Situation Analysis for Girls Education

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Education

Afghanistan Girls’ Education Initiative (AGEI)

Draft Situation Analysis of Girls’ Education in Afghanistan

As of Saratan (1386) September 2007

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Acronyms…………………………………………………………………………………………. 3

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

Situation Analysis………………………………………………………………………………… 5 1. General Profile of the Country…………………………………………………… 5 2. Status of Education in Afghanistan……………………………………………… 6 3. Overall Situation of Schools……………………………………………………… 10 4. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………. 21

 Annex 1: Population by province and by sex  Annex 2: Gross Enrolment and Gender Parity Ratio by education levels by province (%)  Annex 3: Female Teachers Ratio and Pupil-Teacher Ratio by province  Annex 4: Number of Schools by type and province

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Acronyms

AGEI Afghanistan Girls’ Education Initiative BGE Basic and Girls Education CBE Community -Based Education CBS Community-Based School CBALS Community –Based Accelerated Learning schools CSO Civil Society Organization DSA Daily Service Allowance EQUIP Education Quality Improvement Program GER Girl’s Enrollment Rate GDP Gross Development Product HRRAC Human Right Research and advocacy consortium MoE Ministry of Education MoLSA Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs MoWA Ministry of Women Affaires NESPA National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan NGO Non-Governmental Organization NRVA National Risk Vulnerability Assessment NWFP North-West Frontier Province PACE-A Partnership for Advancement of Community-Based Education for Afghanistan P/DEOs Provincial/District Education Offices PTA Parent Teacher Association SASC School Advisory and Support Committee SCA Save the Children Alliance /US SMC School Management Committee UNESCO UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNICEF UN Children’s Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development W.B World Bank

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Introduction:

Education for girls is critical. Girls and young women, who own little more than their labor, do better in life once they attend school. With schooling, they tend to earn more money, have fewer and healthier children, are themselves healthier and are likely to send their own children to school. The benefits of girls’ education are transferred from one generation to another.

Afghanistan is recovering from three decade of conflict and the challenges facing Afghanistan’s education system are dire. During the time of the Taliban, girls were not officially allowed to attend schools. Official Ministry statistics indicate that there were no girls enrolled in schools in 1380 (2001). Girls’ enrolment at the primary level has increased dramatically in the past five years. According to Ministry of Education statistics, almost 4.9 million children were enrolled in school in 1384 (2005), an increase of nearly four million children since the fall of the Taliban. In order to accommodate this rapid increase of enrolments, educational facilities and infrastructure needs to be constructed and the country’s education systems strengthened. Education programming needs to respond to the fragile context of insecurity that still exists in many parts of the country.

Today, primary level enrolment of boys is nearly twice of that of girls At the lower secondary level boys’ enrolment is three times higher and at the higher secondary level boys are almost four times more likely than girls to be enrolled1. The ratio becomes even more dramatic in rural areas. To improve the situation of girls’ education in Afghanistan, it is imperative that the country develops focused interventions and addresses the barriers that prevent girls from attending schools.

The Ministry of Education developed the country’s first National Education Strategic Plan for Afghanistan (NESPA) in December 2006. It is a guiding framework for educational activities throughout the country over the next five years. It represents the ambitions and aspirations of the government and people of Afghanistan for improved access and quality of education. Girls’ education has received special attention in the strategic plan and has also been integrated in all priority programmes to achieve the goal “by 1389 (2010), the net enrolment rate for girls and boys in primary grades will be at least 60% and 75% respectively”.

To support MoE’s goal for girls’ education, Afghanistan Girls Education Initiative (AGEI) was launched in March 2007. It creates a forum for extensive information sharing, networking and funding for improved coordination and collaboration on girls’ education. The forum links local and national initiatives and draws necessary expertise from within the country and from regional and global networks.

This analysis on the situation of girls’ education in Afghanistan was drafted by Afghanistan Girls’ Education Initiative, mainly by desk review. It illustrates the status of the girls and women in Afghan society and how their education situation is inter-linked. Although a complex issue, challenges to accelerate girls’ education in the country are identified and discussed. It is hoped that this paper will contribute to the larger discussions in reviewing the existing priority programmes and assist in developing additional interventions to achieve the goals specified in the NESPA.

1 The National Strategic Plan for Education in Afghanistan (DRAFT), December 2006

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Situation Analysis

1. General Profile of the Country

Afghanistan is a landlocked country with an area of 647,500sq Kms, bordering Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north and China to the northeast. There are 34 provinces in the country and the capital is Kabul.

Central Statistics Office estimated a total population of 24.5 million in 2007. Exact population figures for Afghanistan are not available because a census has not been conducted since 1979. It is estimated that of the 24.5 million, 12.6 million are male and 11.9 female. Approximately 77.8% of the populations live in rural area and 22.2% have settled in cities. The overall, population is scattered at a rate of 40 people per sq km. According to the Central Statistics Office (2007), the population distribution is highly uneven - while 13.9% of the total populations live in Kabul and 7% in Herat, only 0.6% of the population are in Nooristan and Nimroz respectively.

The population of Afghanistan is very young. Based on the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment by the MRRD and CSO in 2007, 52% of the population is 17 years of age or younger and of this, 16% is pre-school age. On average, each woman gives birth to 6.6 children making the annual population growth rate of 2.5%. The life expectancy of Afghans is estimated at 44.5 years: 45 years for men and 44 years for women (CSO, 2003).

The law on marriage stipulates that marriage must be by choice. The legal age of marriage for women is 16 years and for men it is 18 years 2. However, early marriage is widespread and it is customary for families to marry off daughters at a young age3. This is especially true of rural areas in the country. According to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, nearly 60% of marriages in Afghanistan involve girls below the legal age of 16 years. Journalists have documented cases of 11 year old girls being engaged to men of 45 and 55 years olds in the country (Bride Price, New York Times, 9 July 2006). A midwife at Malalai Hospital (IRIN, 21 September 2006) reported a case of a pregnant 12 years old girl in Kabul.

