.
? Building capacity through improved use of linked computers (and improved communication generally)
and more effective skills transfer from TA to local operations is required.
245
? Reviewing the process to reduce the number of ?checkpoints? involved on the way to approval of pro-
jects. Some of these checkpoints are outside the structure of MoE and it is not clear what value is added
by their engagement.
16.11 Internal Audit
The internal audit function in MoE (Textbox 21) is assessed as very weak at this stage al-
though there is a small group who would benefit from close development support. Most of
245
This is a challenge of some magnitude. Anecdotal evidence is that the qualified labour pool for the appropriate skills is
severely stressed and is exacerbated by differential pay levels between agencies, (including external competitors) among
other things. This means that civil service is not able to attract and retain required skills and the system‘s ability to develop
them remains very restricted.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 110
the longer term personnel are from a background of inspection/compliance audits based on
paper trails and process observance and few if any of this group has tertiary qualifications.
There are very few computers among the 60 or so staff and ability to use them for systems
based auditing is assessed as minimal. It is clear that some records and reports are being de-
veloped and maintained electronically but most action is still paper based.
All current staff are in Kabul and any regional audits are carried out by two auditors travelling
to the regions. The operating costs budget to support this way of working could not estab-
lished; the Chief Internal Auditor could not say how much if any budget he expected for
1389(2010) from what he submitted in the budget process, although as the budget has not
been passed through the Parliament there have not been any allocations made to this level
Intensive TA support of the past two years was withdrawn in November 2009. While it was
there it appears there was essentially a parallel organisation structure with 11 people in the
HQ and one in each of the 34 provinces. In several discussions it was difficult to establish
what the relationship was between the temporary and better rewarded TA team and the per-
manent civil service staff. With one or two exceptions there appears to have been very little
skill transfer or mentoring. This phenomenon was observed also in the Construction Depart-
ment where there were 162 engineers until November 2009, of whom not one is known to be
still working in the government.
Textbox 21 Internal Audit Status Quo
MoE has established an Internal Audit in the new Tashkil, with an approved staffing level of 60 personnel. In
the structure it reports directly to the Minister, an important aspect of governance.
The Chief Internal Auditor is a recent appointee with a background as a prosecutor. He described a process in
which annual audit plans are established and endorsed by the Minister and agreed with the Control and Audit
Office (which also seems to undertake some audits of areas of the Ministry).
Focus in the past two years seems to have been on compliance audits and ?inspection? and all performance
measures referred to in discussion were related to finding cases of fraud and recovering funds from these find-
ings to the Ministry‘s budget. In the provided copy of a performance report on the IA Department there was
emphasis on reduction of fraud and related behaviours as well as processing load indicators.
? Some 286 people were reported as having been dealt with for a variety of offences and over 2.5 million
Afs identified as recoverable to the budget.
? 54 cases (including 34 for embezzlement or related matters) were referred to the Attorney General for
action
? 26 letters of thanks or commendation
The Chief Internal Auditor claimed that the office also signs off on Ministry Annual accounts although that has
not been confirmed. An annual audit plan for 1389(2010) is apparently awaiting approval of the Minister.
There is fair understanding of the Audit Law and governance structure (including the role of the CAO and IN-
TOSAI) but modern audit and performance audit concepts were less well articulated. There is a strong empha-
sis on anti-corruption in the outline provided by the Chief Internal Auditor.
For two years to the end of 1388(2009) the MoE had 45 TA personnel supplied under the provisions of the
CDP, none of whom are now available to the Unit due to the completion of the CDP. Some equipment and a
number of files were transferred to the Internal Audit unit but it is not well equipped to move in the direction of
modern audit practice especially performance audits. There is no provincial internal audit representation in the
Ministry since the removal of the TA positions.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 111
16.12 Other Challenges for Internal Audit
Internal Audit skills requirements are unlikely to be met for some time from the local labour
market even after pay and grading transfers are completed. The skills are in short supply and
the salaries are not competitive for other than a few new graduates. This could compromise
both capacity building and integrity of process and was a focal point for the Chief Internal
Auditor. An active training and mentoring program should be considered even if the risk is
that some better trained staff will then move on to better remunerated positions outside the
government.
There is international pressure for Afghanistan to adopt ?good international practice? in audit-
ing on a government wide level and the Government has committed previously to greater
transparency overall in government. The overall legal framework for financial and govern-
ance integrity set out through the Budget Law, Procurement Law, Audit Law and Treasury
Regulations is a package. The Strategic Planning architecture with medium term strategic
plans and annual operating plans is complex but all part of the whole. Eventually this will
lead to audits moving from compliance audit to value for money and performance auditing,
eventually utilising systems approaches. This is likely to be a very long term transition.
There are well based reservations about the capacity of the Internal Audit function to contrib-
ute to governance and management reforms in MoE in the near term. It is unlikely that it will
provide any meaningful contribution to the realization of the NESP II goals for the Education
Management Programme 5 (in NESP II) without intense and sustained assistance. This has
been recognized by MoE in its proposal for new TA positions – and by the Chief Internal
Auditor - but consideration should be given to embedded international direct technical advice
and training being sought, for some time. There is virtually no allocation of operating expen-
diture to support the existing vestigial capacity in its inspection related functions.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 112
16.13 SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
? Soundly based budget process that can be
used as a driver for general performance re-
lated reforms over time for the whole sector
using common approaches.
? Central finance system and rule set (includ-
ing Treasury Regulations, procurement law
and accountability framework) is conceptu-
ally robust if universally and sensibly ap-
plied.
? Core of technically competent people at the
centre of the organisation.
? Regular financial reporting is becoming
entrenched at HQ level and some provinces
are reporting on finances, other resources
and activities at least in MoE. BPET report-
ing to donors has begun.
? Good relations with the MoF and donors
engaged in Education (and apparently
MoHE) at central level.
? International donor community is committed
to education as a high priority for investment
and support over the long term with MDGs
as a focus.
? NESP2 marks evolutionary progress from
NESP1 and MoHE Strategic Plan is basis for
future progress.
? HRDB appears a soundly based forum for
addressing coordination matters and some
provinces have put in place effective coordi-
nation structures
? Potential for information systems to begin to
be more effective in assessing performance
and lead to performance based decision mak-
ing (by end of NESP2).
? Internal competition in MoE does not aid coherent policy
development or collegial priority setting.
? Beyond the centre and some provincial offices there are
low levels of understanding of the overall performance
and financial architecture and focus only on very short
term and activity based measures.
? Procurement of capital works is ponderous, over bureau-
cratic and engages too many participants with competing
interests. Possible that donors are adding to the complex-
ity.
? Weak links between Strategic Plan and fiscal outlook (in
both MoE and MoHE) with little recognition of the reality
of fiscal constraints.
? MOLSAMD is weak in policy and technical requirements
and strategic plan.
? Sector participants do not easily coalesce and are in com-
petition within sector as well as for particular skills and
resources.
? MoF at provincial level seems to be imposing road blocks
on cash release and creating uncertainty thus exacerbating
procurement weaknesses.
? Donor coordination (and the mechanisms to address the
issue) imposes high workloads on few people and adds
complexity thus exacerbating capacity constraints.
? Top down management does not facilitate good commu-
nication and understanding between central and provin-
cial offices.
Opportunities Threats
? Stable and energetic core technocratic base
can provide direction to any additional TA
? MoE is regarded as relatively good per-
former in planning and likely to adapt to new
budget strategy at least at the centre.
? MoHE Strategic Plan focus on quality and
some links to MoE a basis for better coop-
eration and planning
? Results Based Management led by MoF may
facilitate shift from activity based planning
and monitoring to results and quality as-
sessments, if linked to plans from the outset.
? Fiscal sustainability is delayed and Security takes priority
for local financing thus substantially constraining operat-
ing budget in both salaries and operating costs. This will
substantially hold back true performance assessment and
quality growth.
? Competition for off budget financing could increase with
MRRD, Agriculture and Infrastructure as likely growth
areas.
? Inability to spend current budget will delay shift to on
budget expenditure and may place cap on growth of
available funds in the short term.
? Complexity of central systems imposes stress on limited
managerial competence across the board. RBM may be in
this category in the short term.
? Most Ministries cannot implement plans without substan-
tial and sustained injections of donor finance
? The core management group may be overwhelmed with
additional duties
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 113
17 Knowledge and Data
Good policies, plans and programmes need to be grounded in authoritative monitoring,
evaluation and research and to be strongly informed by reliable and timely educational data.
As with so many things in the education sector in Afghanistan, data collection has had to start
afresh, from a very low baseline. But in 1389 (2010) it is evident that the importance of good
data for policy development is clearly understood in the MoE, most obviously in the General
Directorate of Planning and Evaluation and in its EMIS Department.
246
One clear signal of the
progress that has been made in a relatively short time is that unlike NESP I, NESP II has been
able to draw on data held by EMIS.
247
There is also evidence of growing good practice in
other parts of the central Ministry, for example, in the development of a teacher education
data base which will be linked to EMIS. And EMIS is becoming better at being more respon-
sive to requests for data within government and from donor agencies.
248
17.1 School Surveys and Annual Reports
Data on the performance of students and their schools is obviously critical if policies and
plans are to be based on reality rather than theory. In this regard, important advances have
been made in the past four years in developing a systematic approach to surveying schools
and other educational institutions that fall under the aegis of MoE. One important product of
this process is the issue since 1386 (2007) of an Annual Education Summary Report.
The present process of collecting the data directly from schools has some strengths and a
number of weaknesses. It is a strength that a large number of people in the system are trained,
directly involved and made aware of the importance of school level data. Over 11,000 head
teachers who complete the data collection forms, up to 200 survey teams, 34 supervisory
teams and at least 400 District education officials all play their part. On the other hand this is
a highly labour intensive paper-based activity prone to a high margin of error in the collection
and transcription of data.
It is a strength, too, that the school survey is recognised now as an annual audit; conversely it
is a weakness, as yet, that schools do not get direct feedback on their situation and perform-
ance relative to other schools and other Districts, nor can they access the completed annual
reports on CD or on-line, which is now commonplace in many countries.
There are broader constraints on the process too. The security situation, the remoteness of
many schools and the differential levels of efficiency in collecting and collating data across
the country, meant that 600 schools could not be visited in 1386(2007) (6.32% of the total)
and in 1387(2008), 1,782 educational institutions failed to compile a complete set of informa-
tion (16% of the total).
Clearly, and as MoE intends, EMIS needs to be decentralised so that Provincial Education
Departments can take direct responsibility for collecting data and monitoring not only on
schools and their students, but other aspects of the system as well, such as MoE facilities and
assets. The intention in NESP II is that all central and provincial departments will be part of a
national EMIS system by 1393(2014). In rolling this programme out, the experience of many
246
EMIS is charged with collecting data on all types of formal and no-formal education programmes for all part
of the education system
247
EMIS has benefited from support from the World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF. .
248
The sector analysis team has seen a number of ministry publications used for international missions and con-
ferences which draw on up to date data.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 114
countries is that both the human capacity building and the technical maintenance of systems is
more demanding than is usually expected in the design phase. Given the circumstances and
location of many provincial centres this may well prove also to be the case in Afghanistan.
17.2 Data Gaps
Turning from the process to the specifics of the data that is collected, it is a remarkable
achievement that after just four years, the annual schools survey is able to collect the level of
detail that it does on a set of attendance, gender, examination, infrastructure and teacher re-
lated indicators. It is also greatly to the credit of EMIS that the MoE annual summary reports
appear within six to nine months of the school surveys being conducted.
249
As the earlier section on General Education shows, the absence of school age/grade informa-
tion is especially problematic for a number of reasons. First, it is virtually impossible to pro-
vide gross enrolment and net enrolment data with any measure of confidence. The 1386(2007)
schools survey attempted to provide this data using student age data provided by school prin-
cipals. The 1387(2008) and 1388(2009) reports have not attempted to repeat this exercise. As
a consequence, it is very difficult to monitor the level of progress that is being made towards
Afghanistan EFA and MDG related goals over time.
Secondly, this age/grade information is important because there is a significant body of com-
parative research to show that children‘s learning chances are that much greater if they par-
ticipate in schooling at the correct, official age.
250
Children, especially girls, who start late are
more likely to drop out or fail to progress.
In relation to this problem, some thought should be given to how better profiles can be built
up of individual students. Simple record cards that are kept over the whole of a student‘s
school life can provide invaluable information about age, performance and attendance. This
would not be designed to replace the school attendance register but to build up a fuller picture
of student progress and achievement. It may be that records exist already but they were not
drawn to the attention of the ESA.
A further and major gap in the collection and the presentation of school level data, is better
quality related indicators, especially on school completion, transition rates from primary to
lower secondary and so on up the system, pupil /teacher and classroom /student ratios, the
availability of learning materials and textbooks, instructional hours per week (and year)
251
and
some disaggregation of examination data to allow the assessment of skills and knowledge that
has been acquired.
This is clearly more difficult data to collect, although some of the ratios could be calculated at
the Provincial levels by bringing data on classrooms, teachers and students together. This is
important in having a much clearer picture of the relative quality of education in different
Provinces, and even Districts of Afghanistan. This in turn should facilitate better local plan-
249
Prior to 1386(2007), surveys were conducted by international organisations (EWFP and UNICEF) and by
MoE. In 1383(2004) a schools survey was conducted with help from UNICEF. This recorded registration / en-
rolment data. In 1384(2005) data information forms were introduced but with insufficient data to provide a sys-
tem wide overview.
250
See for example the CREATE project: The Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and
Equity (CREATE) athttp://www.create-rpc.org/contact/index.shtml
251
Especially important in a country where many schools operate a shift system.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 115
ning. At present the tabulation of single indicators does not make cross-Province characteris-
tics easy to discern.
There is also a need sooner rather than later to begin to monitor and report trends over time.
252
Trend data is a much more valuable as a planning tool than single year data. In the context of
monitoring progress towards Universal Primary Education this is important at the District,
Provincial and national levels if areas of achievement and poor performance are to be recog-
nised.
17.3 Other Sources of Data
It is imperative that MoE has a robust data collection and data analysis capacity at all levels of
the education system. This is planned. It is also sensible to use as many other reliable data
sources as possible in defining policy and monitoring progress. Household surveys and sam-
ple case studies can provide important and sometimes more detailed insights than a more uni-
form, national data collection process.
Three examples (and opportunities) are cited here. The Central Statistics Organization‘s
(CSO) National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 1386/7(2007/8) provides education, em-
ployment and socio-economic data based on a survey of just over 20,000 households. Accord-
ing to UNESCO, Afghanistan may conduct a household survey on literacy.
253
A module enti-
tled Using Literacy Module in Household Surveys has been designed for use as a self-standing
instrument or as part of a wider household survey programme. A Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey (MICS) is scheduled to start in 2010, to be implemented by the CSO with the techni-
cal and financial support of UNICEF. This will include the collection of data on education
and literacy as well as a wide range of indicators on the circumstances of children and the
well-being of children. If there are opportunities for MoE to contribute to the design of these
surveys to obtain particular types of data, then benefits accrue to both parties.
254
More broadly, the move towards a sector approach following the London Conference pro-
vides an opportunity to draw the often disparate data together more effectively to provide the
beginnings of a basis for evidence based decisions. The move towards RBM, led by the MoF
and in which MoE is a participant, should help reinforce the effective application of data.
