In September 2016 the Afghan Ministry of Education stated that
62% of the Afghan population are illiterate!
However, many schools, particularly in rural areas, are in a
dilapidated state: maintenance, repairs and painting are seldom
accepted by the Ministry of Education as their responsibility,
despite vast sums of money funded by the EU and other such
international organisations for education.
Few schools have surrounding walls. That has a particularly
strong impact on the enrolment of girls, as parents often want
them to study in a more hygienic, protective, and sheltered
area.
In many conservative parts of the country parents will not send
their girls to school unless there are women teachers. This
problem enrolling of girls is further compounded by the lack of
such female teachers, most particularly in rural areas.
According to one international aid agency, “only about one
quarter of the teachers in Afghanistan are women”, of particular
importance in the teaching of very young children, and most are
in urban and city areas. Cultural attitudes towards women still
make this problem rather difficult to solve.
Investment in Vocational training is essential.
Training in a trade produces a skill for life. It is hands as well
as brains that will help to re-build Afghanistan.
SAFE
highlighted this in 2000, 2001, 2002,
and 2003
(Masons, Carpenters, Welders, Plumbers, Electricians), and Afghans
in HABITAT totally agreed. Coupled with that,
there is an acute shortage of trained
agricultural mechanics.
......................................................................
*There is a
significant lack of vocational skills training across
Afghanistan. Where it does exist, tends to be concentrated in a
few areas and focus on basic, rather than advanced skills.
*(BAAG-
Tokyo Briefing Paper: Aid Effectiveness/Economic Development-June
2012 !)