This traditional practice is extremely harmful to the health of girls as directly reflected in Afghanistan’s child statistics. The statistics have stagnated at around 115 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, 172 deaths per 1,000 children under the age of five and 1,600 mothers dying in childbirth out of every 100,000 (Best Estimates, GoA and UNICEF, 2005). These rates are among the highest in the world.

2 National Reconstruction and Poverty Reduction – The Role of Women in Afghanistan’s Future, World Bank, March 2005 3 “A girl should have her first period in her husband’s house and not her father’s house” is a local saying reflecting this position (World Bank, March 2005)

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One out of every five children die before the age of five and one woman dies from pregnancy-related causes approximately every 30 minutes. Underlying these statistics are poor health and hygiene practices in the home and inadequate access to essential quality health services. Coupled with these challenges is the lack of female health workers in under-resourced health institutions. There is a need to overcome barriers to health care for all Afghans, but women in particular are suffering. For example, women above 24 years of age have a higher mortality rate than men of the same age and seventy percent of people affected by tuberculosis are women.

Based on the CSO’s statistical yearbook of 2003, the GDP per capita was US$190 in 2002. According to the World Bank’s estimates, 52.8% of the Afghan populations live below the poverty line of Afs 8,450 per person per year. Due to this desperate poverty, nearly one quarter of Afghanistan’s children between the ages of 7 and 14 are working. There are more girls than boys in the workforce and this is mostly true for rural areas. Boys are more commonly working as vendors and shop-keepers while girls are mostly found in the carpet weaving business. The environment of carpet weaving negatively affects girls’ health because of the wool dust and dim lights in the workshops.

According to the National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (NRVA) 2005, only 31% of Afghanistan’s households have access to safe drinking water; 26% of rural households and 64% of urban households. Electrification is a key factor in the development of all sectors of the economy but only 23% of the population has access to electricity.

Based on the same report (NRVA 2005), agriculture is the most important source of income in Afghanistan with almost half of all Afghan households being engaged in one or more forms of agriculture. The report says that other sources of income are predominantly non-farm labour (33%), trade (27%) and livestock (23%). Opium activities constitute only 4% of the sources of income, but it is widespread throughout the country. The report also states that agricultural production is largely influenced by natural disasters such as drought, earthquakes, landslides, floods, heavy rain/snow, hailstorms, frosts and severe cold temperatures. However, mapping efforts to assess risk associated to such events is still limited.

Afghanistan is prone to natural disasters. Some areas, experience floods and droughts on an annual basis, while others are subject to earthquakes. The earthquake in Nahrin, Baghlan in 2002 and the flood in Kunduz in 2003 and other provinces across the regions have had devastating affects on children; destroying homes, families, communities, livelihoods, and education systems.

Aside from such natural disasters, Afghanistan has been in a state of complex emergency for the past twenty years, Over one million people, most of them women and children, remain displaced by conflict and drought. There are a total of 4 million refugees who have mostly fled to Pakistan and Iran. However, during 2002 and 2003, over 2 million refugees returned and are continuing to return. Although this is positive for the rebuilding of the country, the returning refugees are putting a strain on overburdened social systems.

During the decades of conflict, the country’s infrastructure and systems, including those for education, were largely destroyed. Although the security and stability have been gradually improving since 2002, sporadic security-related incidences continue to threaten the welfare of Afghan people.

2. Status of Education in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is one of the poorest and least educated countries in the world. The overall literacy rate is

34% with a very large gender disparity and significant difference between rural and urban areas.

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According to UNESCO and other reports, up to 90% of rural women and 65% of rural men over 15 years of age are illiterate. The Constitution of 1382 (2003) mandates that the State will provide free and compulsory basic education from Grade 1-9. The State will also provide free tertiary education. The Ministry of Education is responsible for provision of school buildings, qualified teachers and teaching / learning materials for primary, secondary and some vocational courses. It also regulates private education providers; pre-primary education; is responsible for the development, accreditation and monitoring of curriculum standards; delivering training to teachers in subject knowledge, pedagogical skills and attitudes; technical and vocational education and special education.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Education, almost 4.9 million children and youth were enrolled in school in 1384 (2005); an increase of nearly four million children since the fall of the Taliban in 1381 (2002). This is a remarkable achievement for any country and it was achieved through the concerted efforts of the Ministry of Education and support received from the international community.11

Chart 1: Afghanistan Education Snapshot

Boys/Males Girls/Females Mixed Total Source No. of kindergartens 367 Kindergarten Dept, MoLSA 2007 No. of MoE registered 2,647* 965* 1,978* 5,590 NESPA, 2006 Primary Schools * The figure does not include the number of secondary schools that offer primary level education. No. of MoE Lower 758 215 596 1,569 NESPA, 2006 Secondary (middle) Schools No. of MoE Higher 649 173 295 1,117 NESPA, 2006 Secondary (high) Schools Estimated GER G1-6 151% 92% 123% (Primary) The National Strategic Plan for Education in Afghanistan, MoE, Dec 2006 Estimated GER G7-9 46% 17% 33% (Lower Secondary - The National Strategic Plan for middle) Education in Afghanistan, MoE, Dec 2006 Estimated GER G10-12 6% 2% 4% (High school) The National Strategic Plan for Education in Afghanistan, MoE, Dec 2006 No of MoE registered 128400 (m: NESPA, 2006 teachers 72%, f: 28%) (General education)

Primary Enrolment in 2.55 1.35 3.9 State of the Education System in MoE schools (mil) Afghanistan, 2005 Lower Secondary 0.66 0.24 0.9 (middle school) State of the Education System in Enrolment Afghanistan, 2005

Upper Secondary (high 0.26 0.08 0.34 State of the Education System in school) Enrolment Afghanistan, 2005 Number of children of 0.7 mil 1.3 mil 2 mil primary school age out- of-school Best Estimates, 2005

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Gender Parity Ratio at 59.7% Primary level ((for 100 boys’ enrolment, 59.7 State of the Education System in girls’ enrolment) Afghanistan, 2005 Gender Parity Ratio at 36.0% Lower Secondary (middle State of the Education System in school) level Afghanistan, 2005 Gender Parity Ratio at Upper Secondary (high State of the Education System in school) level 31.9% Afghanistan, 2005 Afghanistan's MDG report 2005 Adult Literacy Rate 50% 18% 34% (NESPA, 2006)

Some government offices provide child care facilities for employees and these have come under the responsibility of MoLSA. (152 in Kabul, 45 in Balkh and 23 in Hirat). There is no system of pre-schools in the country yet but there are plans to develop curriculum and teacher training programs. Pre-schools are to assist children with the social and physical skills required to be successful in school. These include skills such as drawing and painting, understanding and following routines, sharing with others and playing to promote co-ordination and physical development.