17.4 Knowledge Gap: Knowledge Sources
The challenges of the rapid expansion of an education system while improving the quality of
learning from a very low base pose enormous problems; one answer to which is that the best
possible use is made of research and comparative experience. Afghanistan is not unique in
addressing this challenge although the circumstances of conflict and insecurity add a complex
extra dimension to finding appropriate solutions. Some of the core issues include:
? Having a much stronger understanding of the demand side of the education service provision and deliv-
ery equation
? Demonstrating in very practical ways how education can be a force for greater peace and security
? Strengthening community engagement in schooling
252252
A forthcoming report to Parliament will use data in this way. It has not yet appeared in the summary annual
reports.
253
Seehttp://portal.unesco.org/geography/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=12285&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
254
Donors and NGOs collect data for projects and programmes. USAID has supported household surveys nota-
bly in the health sector.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 116
? Developing appropriate and acceptable strategies to enable girls to stay in schooling and advance
through the education system
? Revisiting some established norms, including student/ teacher ratios, standard classroom size, and the
length of the learning day both for educational reasons and in the search for greater cost efficiency
? Assessing the impact of shift schooling on the quality of learning
? Undertaking longer term forecasting on how to expand secondary and higher education as the numbers
in basic education grow dramatically over the next 20 years.
Some, but not all, of this work requires research capacity that responds to the policy and plan-
ning demands of MoE. This capacity does not currently exist in the Ministry itself and there
are relatively few centres of expertise in Afghanistan with the capacity to provide strategic
applied research of this nature.
255
An exception is AREU an independent research group
which researches and publishes on education. Its series on Household Decision Making and
School Enrolment is valuable micro-research.
256
Most applied research is conducted within the framework of donor supported activities or
research undertaken to help define donor‘s own strategies and programmes. Much of this is a
rich source of material but with limited audiences and with relatively few opportunities for
this to feed into a wide policy dialogue. The UN organisations and some of the major interna-
tional (and some local) NGOs also undertake valuable survey and issue-based studies as
shown in Annex 2.
There is a sector wide knowledge and research agenda which to date has received very little
attention. It deserves a study in its own right with a view to seeing how mechanisms such as
research oriented study tours, institutional link programmes or consortia, and research budgets
included within donor assisted education sector projects might be accommodated.
18 Building Capacity
Capacity is an elusive concept. It is invariably linked with training to learn new skills and gain
new knowledge, usually at an individual level. But capacity is broader than this. The acquisi-
tion of skills and knowledge is of course important but so too is experience and the sharing of
experience; and the role of systems, structures, networks and resources. It is the sum of all of
these elements of capacity that determine collectively whether a school, a Provincial Director-
ate or a Ministry of Education fulfils its statutory responsibilities and achieves its service de-
livery objectives. So, building and strengthening capacity requires attention to all of these
things; the acquisition of skills and knowledge and the development of communication net-
works, systems and processes. To build capacity across government, within a ministry and up
and down through the sub-national tiers of an education is a complex assignment.
It has not been possible to assess the capacity of the education system to deliver on its ambi-
tious objectives in any great depth in this analysis. It is clear, however, that this is an issue of
major concern across government in Afghanistan. As one recent conference finding puts it …
the legacy of 25 years of war and conflict has left Afghanistan with a collapsed administrative
system and a very small pool of skilled Afghans. Although the government system is consid-
ered resilient in terms of its basic structure, practices and procedures, it is seriously depleted
of human and material resources. More than 90% of civil servants only have high school di-
255
There is an important proviso to this comment in that the sector analysis team was only able to access and use
material in English.
256
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit athttp://www.areu.org.af/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=25
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 117
plomas and 60% of civil servants are due to retire in the next 5-10 years. Many new recruits
will have to be found from a pool of young Afghans, whose level of education and capacity is
very low.
257
In the MoE, NESP II does not recognise the challenge in quite these terms but its intention to
improve communication, systems and processes is articulated.
Judging whether a public service ministry has the capacity to deliver can be assessed in dif-
ferent ways. Ideally, it is based on the monitoring, review and evaluation of recent perform-
ance. This would highlight successes and deficits and thereby the factors that advanced or
limited performance. A joint review with donor partners of NESP I would have helped to
serve this purpose, identifying the major weaknesses (and the major strengths) of the educa-
tion system in its service delivery. This did not happen although proposals along these lines
are in NESP II.
One significant indicator of capacity is the ability of the MoE to spend its development
budget. Although the percentage of total spend has increased somewhat, it remains stubbornly
below 50% (although the figure is over 60% in MoHE in the past year). This either suggests a
level of unrealistic ambition and/or an absence of capacity (including in other ministries, such
as MoF at sub-national levels) to be able to deliver on planned programmes.
At an input level, a proxy measure of the capacity of those working in the education sector is
their educational background and qualifications. These data must be treated with caution
given that the circumstances of Afghanistan in recent history means that other qualities matter
greatly; experience, adaptability, commitment and the capacity to work in very constrained
environments count for a great deal. It also needs to be acknowledged in interrogating data of
educational qualifications that many people in Afghanistan have been denied education and
training opportunities over many years, so it is not a matter of total surprise that the overall
level of educational qualification may be relatively low. Less than 7% have university de-
grees.
Table 25 categorizes staff for the MoE. It shows that teachers comprise 79% of the reg-
istered workforce (May 2009) and those in administrative and managerial posts 5%. Over
30% of the workforce has secondary education or below (but this includes more than 31,000
ajirs or support staff). The largest group, 44.5%, very largely teachers, have had ?higher edu-
cation?, especially teacher training.
258
Fewer than 7% have university degrees.
257
Government of Afghanistan –UNDP Conference on Public Sector Capacity Development Assistance in Af-
ghanistan. Kabul. April 2009.
258258
EMIS data as this is presented in annual summary reports does not disaggregate qualifications data, com-
bining teachers with administrative staff. This is not helpful.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 118
Table 25 The Educational Qualifications of the Ministry of Education Workforce
Based on 1388 (2009) data, the Ministry of Education had an approved Tashkil of
216,475 – the largest civilian workforce in Afghanistan In November 2009 the number
of registered employees was 209,009 a shortfall of over 7,000 ( Over 1,250 in Kandahar
Province), made up of:
166,609 teachers (71% men; 29% female)
10,716 non-teaching staff (administrative and managerial)
31,684 Ajirs
Based on data for 198,638 registered employees (May 2009), qualifications are classified
as follows:
10% illiterate
9.4% self study
2.9% primary education
8.7 % secondary education
44.5 % higher education
1% 13th Grade
15.4% 14th Grade
0.1% 15th Grade
6.2% Bachelors Degree
0.1% Step Up Bachelors Degree
0.2% Masters Degree
15 people with a PhD
1.5% unknown
Source: EMIS MoE Staff Registration Data Base. November 2009.
Teachers are required to have a Grade 14 education or above. In 1387 (2008) only 24% of the
teaching force met this requirement. Sixty nine percent were therefore ?unqualified? teachers
who nevertheless keep schools working. As with many other aspects of education in Afghani-
stan the pattern across the country varies considerably. Kabul (Province and city) has 60% of
its teaching force with Grade 14 or above. Twelve Provinces have less than 10% of their
teaching personnel with less than Grade 14 education. Over 80% of the female teachers with
Grade 14 qualifications and above work in Afghanistan‘s nine main cities.
There are many capacity issues that flow from these data. Of necessity it means that many
teachers teach at a level which is likely to be beyond the bounds of their knowledge and peda-
gogy. It means too that the teaching capacity of individual schools varies considerably across
Provinces. There are major teaching quality deficits, particularly but not exclusively in the
Southern provinces of the country.
The capacity of the cadre of technical, administrative and management staff in MoE and their
ways of working is difficult to assess in any quantitative sense. The fact that during the life-
time of NESP I (1385-1389)/(2006-2010) over 1,000 national and technical advisers have
been recruited and supported by donor funding is one strong proxy measure of the limitations
of government civil servants in being able to deliver the MoEs ambitious expansion pro-
gramme. A recent proposal submitted to the HRDB, requests 540 TA posts at national level
and 980 posts at the sub-national level over a two year period in order to help deliver NESP
II.
259
This technical assistance is required to support policy and programme formulation, train
and mentor civil servants, support implementation of basic services where needed and moni-
259
It appears that a part of this request stems from the closure of the USAID supported Capacity Development
Program in 1388(2009) which took the TA in post to below 900.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 119
tor programme implementation. The main areas of need are in finance, audit control, pro-
curement, construction, curriculum development and through support for field operations. The
request is set out in terms of NESP II‘s five main programme areas. This proposal is con-
ceived as the key component of an extensive capacity building programme, to strengthen
Human Resources for effective education administration and management from the Ministry
down to school level.
260
Identifying people with this set of skills, mixing line responsibilities with the ability to trans-
fer and enhance capacity in a sustainable way is not easy. The literature on counterpart train-
ing points to the limitations of mixed role functions in transferring skills. Whether the fact
that the demand for TA is still so strong is indicative of an inherent flaw in the model that
believes that this is the way to build up core government capacity needs further review and
evaluation. It is understandable that there are urgent short term needs but some longer term
thinking about capacity building is required.
At an organisational level MoE has invested thought, time and energy on developing a closer
fit between its structures, systems and procedural ways of working and its NESP II goals and
programmes. The more important of these investments can be summarised as follows:
? A new organisational structure of the Ministry has been approved and is being implemented. Five Dep-
uty Ministers now lead on each of the five main programme areas of NESP (General and Islamic Edu-
cation; Curriculum and Teacher Education, Literacy. Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) and
Administration and Finance with a separate line for Planning). Sub-directorates correspond with sub-
programmes. At the provincial level there are or will be five programme managers.
? The merit based recruitment of all 4,000 non-teaching positions has started.
? Pay and grade reforms will cover the whole Ministry, including teachers, by 2012.
? A new Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) is being developed and staff re-
cruitment is decentralised.
If they work well these are important elements of a capacity development strategy. In addi-
tion, every department will be asked to develop their capacity building plan with support from
Reform Implementation Management Units (RIMU).
It is too early to judge whether changes that have been introduced recently will make the dif-
ference that the MoE seeks in delivering NESP II. Drawing primarily on discussions across
the Ministry (and at Provincial level) some of the system level, capacity related issues which
emerged during the work of the ESA team, included:
? The need for stronger coordination and cross ministry communication mechanisms at the top end of the
Ministry. While the new structure gives a strong NESP programme focus, there needs to be strong link-
ages between those programmes that are sub-sector in nature (General and Islamic and Literacy), those
that are to do with important inputs (Curriculum and Teacher Education), and those that direct and serve
both (Planning and Administration and Finance). One of way of doing this is to have a high level re-
view group that meets regularly to look at progress against high level sector objectives. This would tie
within NESO II proposals to monitor progress against targets, resources against budgets and external
aid.
? What may seem a matter of secondary importance is the spread of MoE offices across Kabul. Mobile
phone technology has made a difference but there are still considerable costs incurred through move-
ment and delay on a daily basis.
? The Ministry of Education has been complimented in some quarters for its efforts to dialogue with Pro-
vincial Directors and their offices. A ten day consultation event took place in Kabul in May 2010 which
260
So described in Ministry of Education Initiative for Developing Effective Program Management and Admini-
stration Capacity at National and Sub-National Level. MoE. January 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 120
demonstrated this fact. But at a rather different level, and based on three short provincial visits, the ca-
pacity of Provincial and District Offices to be at the forefront of education service delivery is very con-
strained. The physical environment in which staff work, the material resources at their disposal (includ-
ing limited IT provision), the lack of development related budgets, the lack of transport to enable school
and other visits, and in some instances a real lack of knowledge of wider sector policy were all appar-
ent. It is greatly to the credit of those involved that there is some evidence of commitment and initiative
at the same time.
? The capacity to allocate, receive and use funds in a timely and well managed way has been discussed in
the financing section of this report and is not rehearsed here.
? The very heavy dependence at the school level on the capacity and motivation of school principals and
the need to invest heavily in this key group of practitioners.
This list could be extended. In moving forward it would seem necessary for the MoE to con-
ceive of capacity building as a core theme running through all of its work. This will require a
broader conceptual framework than that set out in proposals for donor funding for additional
or new technical assistance advisers. While the short term need to deliver and sustain momen-
tum are understandable and make the TA route an attractive (some would say unavoidable
route), the development of a culture of ongoing capacity development needs to be fostered. If
capacity development is associated (as it is by some in the Ministry) with higher salaries and
more privileged positions then this is counter- productive, although the Ministry does have
proposals for both retaining TAs in government service and transition processes to civil ser-
vice take-over. This may be easier to achieve if there is a clear demonstration of capacity
building within the mainstream of Ministry activity, as this is demonstrated, for example,
through the work of the General Directorate of Teacher Education.
Good policy needs good process; good results need good process and in the ?early days?,
process may be more important than policy or results as it is the means of embedding the ba-
sis for continuing improvement.
19 Aid for Education
19.1 Aid Dependence: Aid Effectiveness
For the foreseeable future the expansion and the qualitative improvement of the education
sector will be dependent to a significant extent on external aid. As the earlier section on fi-
nancing puts it, the external budget is a critical element of the development of education in
Afghanistan and will be required to remain at a high level for the next several years. This
reflects the substantial commitment of the international community to supporting ANDS and
MDG goals for education and its contribution to the long term economic and societal growth
and stability of Afghanistan. Indicative of this fact is that MoE is seeking US$3.6 billion for
education for the next five years from the Government of the United States of America.
261
Given this level of dependence it is important that the partnerships between education sector
aid agencies and implementing organisations is effective. Making aid work well is core busi-
ness for MoE and for other education sector ministries too, as it is for the Government of Af-
ghanistan as a whole, and for its donor partners (Textbox 22). Aid for education should be in
support of government and ministry led policies, aligned to national strategies, harmonized
rather than disparate, results and outcome oriented, and accountable for its development out-
comes. It is against these types of benchmarks that aid to education should be assessed.
261
Ministry of Education, 2010. A Journey of Education Development in Afghanistan: Progress, Challenges and
Priorities. p15.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 121
Textbox 22 Commitments to Aid Effectiveness
ANDS states that:
The Government will continue to work to deepen the ownership and successful implementation of the ANDS.
This will require the full cooperation and assistance of the donor community. The motivation behind this com-
mitment is simple: the realization that making aid more effective by reducing overlap, duplication and the ad-
ministrative costs will have a significant impact on increasing the benefits of aid in the long term.
It states too that:
Afghanistan and the international community agreed on the Afghanistan Compact and signed the Paris Decla-
ration on Aid Effectiveness in 1385 (2006) to improve the delivery and impact of external assistance. The Gov-
ernment’s aid strategy is in line with the major principles of the Paris Declaration whereby (i)
partner countries own and exercise leadership over their development policies; (ii) donors align their overall
support with partner countries' national development strategies; (iii) donor actions are more harmonized,
transparent and collectively effective; (iv) resource management and decision-making are more results
oriented; and (v) donors and partners are accountable for development results. In addition to this the Govern-
ment’s aid effectiveness policies are also in line with the Afghanistan Compact, MDGs and ANDS poverty re-
duction targets
19.2 A Quick Look Back
Some aid agencies and multilateral organisations have been operating in support of the educa-
tion sector in Afghanistan for many years, managing to sustain their work under different
governments and fast changing circumstances. UNICEF, for example, has been in Afghani-
stan for 57 years while the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan is considered to be among the
oldest NGO education stakeholders, commencing its operations in the early 1980s.