Graph 1: Number of MoE Schools by Gender and Level Under General Education, there are a total of 8,397 official government 1384 (2005) Number of schools by gender and level schools. Of these, 6,597 are male

3,000 schools (including mixed schools:

2,647 2,869) and only 1,615 are female

2,500 schools. The number of schools that girls can access compared to 1,978 boys keeps girls at a disadvantage. 2,000 Girls have fewer schools to access which contributes to their lower 1,500 enrolment rates.

965 Special groups are also less 1,000 758 visible in schools particularly 649 596 nomadic children, children with 500 295 learning disabilities, pre-school 215 173 children and those who have - missed out on the first years of Primary Middle High

Male Female Mixed basic education and now want to Note: Mixed schools use two different shifts: one for boys and one for girls. enter the system. Source: NESPA, 2006

There are also geographic disparities regarding access to education at all levels. For students to access education, schools should be no further than 3km from primary children’s houses and 4-5 km from secondary students’ houses. However, in rural areas students are required to walk up to four hours each day to attend a MoE school.

Although the national average Gross Enrolment Rate (GER) of both boys and girls at primary level are relatively high (151% and 92% respectively), gender disparity between the GERs reaches to 59%.

The estimated primary gross enrolment rates (GER) at provinces vary significantly as can be seen in Chart 2 below. From a high primary level male GER of Paktika of 166%, Baghlan of 159% to a low primary level female GER of Helmand of 5% and Urzgan’s 7%.

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Chart 2: Top and Bottom 5 provinces of GER at Primary Level Male Female Top 5 Province % Province % 11 1 Paktika 166 Baghlan 5 10 2 Baghlan 159 Badakhshan 2

3 Parwan 154 Balkh 93

4 Laghman 139 Kunduz 91

5 Nimroz 138 Nimroz 86 Bottom 5 Province % Province %

1 Badghis 57 Helmand 5

2 Daykundi 74 Urzgan 7

3 Urzgan 75 Zabul 12

4 Helmand 76 Badghis 15

5 Ghor 79 Khost 19

Source: MoE Statistics, 2005

The vast majority of students (73%) are enrolled in grades 1-4 of the six primary years, and enrolment dramatically decreases at the beginning of grades 5. The GER data for the lower secondary level shows an alarming decline to 9% of students enrolled in lower secondary level. There are almost 3 boys for every girl enrolled in lower secondary schools. (boys: 46%, girls: 17%). From only 9% of the country’s total students enrolled in the lower secondary level, there is only a mere 4% in the upper secondary level 4. The GPR gap between boys and girls widens as students get older.

The MoE’s primary school to lower secondary school ratio is approximately four to one (38.5% to 10.8%). This means that for every four primary schools, there is one lower secondary school. Students who want to continue their education past primary schools are finding access a challenge. Needless to say, girls who wish to continue their education are finding access even more difficult.

There are some alternatives for students who do not attend MoE formal schools. These include private schools, community-based schools (or outreach classes), accelerated learning classes for older out-of- school students, Madrassas/Masjid schools and literacy classes. Although still limited, the increasing number of private schools in the country are appealing to families who can afford the fees. Accelerated learning classes now fall under General Education Department of the MoE, whereas they were once under Department of Literacy. The accelerated learning classes follow the primary curriculum in a reduced time frame. Today the MoE have only 28 accelerated learning classes. International NGOs support an additional 720 classes. Accelerated classes do not necessarily include additional skills or topics specific to adolescent life, but focus mostly on completing MoE curriculum of the primary grades.

4 Based on the data of 1384 (2005), CSO (from NESPA 2006) 11 NESPA 2006

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Community-based classes have had a long history in Afghanistan. Home-based classes or community based classes have provided a safe space for children’s education, particularly during the Taliban times. Classes in the community or in homes of well known families provided an acceptable venue for girls to be educated. In August 2006, MoE developed policy guidelines for Community-Based Education and have recognized community-based primary classes and accelerated learning classes as out-reach classes of the MoE. UNICEF and several international agencies are supporting thousands of community-based classes in areas where the MoE are unable to reach, or in areas where girls are unable to access MoE schools. By far the majority of these classes are in grades 1 – 4. Community-based classes assist children in accessing primary grades, but do little in providing them with secondary level education.

The quality of instruction in schools is largely dependent on the skills of the teacher. The country is faced with a drastic shortage of qualified teachers, particularly for secondary schools. Pre-service and in-service teacher training is costly and requires comprehensive attention. In addition to the dire shortage of teachers generally, is the added shortage of female teachers who are required by society to instruct girls beyond grade 4.

There are 42 vocational training facilities in Afghanistan. The majority of courses offered appeal to men and include certificates in computer skills, construction, electrical repairs, automotive mechanics, fine arts, gas and oil repairs, agriculture, metal processing. Skills training for women are primarily offered by international organizations in various vocational programmes.

Finally, the lack of a supportive environment for girls’ education, including a lack of coordination between the education sector and other social sectors, inhibits girls’ participation in education. Although gender is a cross-cutting issue in the NESPA, there is a limited number of programmes focusing for girls’ education in the country. The fact that the MoE itself is not providing basic access to education for girls at the same rate as it is for boys highlights the need for focused interventions.

3. Overall Situation of Schools – is the existing education set-up welcoming girls?

There are several influential elements that are related to girls’ education. These are illustrated in Box 1 which presents several inter-related factors that influence a girl’s access to education: students’ living environment, school environment, contents of curriculum, process of education and learning outcomes. Each of these elements affects a child’s capacity to attend school.

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No lower secondary Health Socio- nearby Issues cultural etc. issues, 4 history Requirement of children’s support at Teaching/ home/outside Learning outcomes Family/ Security Children Issue

Amount and ALC Quality of teaching, teaching 3 Stay out of 1 School school content, Environment Administration Process 2 Box 1: Diagram of relating elements for education of a child

2.1 Education was banned for girls under Taliban

The years of conflict in Afghanistan have deprived thousands of citizens, especially girls and women, of their right to education. According to the rule of the Taliban, education was totally banned for girls. There was a recording of no enrollment of girls in formal schools during the Taliban period. However, many girls attended ‘underground’ home-based classes in neighbor’s houses. Boys’ education also suffered from the regime as there were no professional teachers at schools and there were also restrictive policies about attending regular schools.

After the fall of the Taliban, the new Afghan Government continues to be faced with major challenges to compensate the lost opportunity of schooling for their young citizens. The MoE is finding ways to reintegrate students into the regular public education system at a level compatible to their age, social, emotional and cognitive development. Most of the girls who missed their opportunity to be educated under the Taliban have grown into young married women with children. The MoE restrict married women from attending regular school; which reflects social norms.

2.2 Cultural influences

“I will finish school at 4th grade because my parents told me that then I will be too old to go to school” Girl, aged 10, in grade 2 in a village in Kabul province5

Afghanistan is fundamentally an Islamic country. The primary social unit in the country is the family which extends to kin group and tribe. Most Afghan women do not want to be marginalized from their family unit and the integrity of the family bond must be respected. Afghan culture is based on the code of honor, which is largely manifested in the behavior of women. Gender roles are illustrated in the division of space; the public/community spaces belong to men whereas the private/domestic spaces belong to women. Corresponding roles and responsibilities are afforded to each space. For girls and women, the family commitments, marriage and the home are their responsibility while the roles for boys and men are employment and public interface.6.

5 Report Card: Progress on Compulsory Education (Grades1-9), HRRAC, March 2004 6 Millennium Development Goals Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Country Report 2005, UNDP

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In conservative Afghan culture, there is a perceived social cost for girls to study. While girls attend school, they cannot do the family household chores of cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, tending livestock etc. Attending school can have a more dangerous cost of negatively positioning girls and families within their communities. This sanction becomes more acute as girls become teenagers.7 The reasons for such negative impressions of girls and their families are that girls are: moving outside of the house, escaping from parental control, meeting strangers, being seen on streets and possibly entering unknown environments. These behaviors and risks are perceived as highly inappropriate of girl’s behavior and families’ ought to keep their girls safely indoors.

There is also a perception that formal schooling is irrelevant in preparing children in rural communities for their roles as adults; girls as wives and mothers and boys as “providers” and guardians8.

7 Household Decision Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan, Case Study 1: Chahar Asyab District, Kabul Province, AREU, December 2005 8 National Reconstruction and Poverty Reduction – The Role of Women in Afghanistan’s Future, World Bank, March 2005

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Chart 3: Afghan Family Dynamics

Afghan family dynamics are positioned around the father. Little room exists for girls’ creative self-fulfillment or opportunity to ‘break the mould’. This chart outlines the position of family members in traditional Afghan families. Father Mother Girls Boys

Strong decision maker Very Low Non-independent Independent Omnipotence Even educated women Closer to the mothers Leads the social life of the are not powerful and feel family oppressed (many quotes Power Power in rural areas) Power Quotes the “misuse of religion”

Brings money and Brings-up the children Housekeeping is the Protect sisters social status to the Does mostly main duty Mention of family housekeeping tasks Getting educated, less leisure activity Duty quoted Duty

Wedding, follow the Professional tradition, having good success (are religious practices and more optimistic in Ways of moral values the wealthiest recognitionWays of Professional areas of the recognition achievement, less country, e.g. quoted Herat)

Source: “Girls’ Education Formative Research, Altai Consulting, December 2003”

Afghan women, especially those from rural areas, contribute most of their labour time to household work, such as cooking, cleaning, child care and in productive work in agriculture, horticulture, livestock raising, fuel wood collection, carpet weaving, embroidery, tailoring etc. The vast majority of women who are engaged in these production areas in the informal economy lack literacy and formal education. It becomes difficult for parents, community members and girls themselves to see the benefit of education after post-primary level, as they do not see a connection between additional education providing better opportunities.

Poverty and its influence on education

Although the situation is gradually improving, the vast majority of people still face some degree of food insecurity, in terms of both nutritional quality and adequate quantity. People may decide to migrate to other areas in search of food security but are often faced with poor transportation infrastructure, seasonal and climatic obstacles, lack of employment opportunities and general insecurity. As a consequence, girls have been forced into arranged marriages at unusually young ages as a means of securing income for the household9.

As stated, nearly 60% of marriages in Afghanistan involve girls below the legal age of 16 years. This practice is not only harmful for the health of these girls, but it also deprives them of educational opportunities. Wives tend to be considered the “property” of their husbands and in-law families generally value the wives’ contributions in the household as far more important as receiving an

9 National Human Development Report 2004, UNDP

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Although tuition is free in MoE schools, other costs are incurred for items such as uniform, stationery, and transportation. Sometimes girls’ dropout because families cannot afford to prioritize the materials such as the burqa for an older girl, which she may need to wear on her way to school 10. Poor families need their children to work, and both boys and girl child are often withdrawn from schools to earn money for the family.

Drug Addiction

There is a tendency, especially in Northern Afghanistan, for people who are weaving rugs to use opium as a pain killer and sedative for themselves and to make children and babies sleep while they are working. This can develop into serious problems of drug addiction that affects the whole family. Drug addicted children cannot concentrate or learn effectively in schools.

Parents and their children

There is no one to help my children with their lessons. My son was going to an English course, and he studied the book half-way through. Then, he started to have problems and I asked a boy in our neighborhood to help him – but he didn’t. My son had to finally drop the course. A mother from Kandahar

The literacy rate of the country is 34% (male: 50%, female: 18%). This means that the majority of parents, especially mothers, of the children attending schools are illiterates. The majority of school students are first generation learners where nobody in their family has participated in formal schooling before. Since little or no reading materials and reading habits exist at home, these children are not encouraged to read or exposed to a variety of texts. They are receiving very little academic support in their households which highlights the need for teachers to make extra efforts in the classroom. .