With the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan was in the international spotlight, at a time
when there was an upsurge in interest in education, partly as a result of the ?Back to School
Campaign.? This resulted in many different organisations and donors wishing to contribute to
the renewal and rebuilding of education in Afghanistan with, perhaps, hundreds of interna-
tional organisations and NGOs working in their own target areas with limited contact with
Kabul and central line ministries.
In those early years, UNAMA led on assistance, with little management capacity in minis-
tries. MoE was not in a position to manage educational initiatives, nor to coordinate the work
of the donors. Education was being guided by emergency principles (Textbox 23).
Textbox 23 Buzkashi
The traditional national game Buzkashi is said to reflect the boldness and fierce competitive spirit of the Afghan
people. In this game which is played on horseback in competition between two teams a carcass (headless calf or
goat) is dragged, pulled and carried and the objective is to ride with the carcass over a certain distance and then
drop it at the ?goal?.
One MoE official once said that MoE (sometimes) was felt to play the role as the Buzkashi calf or goat, help-
lessly pushed and dragged between strong actors. This picture is not exactly illustrating an active Government
Ministry who is to be in the driver‘s seat with regard to education development. During complicated and com-
plex times in Afghanistan, where nation building is assumed to be in focus, many national and international
organisations are giving priority to their own interests; political, cultural/religious, economical or geographi-
cal.
262
262
Borrowed from ?Evaluation of MoE/UNICEF‘s ?Basic Education and Gender Equality Programme? for
2006-2008, Afghanistan Sida and the Norwegian Embassy in Kabul, October 2008, p.38
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 122
As MoE became better able to manage the sector so issues of coordination and control came
more to the fore. Restrictions and regulations had to be applied. Registration and oversight
was needed. This resulted in some strained relationships but it represented the beginning of
the MoE taking a leadership role, designed to build partnerships, reduce overlap, manage
scarce resources more effectively and set some standards for good schooling, including re-
moving the politicization of educational messages.
19.3 The Situation in 1389 (2010)
MoE in 1389 (2010) is better equipped to manage its sector, to offer leadership, and to main-
tain the right balance between enabling external partners to work productively in Afghanistan
while limiting and preventing unwanted developments. But managing this balance is not easy,
in an environment (in recent years) of insurgency and insecurity, of weak capacity, and of
immense logistical and infrastructural problems. And comparative experience suggests, that it
is not easy for development agencies to improve coordination in such circumstances, finding
that managing and advancing their own programmes and projects is challenge enough.
In addition, although there is no evidence as yet that the global financial crisis has impacted
on levels of aid to education in Afghanistan it remains a concern. And there may be some
lessening of international commitment to Education for All, the education related MDGs and
the Paris and Accra agreements on aid effectiveness in this a period of global uncertainty.
19.4 The Aid to Education Picture
There are no reliable data bases on donor activity, maintained to serve policy and planning on
an ongoing basis. In the financing section of this report a table has been compiled using in-
formation from the grants management unit of MoF. Annex 4 to this report provides a de-
scriptive table of projects compiled from UNICEF and MOE sources in 1388 (2009). These
two tables overlap but they do not match.
But using Annex 4 alone it is possible to conclude that in 1388 (2009) there were:
? 77 recorded education projects, funded by 13 main donors (excluding ARTF funding)
? The 77 projects were being implemented by a minimum of 32 organisations and institutions including
government ministries
? With just three exceptions the projects could be said to be supportive of NESP objectives programmes,
directly or indirectly
? Where the data have been recorded, 16 programmes and projects are described as covering the whole
country
? 48 projects record project duration;
263
of these 17 were for four years or more, 19 were for two or three
years, and 9 were of one‘s year duration.
This is a complex picture but not a complete one, as these are the projects largely funded by
major donor agencies. The work of many NGO and CSO organisations is not captured. There
is probably some comfort to be drawn from the relatively high proportion of projects that last
for a year or more. But in the context of better aid and better aid effectiveness this data high-
lights the challenge of coordination and greater harmonization.
263
To some extent this multi year project duration and financing through the budget contributes to the apparent
under spending and high levels of carry forward of funds discussed in the finance section.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 123
19.5 Better Aid Practice
In recent years, a considerable body of work has been undertaken to determine how aid can be
used effectively in situations of emergency, fragility, dependency and very high levels of pov-
erty.
264
The concept of fragility is not one which is embraced by the Government of Afghani-
stan for understandable political reasons. But there are aspects of its situation, especially in
relation to constraints in the effective delivery of basic services where the evidence from this
work can be instructive.
Drawing on this literature, and on the experiences and the circumstances of Afghanistan,
Textbox 24 sets out what MoE (and other education sector ministries) might reasonably look
for in its major donor partners, if their assistance is going to contribute to the creation of a
sustainable, well governed and well managed education system.
Clearly in a situation where the financial gap is considerable and capacity within the educa-
tion system is weak, it is difficult for governments to take a strong lead. One consequence of
this in some countries is a willingness to accept additional assistance without undue attention
to its long term benefits. Conversely, donors restrict their support assessing that the fund utili-
sation capacity of the government and MoE is weak, that plans and strategies are insuffi-
ciently credible and/or that procurement systems, audits and the channelling of funds is not
transparent.
265
Textbox 24 Good Donor Practice
The ability of the donor to:
? Channel funds through the government‘s core budget (as for example through ARTF)
? Provide predictable financing for the full period of the government‘s education strategic plan or plans,
at a level that is commensurate with the scale of the challenge and the competency of the sector to de-
liver.
? Support operational costs (with safeguards) as well development budgets
? Be responsive to urgent needs
? Ensure that the Ministry is involved (and provides endorsement) from the point of time of project/ pro-
gram planning and inception throughout to completion to ensure that that individual projects and pro-
grammes, contribute directly to the achievement of education sector goals, objectives and targets
? Reduce the number of parallel project operating systems and units
? Provide technical assistance that is geared to strengthening capacity and provide/ monitor indicators of
successful achievement of CB
? Set aside time and technical capacity to give strong technical support to ministry led sector coordina-
tion
? Subsume national or organizational identity in support of the government/ministry‘s identity
? Act creatively in support of joined up and coordinated ways of working e.g. through pooled funds, trust
funds, joint reviews, join technical assistance etc
? Be transparent and transparent in the dissemination or reporting in all aspects of education sector work.
? Provide in-country policy advice with good comparative experience
? Minimize the level of separate reporting formats and requirements
In Afghanistan, in a ?young? government system with a very large of number of donors and
implementing agencies, progress is being made towards greater alignment and coordination,
but this is still at a relatively early stage. And the ability and capacity of donors to work in the
ways outlined in Textbox 24 vary enormously as the brief sections that follow suggest.
264
For example, OECD‘s work on 10 principles for good international engagement in fragile states and situa-
tions; the FTI‘s work on developing a Progressive Framework, the development of minimum standards guide-
lines by the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INNE) and the Overseas Development Insti-
tute‘s examination of service delivery in fragile environments.
265
Some donors such as DFID support education through ARTF rather than through direct support for MoE.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 124
19.6 Support for Education through Budget Support: ARTF
The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ATRF) enables donors to provide support for
Afghanistan‘s operating or recurrent budget, in other words to move funds into the core
budget of the government. It has mobilized US$3.6 billion since 1381 (2002) from 31 donors
and has recently committed a further US$2.3 billion to 1392 (2013). But in addition to provid-
ing salaries (including for teachers given that ARTF effectively supports 50% of civilian sala-
ries) and operating costs, the Fund is used for priority programmes such as the EQUIP pro-
gramme for improving the quality of education. Thirty international agencies are moving most
or some of their aid resources through this mechanism. It provides a major support platform
for education and a coordinated ways of working.
19.7 Projects and Programmes
Most discrete projects and programmes supported by education sector donor are explicitly of
broadly aligned with NESP programmes and strategies. One of the largest, the ARTF funded
EQUIP project is in the process of being integrated into MoE; a programme that can become
sustainable within government systems.
Parallel programmes – projects that set up separate project management systems from gov-
ernment systems - have advantages and disadvantages. These include:
? Major donor programmes may provide inputs into school services that have far more resources than is
available to government for the same purpose.
? While large programmes may have formal ?links? or lines of communication to the government, they
have management structures and guidelines which are their own.
? Programmes often recruit personnel from MoE or other governmental offices, offering higher salaries
for their services. There is little or no movement in the opposite direction.
? The working environment of parallel programmes may be regarded as more attractive, modern and ef-
fective – at least in the short term while aid money is available. Salaries may well be higher than gov-
ernment service.
? When parallel programmes are either phased out or integrated into government structures, a complex set
of staffing and management issues can ensue.
There have been cases, where donor programmes have not continued until the end of their
contract or were cut short in terms of duration and/or funding. In an already highly-insecure
operational environment this can create significant challenges for the ability of a ministry to
meet its commitments and deliver educational services.
Textbox 25 The Teacher Education Programme (TEP)
Many agencies wish to support teacher education in Afghanistan.
In 1384 (2005) the Teacher Training Programme (TEP) was established with secretariat of externally funded
staff. The program was to be financed from EQUIP, UNICEF and USAID.
TEP was intended to include development of a Teacher Training curriculum, the planning and provision of in-
service training programs for teachers nationwide, and coordination of the formulation of a future teacher train-
ing policy framework, including a legal, institutional and accreditation framework.
Some other donors, with MoE, stated that the creation of separate structure created conflicts and alienation in
the MoE and TEP was criticised for lack of capacity development for the Department of Teacher Education.
Accordingly, in December 2005 it was agreed to integrate TEP into MoE and the Teacher Education Depart-
ment.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 125
19.8 The Role of NGOs and CSOs
Many NGOs are influential in Afghan education. They have long experience in the country
and draw on generous financial support from overseas. In 2009, it was estimated that there
were more than 60 NGOs involved in the education sector.
Some issues related to the NGOs‘ (or CSO) education assistance include:
? Their willingness/ability to work in accordance with MoE regulations; conversely government does not
always make its policies or regulations clear
266
? Differing levels of capacity
? Willingness to work in difficult areas
? Teachers salaries are different from government paid teachers (an issue that is soon to be resolved)
? Political or religious ideologies which are unacceptable to local and central government
? The unwillingness or inability to conform to MoE standards and prices for school construction
? The loss of skills with the turnover in staff
? The ability of large NGOs in promoting cooperation and international solidarity across countries and
peoples
? Some competition and conflict between different NGOs as well as an overlap in their activities.
19.9 PRTs in Education (see Section 14)
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), using a mix of military and civilian staff, facilitate
reconstruction and provide security for development activities at the provincial level. They
were established with the aim of extending the reach and legitimacy of the Afghan govern-
ment. Much of their work lies within construction and infrastructure development, including
schools; and in the provision of educational resources.
Some of the issues arising in relation to PRTs in the education include:
? Perhaps inevitably the programme is strongly influenced by the nation/force that constitutes and fi-
nances the PRT.
? Some organisations, including UNICEF, Save the Children and other NGOs are concerned with the
blending of military and educational activities, fearing that a connection between schools, students and
conflict may be detrimental. When schools are built, maintained or otherwise supported by the military,
schools could become targets at a later stage.
? On the other hand, PRTs have valuable engineering and other needed technical capacity. Staff at Pro-
vincial and District levels of MoE appear less concerned, emphasising the importance of getting infra-
structure in place.
19.10 Making Aid Work Better
Section A of this report noted that there are efforts afoot to promote dialogue across the edu-
cation sector, think about human resource development and skills for development in a more
holistic way, and to foster closer working relationships with aid agencies in a more strategic
and coordinated way. This section looks at some of these endeavours in a little more detail.
A recent study (2009) of the potential for working in a sector wide way in different ministries
in Afghanistan concluded that that education sector was not yet ready for a sector wide ap-
proach.
267
If it were to be pursued, it would be preferable to prepare an entirely new sector
266
Many NGOs implementing literacy programs are not even aware of the literacy curricula and that it suppos-
edly is mandated. They are not provided with access to the literacy resources so they develop their own.
267
Jensen, P, 2009. Sector Wide Approach: Assessment of the Suitability and Readiness of SWAp Development
Assistance for Afghanistan – Phase II Prepared for DFID Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 126
strategy, to include costing of, and budgets for, all sub-sectors, with a multi-year perspective
that donors can use to align their activities.
But the study acknowledges that making the whole education sector, Sector Wide Programme
(SWAp) ready may be both difficult as well as inappropriate given that comparative experi-
ence suggests that this would take two to three years. Two options are proposed: first, post-
pone making any decisions until after the MOE and MOHE have started implementation of
their new strategies. Or second, consider a SWAp on one sub-sector, e.g. the primary and sec-
ondary sub-sector given, that MOE is the most ready SWAp ready part of the education sector.
In considering these conclusions, it seems wise to move with some caution and to build on
some current worthwhile developments, partly because sector wide programmes are under-
stood by a relatively small group of stakeholders in both the education ministries and some
donors.
Three examples of current initiatives are summarised here. First, and as the result of a joint
initiative by MoE and CIDA, the Afghanistan Education Development Board (EDB) was es-
tablished in December 2008. It was designed to serve as a platform for policy dialogue be-
tween MoE and education development partners aiming at enhancing effective leadership for
education programming, policy framework, alignment and harmonization of development
partner initiatives, and advocating for and coordinating donor aid in the education sector.
268
Its Steering Committee has been chaired by a MoE representative and, until April 2010, co-
chaired by CIDA.
269
The Board has met every month and the Steering Committees have been
serviced, and its sub-sector groups managed, by a Coordinator financed by donors, working
centrally in MoE.
In April 2010, the Education Development Board was transformed into the Human Resource
Development Board (HRDB) to serve as an education sector forum to coordinate issues pertaining to human
resource development in the country between relevant government ministries … and the development part-
ners. Textbox 26 sets out the revamped Board’s objectives and
Textbox 27 its current membership, 29 members in all.
Textbox 26 The Human Resource Development Board: Main Objectives (April 2010)
? Support effective leadership and oversight of human resource programming in Afghanistan
? Strengthen overall coordination and support for harmonization and alignment of the strategic plans of
sectoral ministries
? Serve as a platform for strategic policy dialogue between sectoral ministries and development partners
? Support the establishment of an effective policy framework for education and skills development with
consideration of gender and regional disparities
? Advocate for and coordinate donor aid in the education sector eventually aiming at aligning assistance
through a government led and harmonized sector funding mechanism
? Encourage additional resource mobilization for education through partnership with the private sector
and civil society.
268
Citation from Brochure presented to the EDC Steering Committee 15th of June 2009
269
DANIDA took over the co-chair mantle in 2010.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 127
Textbox 27 Members of HRDB
Category of Member Member
Chair and Co-Chair MoE and Danida
Ministries MoE, MoWA, MoHE, MoSLAMD and MoF
Donors supporting education DANIDA, CIDA, USAID, SIDA, Norway, Germany, Japan,
Netherlands, India, France, Aus-Aid, DFID
International banks The World Bank
CBS (Civil Society Organisations) and their
coordinating bodies
ACBAR, ANCB, AWN, SCA, PACE-A
Private sector Chamber of Commerce
UN UNICEF, UNESCO, UNAMA
Chair and co-chair of technical working
groups
Representatives of some Islamic countries.
It is clear that the EDB has fulfilled an important function which is appreciated by all of its
members including other education sector ministries. It is good platform for moving towards
the ambitious objectives which HRDB has set for itself.
There is a good working relationship in the Board. And its six cross ministry technical work-
ing groups (Higher Education, Technical and Vocational Education, Curriculum and Teacher
Education, General and Islamic Education, Literacy and Education Management) have the
potential and in some cases the experience and the history, of fulfilling useful advisory policy
and action planning functions.
270
In due course, and based on experience elsewhere in the world, the newly-defined objectives
for the HRDB will require a stronger cutting edge, where ministry and donor representatives
bring greater decision making authority to the HRDB table, to give stronger impetus and ef-
fect to resource mobilisation, coordination, alignment and harmonisation.
A second initiative designed to foster coordination and ministerial cooperation, backed by
donor partners, is enshrined in the work of the clusters which were endorsed at the Afghani-
stan London Conference in January 2010.This involves aligning key ministries into develop-
ment and government clusters and refining the Afghanistan National Development Strategy
development priorities, including human resource development.
The cluster approach was envisioned to serve as a vehicle for formulating and achieving sec-
tor-wide development priorities and for attracting foreign direct investment towards the de-
velopment and implementation of bankable projects. Through this new approach inter-
ministerial cooperation is required (which previously was relatively weak) in order to develop
a work plan for presentation at the Kabul Conference in July 2010.
The human resource development cluster comprises MoE, MoHE, MoWA, MoLSAMD
and more recently, the Ministry Public Health. Efforts are being made to bring the private
sector into the fold too, including banks and airlines. Cluster working groups have been
270
See terms of reference for the working groups in the paper endorsed by the HRDB on 26 April 2010. On the
same day endorsement was given to two task cross-cutting task forces: one on gender mainstreaming, the other
on Employment Support Bridging.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 128
tasked with exploring ways of developing ?bankable projects? focusing on girls‘ education,
Islamic education, health related packages and commercially sponsored schools.
A third development that has the potential for strengthening a more holistic approach to edu-
cation sector policy and practice and bring about strong donor coordination is through engag-
ing internationally with the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA/FTI). At present,
preparation for exploring this avenue revolves around the sub-sector strategic plan of MoE
(NESP II). The processes through which FTI is likely to appraise the draft sector plan will
help to inform and promote wider sector analysis and thereby further the objectives of the
HRDB.
These are all time-consuming activities which work largely through working groups. At best
working groups sit firmly within the mainstream of ministry work through its directorates and
departments but at worst they can create parallel structures. There is also the danger that if
groups continue to mushroom overlap or duplication may result. Groups can also become the
preserve of a small group of people without effective means of communication across a min-
istry or a sector. Most importantly, they are sometimes taking the lead to develop policy and
planning initiatives which seem to have little involvement, input or consultation with the rele-
vant Ministerial department representatives. It is often the case, as well that when the number
of donors in the working group overshadows the number of ministerial persons, the projects
and plans formulated then represent donor interest and not necessarily Ministerial priorities,
or more importantly, national budgetary resources or ability.
There is obviously both enthusiasm and momentum for working in a more coordinated man-
ner. Both need to be sustained. This means strong oversight of these activities by a proactive
HRDB Secretariat. Much has been achieved in the past few years to promote dialogue across
the education sector. The challenge now is to move towards a more coordinated and synergis-
tic action plan.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 129
E Conclusions and Recommendations
This section brings together the main conclusions of the ESA. Deliberately, it does not follow
the sequence of the four main sections of the report; rather, it is designed to capture some core
messages and to provide a short list of recommendations for the consideration of education
sector ministries and their donor partners.
The Education Sector in Afghanistan is complex, a complexity that has to be managed and
coordinated if national education goals are to be achieved. It is a sector where the majority of
the country‘s population are primary stakeholders. And the secondary stakeholders - those
who work for education - are the largest civilian workforce in the country. There are multiple
implementing agencies. This can facilitate flexibility and responsiveness; it can also mean
overlap, duplication and lack of coordination. There are separate education strategies from
individual ministries which fall within the broader framework of the Afghanistan National
Development Strategy (ANDS).
The Education Sector is rebuilding. After years of neglect and distrust, there is evidence of a
new belief in the value of education. Latent demand is emerging. Slowly, the capacity of edu-
cation delivery systems is strengthening from a very low base. Partnerships are being forged
with communities in support of education. Bridges are being built between Islamic education
in its many forms and formal state schooling. There is increased dialogue across ministries
and with education sector donors. Communities have demonstrated their ability to secure and
support their schools in the face of insurgency and thereby help to stabilise their own local
community. And there are new links internationally which help to rebuild Afghanistan‘s place
in the education world.
The Education Sector is reforming. It is aiming high. It plans to achieve the education MDGs
by 2020 and make progress on all six EFA goals, a very ambitious agenda. It has embraced
strategic planning and recognised, in rather general terms, the need for education to deliver
the skills, the knowledge and the values to contribute to the achievement of broader eco-
nomic, social and peace goals as these are set out in ANDS. It is initiating systemic change in
the professional development of teachers, rethinking the place of universities and creating
other higher education institutions and renewing curriculum at all levels. It is restructuring
ministries to reflect programme priorities. The need for greater sector coherence is being dis-
cussed across ministries and there are worthwhile efforts to effect better donor-government
coordination.
The Education Sector has made important initial gains. In 2010, seven million children are
registered in school (with a gradual increase in the proportion of girls), 170,000 teachers are
teaching, new and revised textbooks are in schools, and, more slowly, education infrastructure
is being built and refurbished. There is, with external support, some rethinking of pedagogy in
schools and universities, and in defining and promoting the place of in-service teacher train-
ing in the fabric of Afghanistan‘s education. Islamic education is being strengthened. Com-
munities have been encouraged and enabled to support and protect their schools through as-
semblies and shuras. There has been some delegation of authority to the sub-national levels of
the education system. Donors have largely sustained their levels of aid to education.
But the Education Sector has to confront immense challenges if these gains are to be consoli-
dated and if the 1393 (2014) and 1399 (2020) education goals and targets are to be achieved.
Notably, there is the need to:
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 130
? Reduce the enormous wastage (human and financial) as the result of children failing to complete their basic
education; teachers trained to teach who don‘t teach; development budgets that are not spent; and operating
costs that are inadequate for supporting change.
? Exercise greater prioritisation in programming.
? Give priority to a small set of higher order education outcomes defined in terms of access, retention, com-
pletion, quality, transition to the next level of education, equity and relevance.
? Match available financial resources to operationally manageable programmes with clearly-defined educa-
tional results.
? Break the bottlenecks and remove the inefficiencies which delay the formulation of budgets, allotment of
funds, procurement of goods, execution of programmes and reporting of results.
? Make data and knowledge work better for planning, monitoring and review.
? Improve intra ministerial coordination at all levels
? Take a longer term approach to capacity development within ministries, beyond the short term imperative to
recruit Technical Assistants (TAs).
? Make aid better coordinated, more transparent, and hence more effective.
In addition, the Education Sector has substantive policy issues to resolve:
? The education of girls is central to achieving EFA and MDG goals and Afghanistan‘s wider development
objectives. A whole sector strategy on girls and women‘s education is required if levels of access and of
quality are to improve significantly.
? Improving the security of schools and students that builds on good practice, in association with defining
ways in which education can contribute to stabilisation and peace.
? Managing quality improvements during rapid expansion; identifying acceptable standards and norms. The
future expansion of secondary education will pose particular problems in this regard.
? Working with employers, identifying the skill-sets needed for the modern-sector economy; develop and
programme coherent responses and encourage education-industry partnerships.
? Enhancing the benefits of Islamic education through closer engagement with State education and vice-versa.
? Ensuring equity of education service provision across Provinces.
? Enabling (and possibly facilitating) the private sector to play its part in rebuilding and reform.
? Analysing carefully the place of IT in education in improving access, quality and relevance
In the short term, the priorities include:
? Finalising NESP II and making it operational quickly.
? Passing the Higher Education Law
? Maximising the benefits to accrue from the HRD Cluster; and considering the benefits of the Fast Track
Initiative.
Recommendations
1 Review and revise, as necessary, education sub-sector strategies and plans to en-
sure that programmes and sub-programmes are prioritised against the criteria of fore-
casted resource envelopes, system capacity and risk analysis. Under the current plans,
not everything can be done as proposed.
2 Reach agreement, at ministerial levels, for a joint task force of the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Finance (with assistance from the World Bank in its role
on ARTF) to work through and resolve the bottlenecks and poor practice that delay and
harm the delivery of education services.
3 Develop and gain high level approval for the development and implementation of
a comprehensive sector strategy for girls’ and women’s education.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 131
4 Develop a cross-government strategy on skills development to meet the main
challenges of rapid economic growth/labour market needs.
5 Undertake a formal review of the quality of general education in Afghanistan and
on how best to build, in a realistic way, on the programmes that have been implemented
thus far. Particular attention should be paid to time spent on learning, the impact of
shift systems, classroom pedagogy, assessment, and the quality of school supervision.
6 Give the HRDB more teeth. Based on its revised EDB objectives, develop an ac-
tion plan for the Board and consider moving towards a Memorandum of Understanding
between the Government of Afghanistan and education sector donors consistent with the
Afghan Compact and ANDS. Establish a joint review team for NESP II quickly.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 132
Annex 1 Terms of Reference
271
Terms of Reference for
An Education Sector Analysis (ESA) and
An Assessment of the National Education Strategic Plan (NESP)
With a View to Afghanistan joining the
Education for All – Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI)
Preamble:
The Ministry of Education of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is looking for the service of a
consultant (company) to undertake an Education Sector Analysis and an Assessment of the
National Education Strategic Plan.
1. Background:
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has identified education as one of the
national priorities in the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) approved by
the Government in April 2008. The Government is committed to achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) for Afghanistan, a modified version of the global MDGs, which
include a target of 100% participation in primary education by 2020, and the Education for
All (EFA) Goals.
Currently the responsibility of delivery of Education and Vocational Training in Afghanistan
is divided among the three ministries namely Ministry of Education (basic education, secon-
dary education, technical and Vocational Education, Teacher education), Ministry of Higher
Education (tertiary education), and Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (vocational educa-
tion).
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is in the process of completing its second National Educa-
tion Strategic Plan (NESP, 2010 – 2014) which will replace the current NESP (2006 – 2010).
NESP-II will be fully-costed and will emphasize quality of learning for students with a re-
newed focus on learning outcomes; quality of training for teachers and address issues of re-
gional and gender inequity in the education system. NESP-II foresees strategic reforms in
programming, financial management, monitoring and evaluation and the operationalization of
programs.
In December 2008, the MoE and education stakeholders established the Education Develop-
ment Board (EDB). The EDB has been established to serve as a platform for policy dialogue
between the Ministry and education development partners aiming to enhance effective leader-
ship for education programming and alignment and harmonization of donor aid in the educa-
tion Sector.
271
As issued in the last quarter of 2009.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 133
Given the current context of the education sector in the country, the Government of Afghani-
stan views this as an opportune time to formally engage in the EFA-FTI assessment and ap-
praisal process for the purpose of advancing the NESP for possible FTI endorsement. It is for
this purpose that the MoE and the EDB require the services of a consultant
272
.
The process will comprise four steps:
1. An Education Sector Analysis (Consultant)
2. An Initial Assessment of the Draft NESP II (Consultant)
3. A Revision of the NESP in light of the assessment (MoE & Partners)
4. An Appraisal of the final NESP expectedly leading to FTI endorsement. (Partners).
2. Purpose:
The purpose of the consultancy is to provide a comprehensive analytical overview of the sec-
tor (Step 1) and to assess the NESP II (Step 2) in order to advise the Ministry of Education
and its partners on possible revisions to the NESP II (Step 3) in order to comply with the FTI
endorsement criteria (Step 4).
The consultant will be responsible for steps 1 & 2, only.
3. Deliverables and Methodology:
The consultant will be expected to produce Two Reports, each one with an Executive Sum-
mary of no more than 15 pages containing key findings and recommendations.
Volume I: A comprehensive Education Sector Analysis
This will comprise an analytical stock-taking of the education sector in its totality.
Volume II: An Assessment of the NESP II
This will comprise an assessment of the scope, relevance and feasibility of the NESP
II with key recommendations for possible policy and program alignments based on
FTI Appraisal Guidelines and Indicative Framework.
The consultant will be required to implement this assignment in a participatory manner in
consultation with key stakeholders in the EDB and MoE and in consultation with relevant
stakeholders in business and civil society.
Bi-weekly process monitoring meetings will be held with the MoE focal point and designated
EDB partners.
4. Activities and Scope of Work
The Education Sector Analysis will take stock of the overall education sector, from early
childhood education to higher education, and is an opportunity to gather all relevant informa-
tion on the sector including policies, structure, legislation, finance, national statistics, service
delivery capacity, as well as analytical work including Poverty Assessments, Public Expendi-
ture Reviews etc. However, it will not repeat or duplicate up-to-date analytical work!
The analysis will provide an overview of the sector and will consider the following:
272
It is expected that the ?consultant? will be a firm or institution comprising a number of individual specialists
or a group of individual consultants brought together as a team.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 134
? Key stakeholders in the sector;
? The national policy framework including The Afghanistan MDGs and Af-
ghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS);
? The overall resource envelope for education, domestic (private/public) and ex-
ternal; and
? The responsiveness of the sector to the National Development Priorities -
economic and social needs of the country.
The Assessment of the NESP will be based on the FTI Appraisal Guidelines. The purpose of
the Assessment is to: (a) provide evidence that a positive policy environment exists for pro-
ductive investments in the sector and (b) provide a platform to collectively agree that the
NESP is credible and sustainable. The expectation is that the Assessment will make recom-
mendations for action in the following six specific areas:
? The overall resource envelope available to the sector and to the NESP;
? The NESP‘s compliance with the 6 EFA goals, in particular goal no. 2 on pri-
mary education
? NESP strategies towards addressing educational quality
? The monitoring and evaluation system including the Education Management
Information System (EMIS) as well as financial and expenditure management;
? The identification of critical knowledge or information gaps, and
? Capacity development issues including an assessment of the use of Technical
Assistance.
5. Duty Station, Timing and Reporting
Duty station: The consultants work station will be based at the Ministry of Education in Kabul
Afghanistan during the official hours. In case of security concerns an alternative work station
will be identified.
Timeline: The assignment will be completed over a period of three months including submis-
sion of the final Report. The consultant is required to submit a detailed work plan by the first
week of November 2009, including details of the consultants assigned for each task. The ac-
tual work should start no later than 15 November. The Draft Report (Analytical Stocktaking
and Assessment) will be submitted nine weeks after the start of the assignment and the Final
Report to be submitted no later than 12 weeks after the start of the assignment.