Because most parents have not received much formal schooling themselves, building their confidence in schools and convincing them that schools are a safe and comfortable place for their children can be a challenge. Convincing illiterate parents that education can provide opportunities for their children is also difficult.

Many girls are given the responsibility of caring for their younger siblings. This responsibility often prohibits girls from attending school. Recent surveys among Pashtun women noted that the desired number of children ranged from seven to ten11. The rearing of these children is shared with the older girls. Child care facilities or kindergartens operational at the same time as school classes could relieve girls of their care-giving burden. Facilities in shared premises would allow younger children to learn pre-school skills while their older sisters attend regular school.

The overall level of awareness of health, hygiene and nutrition is low in Afghanistan. The majority of the child deaths are due to preventable diseases such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infection, cholera, typhoid and polio. Taking care of the sick and infirm is the responsibility of women and girls. This duty can disrupt girls’ education.

3.2 Learning environment

10 National Reconstruction and Poverty Reduction – The Role of Women in Afghanistan’s Future, World Bank, March 2005 11 National Reconstruction and Poverty Reduction – The Role of Women in Afghanistan’s Future, World Bank, March 2005

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Insecurity

Threats against facilities that are educating girls appear to be on the rise in Afghanistan. Deliberate attacks on girls and female teachers have resulted in at least four deaths and six injuries so far this year. In 1384 (2005), there were 72 attacks on schools in seven provinces in the country. In the first half of 1385 (2006), 73 schools in 26 provinces had been attacked. In Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan female teachers have been murdered, as have other male teachers in government schools. Government schools or those built with foreign aid have been burned.

Violent attacks such as burning school buildings, kidnapping, poisoning, killing of teachers and students by anti-government forces are causing a great deal of insecurity among communities. The sense of insecurity and danger means that families’ withdraw their support of girls’ attendance at school.

According to estimates by the UNICEF, 262 of the total 740 schools in the southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul are currently suspended as students are not attending due to insecurity. Drop-out rate of students, especially girls, in highly insecure provinces is higher than the other provinces both at primary and secondary levels.

Landmines and unexploded ordinates cause a great deal of anxiety in communities. The country is one of the most heavily land-mined countries in the world. More than 17% of the population is living in one of the 2,734 contaminated communities. There is a real danger of injury or death for pedestrians or children playing in unfamiliar areas. Parents fear that their children will be in danger as they walk to and from a school that is far from their village.

Any sense of danger or insecurity will keep students, especially girls, in the homes and out of schools.

Access to quality schools

“I do not want my daughter to travel far from home” Father, Badghis province12

The distance to school has major implications for girls’ attendance, particularly in rural areas where the population is often sparse and scattered. Lack of access to primary schools and lower secondary schools limits children’s academic progress. Families will not allow their girls to travel significant distances to attend class. If schools are not in the neighborhood, then girls simply won’t attend. Access to lower secondary schools is particularly limited for girls.

Formal MoE schools are considered to be better for children than community-based classes. However, most of the MoE Photo: Girls studying in a tent school. schools are for boys. There appears to be a resistance to organizing split shifts or dividing buildings so that girls can attend local MoE ‘boys’ schools.

Years of war have seen most of the school facilities throughout Afghanistan destroyed or damaged. The State of Education report (MoE, 2005), says that just over half of the schools (51.6%) have an actual building and only about 26% are usable. Tents, rooms in homes, places under trees and the

12 Report Card: Progress on Compulsory Education (Grades1-9), HRRAC, March 2004

15 DRAFT mosque are common venues for classrooms. There is a wide discrepancy of available school structures among provinces. In the provinces of Nooristan, Zabul, Ghor and Daikundi, over 80% of schools do not have any school building.

The report also states that most schools lack essential facilities; only 20% have access to water and 33% are equipped with proper sanitation. Lack of drinking water at schools is especially problematic in areas where temperatures are extremely high in the summer. Lack of sanitary facilities particularly affects adolescent girls’ attendance as their need for increased privacy is not available.

Furthermore, lack of cleanliness at schools is a concern for parents. Many mothers voice their frustration with the cleanliness of the schools, with one woman stating that her children returned home from school looking like they “were back from the grave” because they are so dusty from sitting on the ground”13.

13 Report card on Compulsory Education (Grades 1-9), HRRAC, March 200

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School conditions by province

% no building

% school building needs 60% rehabilitation

% of schools usable

Source: The State of Education in Afghanistan in 2005

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3.3 Contents

MoE has been developing new primary curricula and textbooks for grades 1 - 6 since 1383 (2003). Similar work has been done for some high school subjects. Replacing outdated content that promoted political ideologies has been replaced with curricula that cultivates traditions, religious and moral integrity.

New subjects have been introduced and these include Life Skills whereby students learn such themes as health, safety and study skills, landmine education (G3), hygiene, disease prevention, peace and diversity education (G4), personal and family development, community relations and career development (G5-6) and human rights issues. Sport has been introduced although access to safe space and equipment is proving a challenge for many classes. Art has also been introduced and focuses on embroidery for girls.

3.4 Process

Teachers (especially female teachers) availability at school and their quality

“I will not allow my daughter to be taught by a man” Father, Badghis province14

According to the MoE, since 1380 (2001), the number of teachers has increased from approximately 21,000 to more than 143,000. During the time of the Taliban, female teachers were not permitted to work. In 1384 (2005), there were 128,400 general education teachers throughout the country; 72% of them were male and 28% female. The shortage of female teachers is of particular concern because it affects the ability of girls, especially older girls, to enroll and attend school. The shortage of female teachers is a serious challenge in all regions of the country outside of Kabul. In the Southeastern regions 14% of the teachers are female. This compares to 12% of teachers being female in the Central areas, 12% in the East, 10% in the Central highlands and only 8% in the South.