Activities November,
2009
December
2009
January,
2010
February,
2010
Signing of contract week of October 17
– 29
1 Submission of detailed work plan week
of November 8 - 12
X
2 Analysis of the education sector X X X X X X X X
NESP II Substantive Draft
(MoE) - complete
NESP Final Draft write-up
(MoE/IIEP) (end-September, 2009)
3 Assessment of NESP II X X X X X X X X
4 Draft Reports X
5 Final Report X
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 135
Reporting: The consultant will report to the Education Development Board which is chaired
by the Ministry of Education and Co-chaired by a donor representative. The EDB is managed
by a Secretariat Director who will be the key point of contact for planning and implementa-
tion of the assignment. The EDB meets on a monthly basis.
Daily contacts, as per need, will be negotiated with the designated MoE focal point, who will
serve as an interface between the consultant and the MoE/EDB-partners.
7. Consultants:
MoE will contract a company/consultancy firm, who will assume full responsibility for the
quality of work, its implementation subject to specifications and timely submission of reports.
The team of consultants will be managed by a Team Leader identified by the consultancy
firm. Members of the Education Development Board reserve the right to review the roster of
consultants proposed and to provide suggestions of individual consultants who may be appro-
priate based on previous work experience in Afghanistan or with EFA-FTI.
It is estimated that the stocktaking of the sector and the appraisal of the NESP would require a
small team covering the following set of broad competencies:
? Education Sector Policy Analysis
? Education Economics and/or finance
? Capacity Assessment and Capacity Building
? Sociology of Education
? Monitoring and Evaluation
? Education Reconstruction in (post) conflict situations
With the right mix of consultants one consultant might cover more than one field. It is impor-
tant, however, that all aspects are being properly addressed.
Eligible consultants, as a minimum, should posses the following qualification and experience:
? A Masters in Education or other relevant field and a minimum of 10 years of experi-
ence in the education sector;
? Specific experience and knowledge in the area of education research and data analy-
sis;
? Specific experience in facilitating FTI Technical Appraisals;
? Ability to work effectively with government and donor counterparts;
? Proven ability in preparing reports in English;
? Be self independent, a good team player and ready to work under pressure; and
? Deliver assignments timely and ensure good quality of work.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 136
Annex 2 Selected References
AUTHOR TITLE Year PUBLISHER
Afghanistan Independent Human The General Situation of Children in Afghanistan, Research Report 2007 AIHRC, Kabul
Rights Commission
Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, Education Quality 2004 EQUIP, Kabul
Fund Improvement Proposal
Afghanistan Research and Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) Formulation 2009 Afghanistan Research &
Evaluation Unit (AREU) Process: Influencing Factors and Challenges Evaluation Unit (AREA)
Kabul
Afghanistan Research and The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance 2009 2009 Afghanistan Research &
Evaluation Unit (AREU) Evaluation Unit (AREA)
Kabul
Afghanistan Statistical Central Afghanistan Statistical Yearbook 2008-09 2009
Bureau
Afghanistan, Government of Afghanistan EFA 2000 Afghanistan, Government
of
Afghanistan, Government of Afghanistan National Development Strategy 2008 Afghanistan, Government
of
Afghanistan, Government of Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS): Making a 2009 ANDS
Difference: Transition from Planning to Practice. Results after
the First Year of Implementation
Afghanistan, Government of Afghanistan National Development Strategy, Executive Summary 2008 Afghanistan, Government
of
Afghanistan, Government of Afghanistan National Development Strategy, First Annual Report 2009 Afghanistan, Government
1387 (2008/09) of
Afghanistan, Government of Civil Servants Law 2008 Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, Government of Civil Service Law 2008 Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, Government of Education Law 2008 Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, Ministry of
Education, Kabul
Afghanistan, Government of Labour Code 200 Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, Government of Memorandum of Understanding between MOF, MOE, MOHE, Office fo the First Vise
MOLSAMD… Education and Training Sector President
Afghanistan, Government of Policy for the Rehabilitation and Development of Education in 2002 Ministry of Education,
Afghanistan Kabul
Afghanistan, Government of Poverty Profile and Policy Framework for Poverty Reduction 2007 Afghanistan National
Development Strategy
(ANDS)
Afghanistan, Government of Progress report of ANDS/PRSP Prepared for IMF/Wrold Bank 2007 Afghanistan, Government
Board of Directors of
Afghanistan, Government of Securing Afghanistan’s Future: Accomplishments and the 2004 Afghanistan
Strategic Path Forward Government/International
Agency report, Kabul
Afghanistan, Government of Strategic Development Initiatives for Afghanistan 2009
Afghanistan, Government of Strategy and Policy for Anti Corruption and Administrative Reform Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 137
Afghanistan, Government of The Civilian Technical Assistance Programme (CTAP) 2010 Ministry of Finance
Afghanistan, Government of The Constitution of Afghanistan 2003 Afghanistan, Government
of
Afghanistan, Government of The Millenium Development Goals, Islamic Republic of 2005 Afghanistan, Government
Afghanistan, Country Report 2005 - Vision 2020 of
Afghanistan, Government of. Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy 2005 Afghanistan, Government
National Oversight Committee of
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Annex 3 Record of Meetings
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Saturday February 27 2010
1400 MoE, Mr. Abdul Arian, Strategic Adviser to the Minister Introduction of part of the team T,R,A MoE
1500 MoE, Dr. Ataullah Wahidyar, Chief of Staff Introduction of part of the team T,R,A MoE
1520
(brief)
MoE, Mr. Abdul Waki Hanifi, Director of Procurement Making appointment for later meeting T,R,A MoE
1600 Team Wrap up and planning T,R,A Guesthouse
Sunday February 28 2010
1400
MoE, Mr. Mohammad Azim Karbalai, Head of Planning
General introduction to planning of MoE T, R,A MoE
1520 MoE, Mr. Abdul Wakil Hanifi, Director of Procurement Introduction to procurement T, R,A MoE
Monday March 01 2010
1030 Team
Introduction of Newly arrived Team member Elizabeth
Dvorak-Little
T, R,A,E
1600-
1700
Embassy of Denmark, Mr. Poul Eric Rasmussen, Education Programme Coor-
dinator and Mr. Farid Tanai, Education Programme Officer
Briefing for team from influential donor in education A,E,R,T Danish Embassy
Tuesday March 02 2010
0900 MoE, Mr. Mirwais Masood, EDB Coordinator Initial briefing meeting with team A,E,R,T MoE
1430-
1530
MoE, Professor Safi, Senior Advisor for General Education and Coordinator
for ECE
Status and plans of ECD E, T MoE
1430 MoE, Ms. Najeeba Nooristani, Director of Private Schools Private Education – role and function A, R MoE, House 2
Wednesday March 03 2010
1400-
1600
AREU, Research Seminar
Study of policy making in MoE, with special reference to
NESP
A,E,T AREU
Thursday March 04 2010
1400-
1500
MoWA, Mr. Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi, Technical & Policy Deputy Minister, Fact-finding on their policies and programs
E & T
MoWA
1530-
1700
Agha Khan Foundation staff
Information-gathering about AKF‘s ECE programs and ECE
teacher training in three provinces
E & T
AKF Office
? Friday March 05 2010
1000 Educational Concepts, International Project Manager, Ms. Regina Queitsch Receiving Briefing on ECI‘s work in ECE in Nimroz province EDL
EDL left Kabul (to return in 8 days) E
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 144
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
? Saturday March 06 2010
MoE , Officer of Budgets (Raz Mohammad) The big picture on reporting - AFMIS and BPET. R
MoE, Mr. Abdul Arian and Mr. Mirways Masood Planning and information. A
Sunday March 07 2010
MoE, Director of Procurement Hanifi R MoE
0900 EMIS Collecting most recent EMIS statistics A MoE
ASI, Olive Meeting to plan field visit A, R Guesthouse
Monday March 08 2010
MoE, Mr. Faridullah Mirzad, Finance Manager, Acting Budget Manager R MoE
0900-
1200
Registration card processing A
Registration Of-
fice
Tuesday March 09 2010
0900 MoE Budget advisors R
1000 EMIS, Mr. Hameed Shahrani, EMIS Systems Analyst R, A EMIS, MoE
1030 ASI and Olive Security check of MoE premises R,A MoE
Wednesday March 10 2010
1500 MoE Mr. Sarwar Azizi Deputy General for TVET General introduction of TVET A, R MoE/TVET
1520
MoE, TVET, Mr. Aimal Sherzad, Senior Procurement Specialist TVET Mr.
Abdul Hameed Wahab, Finance Manager TVET
Financing R MoE/TVET
Thursday March 11 2010
MoE TVET Follow-up meeting on finance R MoE/TVET
Saturday March 13 2010
0900 MoF: Mr. M. Hamid Jalil, Director of Aid Management and Coordination. Provide external budget for MoE. R MoF
MoF: Mr. Naveed Bakhshi, Manager Education Sector R
Sunday March 14 2010
0700
Arrival of E
and S
0900 Meeting of team Reporting and planning team work E,S,R,A MoE
1300 MoE, Mr. Mirwais Masood General introduction for S, discussing TOR and approach E,S,R,A MoE
2000 Team Summing up, planning for next days E,S,R,A Guesthouse
Monday March 15 2010
9.30 Team
Summing up and planning, detailed distribution of assign-
ments
E,S,R,A Guesthouse
Tuesday March 16 2010
MoE, Mr. Mirwais Masood, EDB Secretariat Director Status and plans ahead All except T MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 145
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
MoE HE Minister of Education Dr. Farooq Wardak
Courtesy and general presentation of MoE objectives and
team‘s achievements and plans
All except T MoE
MoE, Budget Officer for Islamic Education Mr. Jan Mohammad Etemad, Obtained financial information MoE
Wednesday March 17 2010
1000 EDB, Working Group for EFA and FTI
Presentation of team to the Working Group and discussion of
plans for the work
All except T MoE
MoE, Dr. Ataullah Wahidyar, Chief of Staff Support for teams activities MoE
MoE, Patman, Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs MoE
MoE, Mirwais Masood, Education Development Board Secretariat Director Strategic issues in moving forward MoE
Thursday March 18 2010
MoE,
MoE, Qudratullah Andar Saltani, Payroll Manager Payroll issues, automation & efforts at reducing ghost teachers MoE
Team Status and planning All except T MoE
Friday March 19 2010
Team Reading and writing Guesthouse
Saturday March 20 2010
1500
MoLSAMD, HE Minister and higher level staff.
Deputy Minister Farhadullah Farhad (Admin & finance, DG Policy and Plan-
ning Waheed Saifi.
Courtesy and first general introduction to MOLSAMD All (except T) MoLSAMD
Sunday March 21 2010 National Holiday
Team worked from Guesthouse on Analysis Guesthouse
Monday March 22 2010 National Friday
1500-
1630
MoLSAMD, NSDP Mr. Abdul Rahim Nasry, National Program Coordinator
(NSDP) and Mr. Waheed Saifi, D.G. Policy & Planning. :
A,
MoLSAMD
1500-
1630
MoLSAMD Mr. Habiba Omar, Deputy Head of Kindergarten, Ms. Nafisa
Balochzada, Director of Academic Section of Kindergarten
MoLSAMD‘s national kindergarten programs E MoLSAMD
Tuesday March 23 2010
Richard leaves R
0900
Series of information-gathering sessions at Basic Education Directorate, in-
cluding meetings with Basic Education Director Hamida Nizami; Inspector
General for Basic Education, Mr. Wardak; Head of Academic Department for
Basic Education, Mr. Multan; five members of the school supervision team
and two coordinators for Community-Based Education
Operations & challenges of Basic Education & Community
Based Education
S, E, A
Basic Education
Directorate, MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 146
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Wednesday March 24 2010
0900 Anders leaves
0900
MoE Director of Secondary Education, Dastgir Munir
Analysis of achievements/ challenges of Secondary Ed. S, E
Directorate of
Secondary Educa-
tion, MoE
1200 MoE Director of Planning Mohammad Azim Karbalai
Overview of the operations & challenges of Planning Direc-
torate
S MoE
1400
MoE General Director of Teacher Education,
Ms. Susan Wardak
Achievement and challenges of Teacher Education/Girls Edu-
cation
S, E
Teacher Educa-
tion MoE
Thursday March 25 2010
1000 UNESCO Ms. Marina Patrier,
General overview of UNESCO‘s role in literacy & education
in Afghanistan
S, E
UNESCO office,
Kabul
1200
MoE Head of Emergency Education Cluster
Mr. Sayed Asghar Haidary
Responsibilities of the Emergency Education Cluster S, E MoE
1300
MoE Senior Advisor Mr. Arian & Education Development Board Secretariat
Director Mirwais Masood
Discussion of challenges in obtaining meetings with key Min-
isterial stakeholders
S, E MoE
1400-
1600
Series of Meetings with the Human Resources Directorate:
1) Technical Advisor, Capacity-Building RIMU Abdul Wahid Zirak;
2) Director Capacity Building & Structure-HRD Abdul Hakim;
3) Director Recruitment, Evaluation & Civil Servant Relations- HRD
Mohammad Kabir Wali;
4) General Director of HR Ahmad Najeeb Baizayer
Overview of the ToR and challenges of the Human Resource
Directorate; issues surrounding the implementation of the new
Civil Service regulations; Procedures relating to recruitment,
performance monitoring , training and conditions of service.
S
Human Resoucr-
ces Directorate
MoE
Friday March 26 2010
0845-
1330
Olive Security Group Security (HEAT) Training S, E Olive Guesthouse
Saturday March 27 2010
0900
MoE Senior Advisor Abdul Arian & Education Development Board Secre-
tariat Director Mirwais Masood
Proposed revisions to the Outline for the Sector Analysis &
Work Plan; preparations for EDB Mtg 29 March
S, E MoE
1500
MoE EMIS Director Hamidullah Shahrani and
EMIS Deputy Director/ Monitoring & Evaluation Officer Abdul Subhan Raouf
Discussion of EMIS capabilities, challenges & plans for ex-
pansion
S, E EMIS, MoE
Sunday March 28 2010
0900
MoE Director of Curriculum, Abdul Zahir Gulistani
MoE Research & Standard Director, Faizullah Faiz
MoE Developer & Writer of Textbooks, Aliullah Jalil
Curriculum development achievements & challenges in recent
years
S, E
Curriculum
Directorate, MoE
1030-
1130
CIDA, First Secretary (Development) Chris Braeuel,
Embassy of Canada
CIDA Programmes and Sector Planning S, E CIDA
1500 DFID ,Leo Thomas Poverty and Results Adviser MoE data collection capabilities: data convergence, data ab- S, E DFID
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 147
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
normalities, variances in reported figures (enrolment, girls‘
attendance); DFID‘s work in assessing integrity of EMIS data/
capabilities
Monday March 29 2010
0930-
1230
Education Development Board Meeting
All activities of EDB & upcoming plans;
Educational Assessment Team presented briefing about the
Team‘s progress
S, E MoF
1400 MoE, Samir Ahmad Amiri Grants Management and Donor Coordination
Operations of the GMU; process & progress in soliciting do-
nor funds for NESP-2
S, E MoE
1630
MoF Director of Coordination of ANDS Implementation and Budget Policy
Wahidullah Waisi
Donor Coordination
ANDS and the Education Sector
S, E MoE
Tuesday March 30 2010
09:00
MoHE, Dr Fred Hayward, Senior Higher Education Specialist
Afghanistan Higher Education Project
Overview of MoHE‘s progress, challenges and plans for
higher education; MoHE 5 Year Strategy & funding chal-
lenges.
S, E
Afghanistan
Higher Education
Project
World Bank
0900 Olive Security Briefing Security Protocol for incoming Team Member T
Olive Guest
House
1100
World Bank Senior Institutional Development Specialist & Educational Advi-
sor Joel Reyes
Educational development in Afghanistan since year 2001,
focus on capacity-development of MoE in terms of Public
Management Finance System, NESP-1, NESP II & manage-
ment of EQUIP program
S, E and T
World Bank,
Kabul
1330 MoE Senior Advisor Abdul Arian
Relations between MoE & MoF; differences of approach re.
operating budget; lack of national budget to fund NESP-2
T MoE
1300 MoWA Technical & Policy Deputy Minister Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi
Overview of MoWA‘s policies & plans as they relate to gen-
eral education, literacy training, and TVET; Discussion of
cooperation w/ MoE, MoHE, MoLSAMD
E MoWA
1500
USAID Education Team Leader, Officer of Social Sector Development Grace
Lang and USAID Education Advisor (OSSD) Renu Jain
Overview of USAID‘s portfolio of educational initiatives in
Afghanistan; strengths/ weaknesses of NESP-2 strategy
E USAID
1500 MoHE Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs Mohammad Osman Babury Goals & objectives in MoHE Five Yr Strategy S MoHE
Wednesday March 31 2010
S leaves for London
1000
LIFE Working Group
LIFE Action Plan as a roadmap for achieving NESP & MGD
goals for Literacy
E
Literacy Unit,
Shar-e-Naw, MoE
Thursday April 1 2010
0900 World Bank Financial Management Specialist Paul Sisk
WB‘s capacity-building of MoE in terms of development of
fiscal controls such as Verified Payroll Program & Rules-
Based Provincial Allocation
E, To World Bank
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 148
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1100-
1400
MoE Director of School Protection Unit General Amerkhel
Operations, progress & challenges of the School Protection
Unit
E, To MoE
1700 Peter Jensen Consultant Teleconference on Sector Wide Approaches S
MoE, School Protection Unit General Amerkhel, Director E,
Friday April 2 2010
Team woekde from Guesthouse on Analysis
Saturday April 3 2010
0830 Education Development Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood Discussion of logistic & technical questions relating to MoE E, To MoE
0930 MoE, Mr. Salam Hairan, Director of ICT3
ICT goals for education in Afghanistan (both for the MoE &
line directorates nationally and within all schools in Afghani-
stan); Discussion of the ?One Laptop Per Child‘ program
E, To MoE
1030 MoE, Mr. Hamayun Alamyan, Director of Physical Health
Goals, progress & challenges of Physical Education & Scout-
ing within MoE
E
1330
MoE Audit Department Briefing with Director of Internal Audit Mr. Maboob-
shah Fakery & 3 other members of dept: Ms. Khatool Farhood, Auditor, Mr.
S.A. Baghy & Ms. Fauzia, Computer Operator
Progress, operations & challenges of the Audit Dept. E, To
1540 MoE Senior Advisor Abdul Arian
Discussion of capacity & institutional history of MoE; adop-
tion of Pay & Grade system & teacher competency; Gender
issues in Education & mandate of MoWA
To, E MoE
Sunday April 4 2010
0930-
1300
MoE Director of Private Education Najeeba Nooristani
Operations, progress & challenges of Private Education and
ECE (a department of this Directorate)
E, Tt MoE
MoE Budget Planning Section Jan Mohammad
Process of budget preparation, links to and influence of NESP,
request for data
To TP-S
Monday April 5 2010
0900 Save the Children/ Sweden-Norway, Meeting with Fazel Jalil, SoC/SN‘s contributions to the education sector To, E SC
1000-
1200
Community Based Education Working Group Mtg
Goals/ objectives in the newly-developed Action Plan for
Community-Based Education
E SoC/SN
1000-
1200
Education Management Working Group
1389 Operational Plan (nearly completed); updates on propos-
als for strengthening M&E system & building ICT infrastruc-
ture, proposal for MoE capacity-building & SWAp update
To
1200
PACE A. Meeting with Mr. Hafeez Nazarwal, Deputy Chief of Party, PACE-
A, Today‘s Acting Co-Chair of CBE WGroup
SoC/SN‘s contributions to the education sector, specifically
regarding Community-Based Education
E
Tuesday April 6 2010
1100 MoE Senior Advisor for General Education Professor Lutfullah Safi Discussion of MoE‘s structure & or Prof. Safi‘s role as leading E, To MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 149
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
8 educational sub-sectors: Basic, Secondary, Girls Ed, ECE
(Early Childhood), Inclusive, Emergency, Physical Ed & Pri-
vate Ed; Discussion of NESP I & NESP II—targets, Monitor-
ing & Evaluation, etc.
MoE, Mr. Karbalai, Director of Planning Various planning issues To, E MoE
1430 Shahrani, Director of EMIS, MoE
Coordination of school financial system, payroll system &
EMIS; WB‘s new partnership w/ EMIS for provincial expan-
sion.
E, To MoE
Wednesday April 7 2010
06:00
A back to
Kabul
0900-
0945
MoF, Mr. Abdulhaq Quraishi, Budget Officer Education Sector
MoF views on education sector (different bodies than those
included in the ?educational cluster‘); Discussion of MoE final
spending figures for Year 1388.
To MoF
0945
MoF Fiscal Policy Unit Officers Niaz Qasim and Zia-Ur-Rahman Haleemi
Overview of the work of the Fiscal Policy Unit;
MoE‘s share of the budget, (1388 & prior) & expected future
projections.
To MoF
1245
MoE Senior Adviser to the Minister of Ed. Abdul Arian & Education Devel-
opment Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood
Recommendations for refining draft sector analysis outline;
suggestions for resolving discrepancies in information re-
ceived from MoE stakeholders
E, To MoE
1500-
1730
UNICEF Deputy Chief of Education/ (currently Acting Chief) Calister Mlato;
Education Specialist John Ekaju; Program Assistant Mr. Farwad
UNICEF‘s contributions to the education sector; achievements
of year 2009 & plans for next 4 years under the new Country
Program.
E, To UNICEF
Thursday April 8 2010
11.30 Felix Edwards ASI Teleconference Team Meeting
TSP, TA, A, E,
S
London/Kabul
0900-
1200
IMF Mission to Afghanistan
Presentation of economy assessment at MoF (presentation of
Draft Report on Medium Term Macroeconomic Framework,
MoF
To MoF
1015-
1100
MoWA, Meeting with Hussun Banu Ghazanfar, Minister of Women‘s Affairs
Mandate of MoWA, coordination issues w/ other ministries,
challenges, educational/ training initiatives/ activities
E MoWA
1100-
1245
MoWA Deputy Minister Prof. Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi,Director of Social &
Cultural Affairs, Director of Planning & International Relations Dept. Dr.
Fauzia Habibi,
MoWA collaboration w/ MoE, MoHE, MoLSAMD: specific
focus on their contributions to NESP & MoHE Five Year
Strategy & curriculum development processes for Basic &
Secondary Education.
E MoWA
1430
MoE Senior Adviser to the Minister of Ed. Abdul Arian & Education Devel-
opment Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood
Finalization of draft outline for the analysis & work schedule:
week of April 10 established as final week for stakeholder
interviews in order to complete analysis/field visits per time-
frame.
E,T, S. A MoE
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 150
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1630-
1745
Conference call with ASI/London: Program Manager & Team Leaders
Planning of field visits, planning/ organization for completion
of the sector analysis and NESP II assessment
A, E, To in
conference w/
T, S, F Edwards
Friday April 9 2010
. Team worked from Guest House
Saturday April 10 2010
0900 MoE Literacy Coordinator Mr. Jam
Discussion of progress, achievements & challenges of Literacy
in view of MGD & NESP goals.
E MoE, Kabul
1330 MoE Education Development Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood Planning for Herat Field Visit E,To MoE, Kabul
1530-
1730
MoE Director of EQUIP Program, Mr. Barak
History of EQUIP Program: progress, achievements, chal-
lenges & future plan
E. To MoE
1630 MoE Senior Advisor for General Education Professor Lutfullah Safi
Discussed questions on Team‘s initial draft of ECE sub-
section for the Educational Sector Analysis
E
Literacy Dept.
Office
1630 Mr. Ranen Sengupta and Mr. Rajan Nair, Danida Experts, MoE TA strategies in MoE A MoE
Sunday April 11 2010
0900 Treasury, Education Sector Focal Point Mr. Naveed Bakhshi
Discussed expenditure, MoE budget allotments compared to
other ministries; MoE & MoHE 1388 development spending.
Further information on 1389 Budget Planning
T MoF
MoF Aid Coordination Unit, Ahmed Jalil
Discussed reporting on External Budget figures including
1388 spending and 1389 proposed
T MoF
1100 MoE Deputy Minister for Islamic Education Professor Shafiq
DM provided inputs for the finalization of the Islamic Educa-
tional draft
A
MoE, Islamic
Education Office
1600 MoE Senior Advisor for General Education Professor Lutfullah Safi
Received Professor Safi‘s feedback on Team‘s draft of ECE
sub-section for the Educational Sector Analysis
E MoE
Monday April 12 2010
0930-
1630
Series of information-gathering sessions at the Ministry of Women‘s Affairs;
Meetings with Director of Human Resources, Director of Economic Empow-
erment Department; Director of Social & Cultural Affairs, Director
Received information about how MoWA is |involved in im-
plementing policies and training relating to education/ learn-
ing/ literacy/ TVET; MoWA‘s effectiveness in fulfilling its
mandate of ensuring compliance with the incorporation of
gender goals in educational policy planning by the other 3
ministries
E MoWA
MoE, Mirwais Masood, Organisation of fieldwork A MoE
MoE Internal Audit Unit, Mr Sayad Abdul Baghi, Deputy Director, Discussion and inspection To MoE
12:00 Olive Security Group Planning fieldwork A, To ASI Guesthouse
Tuesday April 13 2010
0930- MoE Director of Private Education, Ms. Najeeba Nooristani Directorates‘s role in regulating & monitoring private educa- A, E MoE,
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 151
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1030 tion & providing inclusive education
1030-
1300
Round Table involving representatives from private schools Ms. Nooristani,
Private Education, Tanwheed Highscool (Secondary Private) Mr. Abdualla
(Director). Kaiwap High School, Mr. Mohammad Ameen, Amani Secondary
School Mr. Muhammad Magsood (founder). ROHI educational organisation,
Mr. Mosleh (Director)
Discussed accomplishments & challenges for implementers of
private education & support/ issues/ coordination w/ MoE.
E, A
MoE, central
office
1000-
1130
Emergency Education WG
Role and mandate of Emergency Education since its role is
now elevated to a unit within MoE
To CARE HQ
1300
Infrastructure Department, MoE, Mohd. Zia Radyar, Dept. Head,
Eng. Tamim Afghan, Eng. A. Matin Magool
Achievements, challenges and plans for Infrastructure/ School
Construction
To, A,
Infrastructure
Dept. Office,
MoE
1330
MoE Senior Adviser to the Minister of Ed. Abdul Arian & Education Devel-
opment Board Secretariat Director Mirwais Masood
MoE‘s expectations regarding the team‘s coverage of the per-
formance of the sector (in the sector analysis), and coverage of
gender and Inclusive education
E MoE
1500 MoE, Mr. Gulistani, Director, Curriculum Development
Achievements, challenges & plans of Curriculum Develop-
ment in Basic & Secondary Ed.
A, To MoE, Curr. Dept
Wednesday April 14 2010
1000-
1130
General Education Working Group, about 20 representatives of stakeholders to
General Education
Briefings provided by all members on activities/ challenges/
plans; discussion of future administrative structure of MoE, vis
a vis the effectiveness of increasing formation of directorates,
divisions, units, WGroups, etc.
A,E
MoE, Ministers
meeting room
1300 MoF Head of Department for ANDS Coordination Mr. Shakir Majeedi,
The use of LogFrames as performance-measuring instruments
to achieve Results Based Management, accountable budgetary
process and planning goals for the Ministries; MoE‘s progress
in developing & utilizing Log Frames
A, E, To
Ministry of Fi-
nance
1300-
1530
MoHE: Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs Mohammad Osman Babury,
Senior Advisor for Higher Education A. Qadir Amiryar, Engineer Daoud,
Senior Higher Education Consultant (USAID/ AED) Dr. Fred Haywood
Progress, achievements & challenges facing the Higher educa-
tion sector.
A, E, To
Ministry of
Higher Education
Thursday April 15 2010
1100
MoE Chief of Staff Dr. Ataullah Wahidyar
Discussed general issues and developmental & security chal-
lenges in providing education in Afghanistan; specific discus-
sion about role & future of MoE‘s School Protection Unit
E MoE
1145
MoE Director of Emergency Education Mr. Haidary
Discussed questions about statistics provided by the Emer-
gency Education Unit about school closures
E MoE
1230 MoE Director of the School Protection Unit General Amerkheel
Discussed questions about statistics provided by the Emer-
gency Education Unit about school closures
1400 MoE Teacher Training Unit To pick up documents promised, but documents not available
1700 Olive Planning fieldwork A,E,To, ASI Guesthouse
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 152
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1900 UNESCO, Mr. Terje Watterdahl, Consultant Information about Inclusive Education A,E Serena Hotel
Friday April 16 2010
1315
USAID Educational Team Leader Grace Lang & Senior Education Advisor,
Afghanistan-Pakistan Task Force, USAID/ Washington, DC
Discussion of USAID‘s initiatives & specific clarifications
concerning various USAID projects
A, E, To
Team Continued worked on sector analysis from GH & pre-
pared for 4.30 AM departure for Herat
E, To, A
Saturday April 17 2010
0530 Fieldwork Herat Fieldwork A, To, Kabul – Herat
0830 UNAMA, Jan Malekzade, Nuzhat Shahzadi UNICEF, General situation of the Province A, To, Herat
1000
PED, Herat Province, Ghulam Rasoul – Plan Director,
Khawaja Noarmohammad – Monitoring Director, Aziz-u-Rahman Sarwary –
Town Educational Director, Abidullah Khamosh – Provincial Finance Officer,
Abdul Qadir Salahi – EQUIP Officer, Abdul Rahman Azizi – Theological
Deputy Director, Sayed Maqsood Amiri – Primary Literacy Director, Ali
Ahmad – Protection Officer, Basir Ahmad Arwen Tahari – Educational Direc-
tor, Ghulam Hazrat Tanha – Dean of Education Management in Harat,
Mohammad Naser Farzad – Administrative Deputy
Introduction to Education in Herat, A, To
Herat, PED Of-
fice
1330 -
1430
MoF Mustofiat, Herat Province Role and function of the financing systems To Mustofiat, Herat
1430-
1520
MoHE (at the Univ of Herat)
Barez Hussaini. Director of MoHE and President of Univ?