Besides the lack of female teachers, the quality of the teachers (both male and female) is an issue. In 1384 (2005), 29% (36,178) of all teachers in Afghanistan had completed fewer than 12 years of education. Even less than that had undergone teacher training in an accredited course. In-service teachers who have not completed grade 12 are generally hired as “contract teachers”. In-service training approaches of all teachers – including contract teachers in rural areas – is still being developed by MoE. The building of Teacher Resource Centres to house in-service training programmes is being considered for all provinces. MoE trainers will provide appropriate in-service training and support to all teachers in the districts. Both permanent teachers and contract teachers will be able to access professional development opportunities.

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% of female teachers to the total teachers by province (extrapolated)

Female Teacher Male Teacher

Source: Ministry of Education, 2006

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Teaching learning process in classroom

“ I was trained recently to involve the children more in lessons. How can I do this when I have 60 children of different ages in my class?” Teacher, Badghis Province15

Quality education requires teachers who have the right skills to promote learning. However, the majority of teachers throughout the country do not meet the MoE requirements to be permanent, registered teachers. Coupled with the lack of quality teacher training has resulted in poor instructional quality in the classrooms of Afghanistan (NESPA, 2006). Moreover, after the fall of Taliban, the country saw a surge in enrollment rates of older children who had missed out on school. This meant that teachers also require the skills to cope with mixed age classes and large student numbers.

Despite training efforts that have included the skills required to teach multi-grades and over crowded classrooms, most teachers in Afghanistan still rely on rote learning and memorization to instruct their students. Teachers rarely target their teaching to address the specific learning needs of each child in their class and struggle to use active methodologies. More attention from teachers is focused on the brighter children and little attention is given to children who are experiencing difficulty. Although the student-centered approach has been introduced in the new curriculum and teacher training modules, teachers are struggling to implement it in the classroom. Quality of teaching and progress in children’s learning influences parents’ decision to send or withdraw their children from schools. If parents feel that the quality of instruction is poor and do not see progress in their children’s learning, then they will not continue to prioritize education over other activities, such as work, for their children.

Shift system – limiting the learning time of students

The schools’ academic year in Afghanistan is typically nine months long with a two and a half month break in winter or summer. The class is usually 2 hours long, which makes for a considerably short academic year compared to other countries.

The demand on school buildings has led to the shift system. One cohort of students will occupy the classroom for 2 hours and then another cohort will attend class in the next 2 hour shift. Some teachers are teaching two to three shifts per day. The demand on teachers has pressured many to shorten their lessons even further, which means that many classes do not fulfill the requirements of their grade by the end of the year.

Administrative process – salaries and supplies

The MoE administration system of teachers contributes little to teacher motivation and support. The low level of teachers’ salaries is a major problem for both the teachers and the education system. Teachers’ salaries range between $32 (for a grade 12 teacher with no experience) to $88 (for a teacher with a Master’s degree and 40 years of experience). The average teachers’ salary is approximately USD 74 per month which includes a meal allowance and the recent pay rise. Teachers often seek additional or alternative employment as this wage is not sufficient for their family’s basic needs.

Another area that is related to the administrative process crucial for improving the quality education is the lack of quality monitoring and supervision of teachers. The system of teacher supervision is primarily administered through the Provincial Education Departments. At the provincial level, there are two types of supervisors – one for primary schools and the other for secondary level. In principle, the teacher supervisors should visit each of their assigned classrooms three times per year – once at the beginning of the term to check the teachers’ lesson plans for the term, again in the middle of the term to check the teachers’ progress and a final time at the end of the term to evaluate the teachers’ accomplishment. In practice, the supervisors do not make all of these visits,

20 DRAFT especially in rural areas where the supervisors lack transport and distance to districts are great. When supervisors do visit a class, there is little real monitoring and even less support offered to the teacher.

Textbooks and teaching / learning supplies are provided by MoE and international agencies to all schools. In reality, the delivery of materials is rarely done by the commencement of the academic year and classes start without text books or materials. Supplies are not always delivered and monitoring of their storage and delivery is questionable.

Incentives for girls not adequately and equally provided

In some districts, food incentives have been used to encourage increased enrollment, especially for girls. WFP’s Food for Education programme dispersed food supplements to 1.2 million children in 2003. Food supplements are not provided equally across districts and conflicts arise between the communities that are receiving the food supplements and the communities that do not. Moreover, it is not clear for how long this programme will be implemented and what the long-term effects will be on enrollment rates of/when it stops, and if this is an effective investment in education16. There is also a concern regarding corruption at school and district levels involved in the distribution of food aid. There are reported cases of food commodities being sold in local markets rather than given to students.

Community involvement

“Their father has met their teachers many times, and has asked them why they don’t pay more attention to the students, why they don’t give them more homework, why they don’t instruct them in being neat and things like that. I’ve never been to their schools because there are a lot of restrictions on women here. Anyway, there’s never been any function to attend – so I’ve never had any opportunity to be able to tell the teachers what I think.” A mother of three sons and two daughters in Kandahar17

MoE has established School Advisory and Supportive Councils (SASCs) in 2,500 schools whose role is to establish working relationship with the community and involve the community in the education process of their children. SASCs were previously called School Management Committees (SMC) or Parent Teacher Associations (PTA). Over time, many PTAs were provided with different training to assist them in their function (Eg EQUIP Quality Enhancement funded by the World Bank provided training to SMCs and PTAs) While SASCs can play a vital role in the management of schools and the supervision of teachers, these committees are not widely used in MoE formal schools and even when they do exist, community participation is generally weak.

Learning Outcomes

Measuring Learning

An oral examination designed by the teacher is given to G1 students based on the expected learning achievement levels. Written examination are given to G4 and older students and are administered in mid-term and final (two times) exams. Results are recorded for each student. The results identify a pass, a fail and a conditional fail for the grade level. Only those that pass can graduate and progress to the next grade level. Although teachers should be continually assessing the achievements of their students, assessment appears to be sporadic, ad hoc and based on teachers’ expectations for their class.