Information about Higher Education in general and the Herat
University in particular
A Herat University
1530
MoWA (AW, TPS)
Leila Monamami
A, To
Sunday April 18 2010
0900-
1050
Injil District Education Office
Nesar Ahmed Habibi, Director, GH Maboob (Expert) Sardy Abdul Bagh Ex-
pert Centre of Injil District,
Introduction to a District and being informed about
The education activities
A, To,
Ngil District
Education Office
1100-
1200
Yahya Khan CBS, Injil district Visit to CBS A, To, E Herat
1330-
1430
Tajrabawi Girls High School, Fasida, pres of the school, members of PTA, Inspection of Girls High School A, To, E Herat
1330-
1530
Private School, Close to the old building of Park Hotel Director Suheil (Foun-
der) and some of his staff
Issues related to private schools E, To, A Herat
1530-
1630
CHA,
Two NGOs: CHA, Eng. Sayed Agha, CRS: M. Fahim
Interview with representatives of NGOs in the education sector
in Herat
E, To, A
PED, Herat
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 153
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
CRS
1630-
1830
Head of Herat School Protection Special interview for investigating security issues in schools E, To, A
PED, Herat
Monday April 19 2010
0830-
1020
Ghiasia Darul Uloom
Karezak
Visit to a Madrassa, example of Darululums A, To. E Herat
Literacy Unit, Sayed Maqsood Amiri, General Manager E, A, To Herat
1030 Girls Literacy Class, Close to Herat Hawzawi Hospital E
Girls Literacy Class, Focus Group 3 female students (Attiqa, Sahaila, Nargis)
and Instructor Nadiya Habibi
E Herat
Herat Supplementary School, Focus Group with 25 female students E Herat
1400-
1445
Technic Institute, Next to Talare Buzurg Lycee Sultan
Aminullah Abrahim, Herat Technical Institute
Interview and inspection of workshops A, To. E Herat
1530-
1630
Herat Government Finance and Accounting Directorate.
In Governor‘s Office
To Herat
Tuesday April 20 2010
0900 EQUIP, PEOs Office, Abdul Qadir Salahi (Abdullah) E, A PED, Herat
0900
Mr. Azizur Rachman Saweri, General Manager Urban of Herat Education
Office.
Discussion on problems of coordination and need for specific
coordination point in the MoE office to deal with numerous
participants in Education field in the province.
To PED, Herat
0945 Mr. Abidullah, Finance Officer, MoE HERAT Discussions on Financial reporting in the province To PED, Herat
1030 Mr Akhtar Md Rasooli, Payroll Officer MoE Herat, Discussions on payroll date and input to EMIS To PED, Herat
MoWA, Line Directorate in Herat, Laeloma Amami E Herat
Departure Herat A, E, To, Herat to Kabul
Wednesday April 21 2010
LIFE Working Group, Shahnewaz Khan, Educational Program Manager, Co-
Chair of LIFE Working Group
E
UNESCO, Kabul
LIFE Working Group E Kabul
PACE-A, Nick Mills, Director E Kabul
Agha Khan, Ms. Nafisa Shekova, Education Program Coordinator E Kabul
MoE, Mr. Shalwar Hussaini, Deputy Minister of Literacy E, To MoE
Thursday April 22 2010
0830 EMIS Brief on status of EMIS, Collecting statistics A MoE HQ
MoE, Mr. Arian Discussion about fieldwork A, E, To MoE Kabul
Team Planning for field visit A, E, To MoE, Kabul
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 154
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Friday April 23 2010
Team working from guesthouse
Saturday April 24 2010
1000
Planning Department, staff , Jalaudin Abuyee
Head of Research
Planning and reporting from the Provinces A
Planning
Dept.,MoE
1030 Karbalai, Head of Planning A
Planning
Dept.,MoE
1030 MOLSAMD, Mr. Safi, Budget and Planning Director To MOLSAMD
1120 EMIS Update of statistics A EMIS, MoE
1200 UNESCO, Shahnewaz Khan, Program Manager/Education Coordinator E UNESCO
1500 BESST, CoP, D-CoP & Technical Manager E BESST
Sunday April 25 2010
0600 Arrival of S from London S Return to Kabul
0840 UNICEF Chief of Education Fazlul Haque
Discussion of UNICEF‘s involvement in Emergency Educa-
tion
E UNICEF
1300 MoE, Mr. Arian S MoE
1330 Team left for Nangarhar Province E, To, A Kabul - Jalalabad
1500
Nangarhar Province Education Department, Mr. S. Essai, Deputy Director
Education, Mr. Ali Ahmad Barakzai, Equip,
Discussion of progress, achievements & challenges of Provin-
cial Line Directorate of Education in Nangarhar
E, To, A PED, Jalalabad
1600-
1800
ADA, Gul Hussain, UNICEF Prakash Tuladhar, chief, Zonal office,
UNICEF & ADA‘s contributions to educational sector in Nan-
garhar
E, To, A PED, Jalalabad
1900
Team and translators Planning and sharing not E, To, A
Spin Gar Hotel,
Jalalabad
Monday April 26 2010
0800 –
1000
MoE – Nangarhar Provincial Line Directorate
Introduction to the general situation of education in the Prov-
ince
E, To, A PED,Jalalabad
0915-
1200
Education Development Boards Presentation of ESA Team work S
Serena Hotel,
Kabul
1015 -
1110
MoF – Mustofiat, Mohammad Ishaqzai, Director of Mustofiat and Deputy
Governor of Nangarhar Province
Discussion on financial aspects of MoE, AFMIS and relations
with MoE
To
Mustofiat, Jala-
labad
1010-
1110
MoHE Dr. Sabir Situation for higher education E Jalalabad
1010-
1110
MoLSAMD, Haji Hayat Khan and three staff members Role and function of MoLSAMD A Jalalabad
1120-
1200
School visits. Bibi Zainab High School for girls.
Afghan Gull , Principal , 0700 69 86 33, English Dept Head, Shefiqa, Gul Jan-
Supervisor of the Inspection Team, Saadia. - Teacher
Visit to a huge girls high school with serious problems related
to lack of proper infrastructure
E, To, A Jalalabad
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 155
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1210-
130
Nangarhar High School, boys, Mr. Mohammad Mosa, Administrative Man-
ager,
Mr. Hazrat Wali, Academic Deputy Principal, Mr. Mohammad Abbas, Head
Master, Mohammad Gul, Headmaster for 12 Grade, Mohammad Asif, Admin-
istrative Deputy, Mr. Sarwar, Principle
Meeting with Director and many of the teachers of the school E, To, A Jalalabad
1320-
1500
Town District Education Office, Behsood District, Noor Mohammad and his
colleagues
Trying to assess the challenges from a Town District Office
point of view
E, To, A Jalalabad
1510-
1600
MoWA Amira Amrani Woman Affair‘s activities, and relations to other stakeholders E, To, A Jalalabad
1610-
1800
NGOs: A Rasool, DEO, Abdullah Nassar, SCA, Eng. M. Afzal, WADAN,
Asim Samarkhhail, Principal Litracy Department, Fazil Nabi Safi, Literacy
Department, Afil Khan, SCS-N, Radimullah, BRAC, Pamir –Momand ELA
UNESCO
Information about NGOs‘ operations in the Province E, To, A
PED Office, Jala-
labad
Tuesday April 27 2010
0800 Departure from Jalalabad E, To, A
From Jalalabad to
Kabul
Working from guesthouse on drafting report Kabul
Wednesday April 28 2010
0830:
1230
ESA Team meeting S, E, To, A ASI guesthose
Thursday April 29 2010
1400 DANIDA, (Poul Erik Rasmussen and Farid Tanai NESP Planning and Donor Coordination S Danish Embassy
Friday April 30 2010
Saturday May 1 2010
0830 MoE, Ministers Secretariat, Ms. Asalma Request for updated statistics A MoE
Faridullah Mirzad, AFMIS Manager and Acting Development Budget Man-
ager
Info about Budget Preparation and Expenditure Tracking
(BPET), system and the issue of under spending on the Devel-
opment Budget
T
MoE, EMIS Mr Sherani
To obtain 2009 statistical tables and data on progress towards
NESPI and ANDS education targets
S MoE
MoE, Procurement, Mr Hanifi, Director
Discuss developments in procurement aimed a reducing delay
in expenditure including more timely procurement plans
T MoE
MoE Director of School Protection Unit – EDL, General Amerkhil,
Discussion regarding statistics of school damage/ closures/
attacks
E MoE
MoE, Literacy Department, Deputy Minister Hussaini
Collecting documents and to clarify questions on statistics
provided
Abdullah Literacy
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 156
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Sunday May 2 2010
0930-
1000
BRAC, Sakhi Abrar Information about BRACs work E MoE, Kabul
1000-
1045
Working Group for Early Childhood Development E Kabul
1100-
1120
MoE, Ms Nooristani, Director of Private Education & Mutahar Shah Akhgar,
Mine Advisor
E MoE, Kabul
1145-
1330
BRAC, Md Abdul Quyyum, Senior Manager, Educational Programs and Md
Siddique Ali, Program Officer for Education
BRAC activities E
BRAC Office,
Kabul
1230 MoE, EMIS Mr Sherani Follow-up on previous request A MoE
1240 Field Work Bamyan starts, Met by Delegation from PEO S, T Kabul-Bamyan
1345
Provincial Education Office (PEO) Deputy Director, Ghulam Husain Sharifi
Reza Sherzad M and E Manager, Mohammad Ayub Islamyar Director of Sci-
ence, Ali Maddad Administration Manager, Reza Farahmand Spokesperson to
Director
Introductions and Arrange Programme S, T PEO Bamyan
1500
UNAMA, Elena Brosvik Political Officer, Ahmadullah Javed National Politi-
cal Officer, Mohammad Rostamyan National Programme Officer
Keiichi Tanabe Programme Officer
a) Schools b) Literacy and c) UNAMA‘s role and influence S, T Bamyan
Monday May 3 2010
0800-
1000.
Provincial Education Office – Bamyan, Deputy Director Ghulam Husain
Sharifi, Reza Sherzad M and E Manager, Mohammad Ayub Islamyar Director
of Science, Ali Maddad Administration Manager, Usman Khushrang Engineer
EQUIP, Akbar Laksi Finance Manager .
Structure, departments, achievements.Challenges: teachers,
learning materials, supervision, infrastructure.
Planning
S, T PEO Bamyan
1015-
1110
MoF, Mustofiat, Mr Abdul Qahar, Director, and Md Akbar Lagzey, Provincial
Finance Officers, MoE
AFMIS, Financial Reporting, Process of budget execution to
schools
T MoF, Bamyan
1010-
1110
University of Bamyan, Chancellor Hamidullah Adina and the Head of the
English Department Chaman Ali Hikmat
Development of the University
Financing and expansion
S
University of
Bamyan
1130 School visit. Central Girls High School
Access, quality, school and completion
Financing organization and management
Teacher development opportunities
S, T Bamyan
1400 MoWA Director Fatima Kazimian
Education and training functions and activities, including
literacy, vocational training etc
S, T Bamyan
1500 Literacy, Qolam Yahya Benesh (MoE Literacy manager) The Tashkil for MoE literacy programmes S Bamyan
1500 EQUIP, PED Bamiyan, Md Osman Qarar, Civil Engineer, EQUP Office
State of school infrastructure: issues and challenges. Financ-
ing, unit costs, design and management issues
T Bamyan
1630
MoE – Monitoring and Evaluation, Reza Sherzad Manager of M and E
Mohammad Ismail Hadsanyar, Naem Balchtyari, Mohammad Ali Rezai
Abdul Khaliq.
M and E in schools, Ways of working, Monitoring and report-
ing, Quality improvement
S, T PEO, Bamyan
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 157
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1900-
2100
MoE, Ms Hamida Nizami, Director of Basic Education Basic education and CBE E Kabul
Tuesday May 4 2010
0800 PEO, brief visit S, T PEO
0900
Bamyan Teacher Training College, Deputy Principal
Mir Hussain Farhat, MoE Teacher Training Manager
The development of the TTC. Students, teacher and course.
Data on students. Challenges facing the college and teacher
training in general
S, T Bamyan
1030 Khushkak School (Grades 1-9) Principal Haji Booman
History and circumstances of a rural school. Achievements
and challenges. The role of the community
S, T Bamyan
1130-
1200
MoE, EMIS Mr Sherani
Discussion of educational statistics and reception of many of
the 2009 EMIS tables
A MoE, Kabul
1300-
1445
Save the Children, Colin Alfred Country Coordinator, Fazel Jalil, D-CoP,
Program Coordinator
Inclusive Education, CBEs, PTAs, etc. E Kabul
1400 PEO Office, Deputy Director Ghulam Husain Sharifi Farewell and thanks S, T Bamyan
1515-
1630
UNESCO, Parveen Azimi, Coordinator for Inclusive Education Inclusive Education E Kabul
Wednesday May 5 2010
0845-
1045
MoE, Ms Nooristani, Director of Private School and Mr. Nazir Ahmad, Head
of Inclusive Education
Inclusive Education E MOE, Kabul
1130-
1345
MoE, Ms. Sara Amiryar, Senior Advisor to the Minister for Institutional Ca-
pacity Building & Human Resources
E Kabul
1430-
1600
Working Group Meeting of the Girls‘ Education Initiative Girls Education E Kabul
1630-
1700
BESST Program Jill Meeks and MoE Susan Wardak, Senior Policy Advisor &
General Director of Teacher Education
E Kabul
Thursday May 6 2010
1030-
1100
MoE, Literacy, Mr. Jam Documentation and clarification of statistics E
MoE, Literacy,
Kabul
1030-
1115
MoE, School Infrastructure, Eng. Zia Radyar, Head Discussion of planning and construction for girls‘ schools E
MoE, Infrastruc-
ture, Kabul
1100
Mr. Mirwais Massood
Followup on Islamic Education, requesting information prom-
ised several weeks ago from Dr. Shafiq
A MoE, Kabul
1130-
1200
MoE, General Education, Professor Lutfallah Safi
Discussion of Inclusive Education & MoE‘s program for Ku-
chi Education
E MoE, Kabul
1315- MoE Teacher Education, Ms. Susan Wardak, Senior Policy Advisor & General E MoE, Teacher
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 158
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
1600 Director of Teacher Education Training Kabul
Friday May 7 2010
0
0
0
Saturday May 8 2010
0
0
0
Sunday May 9 2010
0
0
0
Monday May 10 2010
1030 MoE, Deputy Ministry of Islamic Education, Dr. Shafiq Structure of the Islamic Schools A
MOE, Patman‘s
Office
1400
MoE, Curriculum Development, Mr. Gulistania, Dr. Shir Ali Zarifi, Head of
Curriculum Development Project
Information about Islamic Education A
Curriculum De-
partment
1530 NSDP, MOLSAMD, Mr. Wahim Wardak, Director Searching labour forecast information A MOLSAMD,
Tuesday May 11 2010
Wednesday May 12 2010
1000 Ministry of Hajj and Endowment, Dr. Mohd. Yusuf Niazi Discussion of Curriculum in Islamic Education
Ministry of Hajj
and Endowment
1400 NSDP, MOLSAMD, Mr. Wahim Wardak, Director Labour issues, Women and MOLSAMD
Thursday May 13 2010
Frisday May 14 2010
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 159
Time Meeting/communicating with Agenda
Team
Members
Venue
Saturday May 15 2010
Sunday may 16 2010
Monday May 17 2010
0
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 160
Annex 4 Education Sector Aid Programmes and Projects 1388 (2009)
273
Funded
Through
Implementing
Partners
Project Name NESP Supported Funds
Amount
(USD)
Geographical Location Project
Start
Date
Project
End
Date
AGFUND UNESCO Women‘s Literacy in Com-
munity Learning Center
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
100000
Bamiyan
ARTF Do-
nors
WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program
(EQUIP) (2004-2009)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Education Administration Reform
and Development
44 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
aug.04
ARTF Do-
nors
WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program – Sec-
ond Phase (EQUIP II )
(2008-2012)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development
40 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
apr.08
CIDA WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
1291230 Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
Lam), Parwan
jan.06 Dec-10
CIDA CIDA UNICEF and
WFP
Women's Literacy Program 1223579 Kandahar City feb.07 Dec-08
CIDA CIDA BRAC Girls' Primary Education,
Establishment of 4,000 CBS
in 11 provinces
General Education 12730465 Kabul,Heart, Samangan,
Jewzjan, Helmand, Kandahar,
Herat, Kapisa, Parwan,
Jalalabad, Laghman
2006 2010
CIDA CIDA WUSC-CARE Vocational Training for
Afghan Women, The project
assists vulnerable Afghan
women through skills devel-
opment through a diverse
portfolio of training options
Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
4389816 Kabul 2007 2011
CIDA WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
2- Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
1291230 Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
jan.06 Dec-10
273
Wirak, A. et al, Identification Report for Danish support to Education (MoE) Afghanistan for the period 2010-2012 (SY 1389-91) (August 2009), using MoE/UNESCO data.