4. Conclusion

16 Report Card: Progress on Compulsory Education (Grades1-9), HRRAC, March 2004 17 Household Decision Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan, Case Study 4: District 2, Kandahar City, AREU, December 2005

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There are several factors that restrict Afghan girls’ access to education. Some factors are deeply rooted in conservative traditions and are to do with families’ attitudes and priorities where they do not see the value of girls being educated. Poor families will send their boys and girls to work to contribute to the family’s income rather than sending them to school. Girls take responsibility in the family for doing house chores, caring for younger siblings and the ill. These responsibilities take precedence over their education. Negative attitudes towards older girls being out of the house and visible in public spaces keeps girls from attending classes, especially beyond grades 3 and 4.

For girls who come from supportive families, access to a class can be a challenge. Formal MoE schools are either too far away or are only available for boys. There are very little opportunities for girls in rural areas to access lower secondary classes and may only be able to complete 3 or 4 years of tuition in the primary grades. Classes need to be close to the families’ houses so that girls do not need to travel far.

The teacher must be acceptable to a girls’ family and this most often means a female teacher. Afghanistan is struggling to meet its demand for teachers, let alone female teachers. The dire shortage of qualified female teachers will continue to keep girls out of school. The overall quality of education is low with oversized and under-resourced classes. Most school buildings are damaged and do not have proper facilities. Teachers have had little opportunity for training, are underpaid and lose motivation. If families do not see their children succeeding at school, then they will withdraw them to contribute to the family resources in other ways.

The Ministry of Education has placed girls’ enrollment as one of their priorities for the next five years. The government recognizes the value of girls’ education and is willing to consider strategies that will facilitate their access to education. Strategies and approaches to shift attitudes, provide access and quality instruction are being considered in the hope that a positive change for Afghan girls is on the horizon.

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References

 The National Strategic Plan for Education in Afghanistan, Ministry of Education Afghanistan, December 2006  The State of Education in 2005 Key Indicators Report, Department of Planning, Ministry of Education, Afghanistan June 2006  The National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment 205, MRRD, CSO, May 2007  Afghanistan National Human Development Report 2004, UNDP  Girls’ Education Formative Research, Altai Consulting, December 2003.  Jo Ann Intili, Ed Kissam, Fostering Education for Female, Out-of-School Youth in Afghanistan, Aguirre International, March 2006  Report Card: Progress on Compulsory Education (Grade 1-9), HRRAC, March 204  Jeaniene Spink, Situation Analysis, Teacher Education and Professional Development in Afghanistan, AREU, August 2004  An overview of Situation of Child Labour in Afghanistan, Research Report, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission  Summary Report, Economic and Social Rights in Afghanistan, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, May 2006  First Draft, Women and Men in Afghanistan: A Handbook on Baseline Statistics on Gender, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, March 2007  Afghanistan National Reconstruction and Poverty Reduction – the Role of Women in Afghanistan’s Future, World Bank, March 2005  Hunte Pamela, Household Decision-Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan, Case Study 1: Chahar Asyab District, Kabul City, Case Study Series, AREU, December 2005  Hunte Pamela, Household Decision-Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan, Case Study 2: district 13 Pul-i-Khushk, Kabul City, Case Study Series, AREU, December 2005  Hunte Pamela, Household Decision-Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan, Case Study 3: Belcheragh District, Faryab Province, Case Study Series, AREU, December 2005  Hunte Pamela, Household Decision-Making and School Enrolment in Afghanistan, Case Study 4: district 2, Kandahar City, Case Study Series, AREU, December 2005

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Annex 1: Population by province and sex Female population/male Provinces Total population Female population Male population population

Badakhshan 805,500 395,100 410,400 96% Badghis 420,400 205,500 214,900 96% Baghlan 762,500 371,700 390,800 95% Balkh 1,073,000 524,200 548,800 96% Bamyan 379,200 187,000 192,200 97% Daykundi 391,000 190,200 200,800 95% Farah 428,800 208,900 219,900 95% Faryab 840,400 411,500 428,900 96% Ghazni 1,040,100 508,600 531,500 96% Ghor 585,900 286,600 299,300 96% Helmand 782,100 380,600 401,500 95% Herat 1,544,800 762,300 782,500 97% Jawzjan 452,000 222,000 230,000 97% Kabul 3,071,600 1,485,300 1,586,300 94% Kandahar 990,100 482,300 507,800 95% Kapisa 374,500 185,500 189,000 98% Khost 487,400 237,800 249,600 95% Kunar 381,900 186,400 195,500 95% Kunduz 833,300 409,300 424,000 97% Laghman 378,100 184,400 193,700 95% Logar 332,400 163,300 169,100 97% Nangarhar 1,261,900 616,100 645,800 95% Nimroz 138,500 67,700 70,800 96% Nooristan 125,700 61,600 64,100 96% Paktika 369,100 179,700 189,400 95% Paktiya 467,500 228,500 239,000 96% Panjsher 130,400 63,700 66,700 96% Parwan 560,800 277,100 283,700 98% Samangan 327,700 159,900 167,800 95% Saripur 472,700 230,700 242,000 95% Takhar 827,500 405,500 422,000 96% Urzgan 297,200 144,200 153,000 94% Wardak 506,300 247,900 258,400 96% Zabul 257,600 125,500 132,100 95% Source: CSO, 2007