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 161
Lam), Parwan
CIDA Ministery of
Education
EQUIP 52 677 788 National wide- 34 provinces 2007 2011
CIDA Agha Khan
Foundation
Girls Education Support Program
(GESP)
7023705 Badakhshan,Bamyan and
Baghlan
2007 2012
DANIDA DANIDA MOE Curricu-
lum in coopera-
tion with
DANIDA
funded interna-
tional Specialist
and specialized
national Techni-
cal Assistance
staff
Textbook Planning, Produc-
tion and Distribution
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials
10 772 000 Project implemented via the
Central MOE in Kabul but
covering all Provinces - All
Districts
jan.07 May-09
DANIDA DANIDA MOE Finance,
Budget, HR and
RIMU in coop-
eration with
DANIDA
funded interna-
tional Specialist
and specialized
national Techni-
cal Assistance
staff
International and national
technical assistance to the
MOE administrative reform
Education Administration Reform
and Development
2 500 000 Project implemented via the
Central MOE in Kabul but
covering all Provinces - All
Districts
DANIDA DANIDA MOE / DOE
Helmand
School and dormitory con-
struction - Helmand
General Education 6 000 000 Helmand - Lashkagar Oct-08
EC UNESCO Community-based Pro-
gramme ?Reducing harms of
using drugs‘
Cross-cutting 75000 Old Kabul city, Kharabat area
GTZ GTZ BEST, JACK,
HHO, SAB
Basic Education Program for
Afghanistan
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials
7117350 Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz,
Mazar, Sare-Pul, Paktia,
Paktika and Khost
jul.05 Dec-10
IDA WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program
(EQUIP) (2004-2009)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Education Administration Reform
40 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
aug.04
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 162
and Development
IDA WORLD
BANK
MoE Education Quality Im-
provement Program – Sec-
ond Phase (EQUIP II )
(2008-2012)
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development
30 000 000 All provinces of Afghanistan
in different phases
apr.08
Japan UNESCO Enhancement of Literacy in
Afghanistan (ELA)
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
15000000 [Phase-1] 9 provinces
Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamiyan,
Daikundi, Ghor, Nangarhar,
Paktika, Samangan, Wardak,
[Phase-2] 9 provinces
Badghis, Faryab, Ghazni,
Khost Kunar, Nimroz, Nuris-
tan, Uruzgan, Zabul
mar.08 feb.13
Japan UNESCO Development of Non Formal
Education Management
Information System
(NFEMIS)
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
200000 Kabul
Japan WFP Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
structure in Afghanistan
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
2650741 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.08 Dec-08
Japan EoJ UNICEF School Construction Project Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
26000000 Kabul city and bordering areas
towards Pakistan
Oct-08 Dec-09
Japan UNESCO Development of Non Formal
Education Management
Information System
(NFEMIS)
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Education Administration
Reform and Development
300000 Kabul
Japan UNESCO Enhancement of Literacy in
Afghanistan (ELA)
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
15000000 [Phase-1] 9 provinces
Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamiyan,
Daikundi, Ghor, Nangarhar,
Paktika, Samangan, Wardak,
[Phase-2] 9 provinces
Badghis, Faryab, Ghazni,
Khost Kunar, Nimroz, Nuris-
tan, Uruzgan, Zabul
mar.08 feb.13
Japan EoJ UNICEF School Construction Project Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
26000000 Kabul city and bordering areas
towards Pakistan
Oct-08 Dec-09
Japan WFP &
UNICEF
Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
3173114 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.06 Dec-08
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 163
structure in Afghanistan
JICA JICA System Science
Consultants Inc.
Strengthening Teachers
Education Program?STEP
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials
4800000 Kabul, Herat, Kandahar,
Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif
jun.05 aug.08
JICA JICA System Science
Consultants Inc.
Strengthening Teachers
Education Program?STEP-
2
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials
4450000 Kabul(Bamian, Mazar-e-
Sharif, Jalalabad)
sep.07 aug.10
JICA JICA KRI Interna-
tional Corp.
The Project on Support for
Expansion and Improvement
of Literacy Education in
Afghanistan (LEAF)
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
3940000 Kabul , Mazar-e-
Sharif,Bamian,
mar.06 jul.08
JICA JICA The Project on Support for
Expansion and Improvement
of Literacy Education in
Afghanistan (LEAF) - 2
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
Kabul Province including
Kabul city, Bamian Province
and Balkh Province
Prelimi-
nary
Evalua-
tion
Mission
will be
conduct-
ing study
early
2009.
JICA JICA The National
Federation of
UNESCO Asso-
ciations in Japan
(NFUAJ)
Strengthening Non Formal
Education in Afghanistan
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
1560000 Kabul mar.04 mar.07
JICA JICA International
Cooperation
Center, Tsukuba
University
Strengthening Education for
Children with Disabilities
Project
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials,
107000 Kabul jul.05 mar.06
JICA JICA International
Cooperation
Center, Tsukuba
University
Strengthening Teacher
Education on Special Educa-
tion
1- Teacher Education and Working
Conditions, 2- Curriculum Devel-
opment and Learning Materials
767000 TTC Lecturers nation wide nov.08 May-10
JICA JICA Shanti Volun-
teer Association
Improving quality of pri-
mary education through
promotion of picture books
and library activities
General Education 528000 Jalalabad Oct-07 Oct-10
JICA JICA Individual Ex-
perts
Education Cooperation
Planning (Advisor,Current) /
Education Cooperation Ad-
visor, Education Policy
Education Administration Reform
and Development
1300000 Kabul nov.02 On
go-
ing(curr
ent one
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 164
Advisor, Education Pro-
gramme Advisor
started
from
Oct-08)
JICA JICA Naruto Univer-
sity of Educa-
tion
STEP 2 Counterpart Train-
ing Programme
30800 Japan jan.09 feb.09
JICA JICA Naruto Univer-
sity of Educa-
tion
Training on Improvement of
Teaching Methods
49500 Japan jan.09 feb.09
JICA JICA Ochanomizu
University
Training Programme for
Young Leaders for Afghani-
stan/Education(Female
Teachers)
181000 Japan jan.09 jan.09
Lithuania WFP MoE, MRRD &
CDCs
Low Cost School Construc-
tion in Ghor Province
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
274818 Ghor (Chaghcharan, Dawlat-
yar, Du Layna, Shahrak and
Tulak)
aug.07 jun.08
Multi do-
nors
WFP MoE Functional Literacy Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
All provinces jan.06 Dec-08
Multi do-
nors
WFP MoE Teachers Training General Education
jan.06 Dec-08
Multi do-
nors
WFP WFP Assistance to Improve
Vocational Skills Training
and Non-Formal Education
in Afghanistan
Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
18 MoLSA training centers in
Balkh, Kabul, Kunduz, Nan-
garhar, Paktya, Kandahar,
Bamyan, Heart Nimroz and
Farah
jan.06 Dec-11
Multi do-
nors
WFP WFP Assistance to Improve
Access to Primary and Non-
Formal Education in Af-
ghanistan
General Education 179 154 000 All provinces jan.06 Dec-12
Norway-
MoFA
UNESCO IIEP Strategic Planning & Capac-
ity Development
Education Administration Reform
and Development
1 500 000 Central Ministry / Kabul Oct-06 Dec-09
NORWAY,
SIDA,
UNICEF
UNICEF UNICEF (to-
gether with
MoE)
Women's Literacy and Em-
powerment
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
2000000 All provinces 2006 2009
SIDA UNICEF UNICEF (to-
gether with
MoE)
Basic Education and Gender
Equality 2006-2008
1- General Education, 2- Teacher
Education and Working Conditions,
3- Education Infrastructure Reha-
bilitation and Development, 4-
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials, 5- Literacy and
Non-Formal Education
8300000 (Province and District) May-06 Dec-08
Sweden SIDA Swedish Com- Education Programme of the 1- General Education, 3- Education 6700000
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 165
mittee for Af-
ghanistan
Swedish Committee for
Afghanistan 2006-2008
Infrastructure Rehabilitation and
Development, 2- Teacher Education
and Working Conditions
Sweden SIDA Swedish Com-
mittee for Af-
ghanistan
Integrated Development
Scheme for the Northern
Provinces of Samangan,
Balkh
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
1100000
UNCIEF WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
Lam), Parwan
jan.06 Dec-10
UNESCO UNESCO Advocacy and capacity
building for creating a sup-
portive policy environment
for inclusive education
Cross-cutting 75 000
UNESCO UNESCO Supporting research and
strengthening capacity-
building in Higher Educa-
tion
Cross-cutting 60 000
UNESCO UNESCO Development of Non Formal
Education Management
Information System
(NFEMIS)
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Education Administration
Reform and Development
100 000 Kabul
UNESCO UNESCO Supporting the Literacy
Initiative for Empowerment
(LIFE) in Afghanistan
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
100 000
UNHCR UNHCR MoE & IRC Joint initiative to improve
Afghan refugee children‘s
access to education in Paki-
stan, Iran and their re-
integration in Afghanistan
1- General Education, 2- Education
Administration Reform and Devel-
opment
1 200 000 Refugee concentration areas in
Pakistan and Iran, and all
provinces of Afghanistan.
aug.07
UNICEF WFP Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
structure in Afghanistan
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
124320 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.08 Dec-08
UNICEF WHO MoPH, MOE School Health General Education
Kabul, Balkh, Faryab, Hirat,
Nangarhr, Khunar, Lagman,
Khost, Qundus, Takhar, Sari-
pul and Ghore
UNICEF,
GTHF
UNICEF MoE national,
provinces, dis-
Support to Sector Reform
and Community Develop-
1- General Education, 2- Literacy
and Non-Formal Education
5000000 All provinces 2006 2009
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 166
tricts, schools,
Communities,
ment
UNICEF,
USA,
GTHF,
GGE
UNICEF UNICEF (to-
gether with
MoE)
Quality of Primary Educa-
tion with Special Focus on
Girls
General Education 1 000 000 All provinces 2006 2009
USA UNESCO Programme for Reconstruc-
tion of Education System in
Afghanistan
Cross-cutting 35000000
USA USAID MoE National Institute of Man-
agement and Administration
Technical and Vocational Educa-
tion and Training
6000000 Kabul City jun.05
USA USAID Oasis Interna-
tional schools,
INC.
International School of Ka-
bul (ISK)
1- General Education, 2- Cross-
Cutting, 2- Education Infrastructure
Rehabilitation and Development
8525280 Kabul City jun.05 jun.10
USA USAID UN HABITAT,
Literacy De-
partment, MoE
Learning for Community
Empowerment Program-2
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
40000000 Phase 1: Bamyan, Balkh,
Farah, Herat, Kandahar, Nan-
garhar, Kabul, Ghor, Kapisa,
Panjshir, and Parwan. Phases
2 and 3: Baghlan, Kunduz,
Jawzwan, Laghman, Logar,
Saripur, Takhar and Helmand.
jan.08 jan.13
USA USAID DANIDA Printing of textbook to Min-
istry of Education
Curriculum Development and
Learning Materials
25000000 Nationwide (all 34 provinces) jul.07 2011
USA USAID UNOPS Ghazi and Sardar-kabuli
High School Buildings, and
200 classrooms
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
23400000 Kabul City jul.07 aug.09
USA USAID IOM CHEF (Construction of 10
Provincial Teacher Resource
Centers including dormito-
ries and learning spaces)
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
56773305 10 provinces jan.08 jan.11
USA USAID UN HABITAT Youth Empowerment Pro-
ject
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training, (Commu-
nity Grants)
2156262 6 Provinces sep.06
USA USAID ARZO. Inc Social Benefits Program for
Afghan Women
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
2298000 jun.08
USA USAID Bearing Point Capacity Development Pro-
ject (Support to National
TAs)
National /Sub national Education
Delivery & ATVI
8000000 Nationwide (34 provinces) jan.08 jan.10
USA USAID MoE EQUIP I (Kabul City
Schools Construction)
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development, (ARTF)
20000000 Kabul City aug.08 mar.09
USA USAID MoE EQUIP II (Teacher and Teacher Education and Working 22000000 23 provinces apr.08 sep.12
Afghanistan Education Sector Analysis 2010 167
principal Training) Conditions, (ARTF)
WFP UNESCO Development of National
Literacy Action Plan
Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion
100 000 Kabul
WFP WFP Afghanistan Integrated Lit-
eracy
1- Literacy and Non-Formal Educa-
tion, 2- Technical and Vocational
Education and Training
200 000 Kandahar (Kandahar),
Nangarhar (Kama &
Behsood), Laghman (Mehter
Lam), Parwan
jan.06 Dec-10
WFP WFP MoE, MRRD &
CDCs
Low Cost School Construc-
tion in Ghor Province
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
35 000 Ghor (Chaghcharan, Dawlat-
yar, Du Layna, Shahrak and
Tulak)
aug.07 jun.08
WFP WHO UN-WHO and
Community
Literacy and Health Educa-
tion Project under the Basic
Development Needs (BDN)
Program.
General Education 100 000 Kabul ,Nangarhar,Ghazni,
Bamyan, Heart, Kunduz,
Badakhshan,Kandahahr
tbd-1996 going
on
WFP WHO MoPH, MOE School Health General Education
Kabul, Balkh, Faryab, Hirat,
Nangarhr, Khunar, Lagman,
Khost, Qundus, Takhar, Sari-
pul and Ghore
WFP WFP Support for Community
Empowerment through
Training and Food-for-Work
to Improve School Infra-
structure in Afghanistan
Education Infrastructure Rehabilita-
tion and Development
398053 Kandahar, Nangarhar and
Faryab Provinces
jan.08 Dec-08
WHO WHO UN-WHO and
Community
Literacy and Health Educa-
tion Project under the Basic
Development Needs (BDN)
Program.
General Education 200 000 Kabul ,Nangarhar,Ghazni,
Bamyan, Heart, Kunduz,
Badakhshan,Kandahahr
tbd-1996 going
on
WHO WHO MoPH, MOE School Health General Education 100 000 Kabul, Balkh, Faryab, Hirat,
Nangarhr, Khunar, Lagman,
Khost, Qundus, Takhar, Sari-
pul and Ghore
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