24 GPR GER G1- GER G1-6 GER G7-9 GER G7-9 GER G10-12 GER G10-12 GPR GPR Lower Higher Provinces 6 Male Female Male Female Male Female Primary Secondary Secondary 8 49 BadakhshanDRAFT 109 102 30 18 13 7 0.0 45.5 .8 1 21 Badghis 57 15 3 - 1 - 8.6 14.4 .6 6 15 Baghlan 159 115 44 9 22 3 6.7 17.8 .7 7 45 Balkh 124 93 27 15 11 6 2.5 50.8 .5 5 Bamyan 104 75 22 6 7 1 8.2 21.4 4.5 3 24 Daykundi 74 34 8 1 1 - 6.6 18.5 .1 4 Farah 97 44 14 3 6 1 3.4 20.4 8.8 3 36 Faryab 110 74 11 3 4 1 5.4 26.5 .2 4 17 Ghazni 92 45 28 9 9 2 6.3 28.4 .6 2 Ghor 79 24 9 1 2 - 1.6 7.9 1.3 1 Helmand 76 5 7 - 2 - 0.4 6.5 4.5 7 52 Herat 101 83 7 4 18 17 7.2 77.1 .0 5 24 Jawzjan 120 73 27 8 13 3 3.3 30.1 .6 7 49 Kabul 96 75 45 29 22 11 5.8 59.6 .4 2 Kandahar 95 20 13 - 5 - 2.4 6.3 3.5 3 Kapisa 92 24 28 1 14 - 0.3 9.8 8.3 1 Khost 100 19 22 - 8 - 5.8 - 0.1 5 Kunar 100 56 25 2 10 - 4.2 5.9 0.1 6 16 Kunduz 127 91 29 8 15 2 0.1 26.0 .3 4 Laghman 139 84 44 5 18 - 4.3 5.5 - 3 Logar 137 56 40 2 14 - 3.6 2.3 0.8 5 Nangarhar 100 59 25 3 12 1 3.6 13.2 9.3 5 52 Nimroz 138 86 14 6 6 3 3.7 45.1 .1 2 Nooristan 115 60 8 - 1 - 3.8 - - 1 ThePaktika State of Educatin in 2005,166 Key Indicators25 Report, MoE, June 2006 17 - 2 - 2.2 0.4 - 2 25 Paktiya 95 27 18 - 4 - 0.8 1 - 3 Panjsher 125 55 65 4 30 1 5.3 6.1 2.8 4 DRAFT % of female PTR Lower PTR Higher Annex 3: Female Teachers Ratio and Pupil-Teacher Provinces teachers PTR Primary Secondary Secondary Ratio by province Badakhshan 26.44 37.04 11.36 5.74 Badghis 12.82 29.87 11.26 8.45 Baghlan 20.37 32.80 12.34 7.11 Balkh 46.63 58.31 20.15 8.53 Bamyan 20.38 29.92 10.55 8.21 Daykundi 20.63 23.28 7.31 8.97 Farah 21.08 29.66 11.94 8.74 Faryab 24.18 20.66 9.78 6.62 Ghazni 17.58 54.85 15.28 10.84 Ghor 5.2 21.58 10.59 4.84 Helmand 11.09 52.92 9.95 8.61 Herat 41.19 45.09 20.56 11.86 Jawzjan 40.76 41.64 16.10 6.88 Kabul 63.96 46.19 20.43 13.37 Kandahar 7.53 42.34 14.97 9.84 Kapisa 10.84 41.56 17.94 15.31 Khost 2.91 42.85 21.08 17.79 Kunar 5.18 26.37 13.15 8.37 Kunduz 24.57 45.93 13.1 8.58 Laghman 7.89 50.17 12.92 11.94 Logar 16.63 39.42 14.91 9.02 Nangarhar 10.64 67.44 19.63 12.96 Nimroz 38.44 38.32 13.36 13.45 Nooristan 7.3 8.16 4.21 1.00 Paktika 3.31 20.49 9.60 1.27 Paktiya 5.86 36.13 8.88 4.8 Panjsher 17.65 26.92 14.54 8.53 Parwan 12.58 36.59 9.83 10.59 Samangan 20.42 21.91 7.71 10.92 Saripur 5.21 4.4 1.88 0.87 Takhar 18.11 44.03 16.92 6.69 Urzgan 0.82 22.38 9.93 18.20 Wardak 5.71 34.96 11.76 9.49 Zabul 3.19 29.91 7.12 4.63

26 DRAFT The State of Educatin in 2005, Key Indicators Report, MoE, June 2006

Annex 4: Number of Schools by type and province Primary Secondary High Total Avg. Students Per TTC Islamic Vocational Province Name Schools Schools Schools Edcuation School Schools Schools Schools Total Schools Badakhshan 202 138 103 442 535 1 12 1 457 Badghis 165 15 7 186 316 0 1 0 187 Baghlan 160 85 78 324 832 1 12 2 339 Balkh 215 86 57 358 901 0 2 4 365 Bamyan 194 60 22 277 323 0 1 0 278 Daikondi 240 28 7 274 231 0 0 0 274 Farah 171 22 19 213 435 1 7 1 222 Faryab 305 44 22 371 567 1 18 1 391 Ghazni 212 127 106 445 528 1 13 0 459 Ghor 344 41 34 419 230 0 0 0 419 Herat 400 91 60 551 857 0 18 3 572 Hilmand 169 39 20 228 418 1 3 1 234 Jawzjan 134 31 41 207 561 1 7 2 217 Kabul 108 142 130 380 2,116 1 8 17 406 Kandahar 231 58 48 337 527 1 2 1 341 Kapisa 86 43 32 161 554 1 6 1 169 Khost 102 20 26 148 819 0 3 1 152 Kunar 270 27 25 321 312 0 15 0 336 Kunduz 177 72 43 291 818 2 13 1 308 Laghman 93 65 35 193 637 1 7 1 201 Logar 116 45 24 185 486 0 4 0 189 Nangarhar 190 66 64 320 1,155 0 28 3 351 Nimroz 64 4 6 74 547 0 0 0 74 Nuristan 142 11 3 157 197 0 11 0 168 Paktika 281 26 17 324 310 0 21 0 345 Paktya 156 39 26 221 456 2 4 0 227 Panjshir 45 21 16 82 364 0 16 0 97 Parwan 158 87 58 304 512 1 24 1 329 Samangan 155 35 11 200 333 1 1 0 203 Sari Pul 297 21 8 326 272 1 2 0 329 Takhar 203 54 54 310 682 1 16 0 327 Uruzgan 106 21 9 137 289 0 0 0 137 27 DRAFT Wardak 175 57 39 271 421 0 10 0 281 Zabul 155 22 9 186 244 0 1 0 187 Total 6,218 1,745 1,259 9,222 596 19 288 41 9,570 Source: MoE statistics, 2005

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Afghanistan Girls’ Education Initiative (AGEI)

MoE, MoWA, PACE-A, BRAC, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA), Save the Children Alliance, Save the children Seweden-Norway AWEC, Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium (HRRAC), USAID, UNIFEM, UNESCO, World Bank, UNICEF www.moe.gov.af