Ensuring the Right to Education in Afghanistan

"If this project didn't exist, families would not have let their girls and women go to school. The public school is located too far away, meaning that many more girls and women would remain illiterate."

-- Marina, CRS Accelerated Learning Teacher

Education in Afghanistan

Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, Afghans have taken part in an accelerated push for basic education, and tremendous increase in school enrollment. The initial 'Back to School' campaign led to 4 million enrollments in the past few years, an unprecedented number in Afghanistan's history.

Despite this mammoth achievement, very real challenges remain. As of 2003, 46 percent of Afghan children — and 60 percent of Afghan girls — between the ages of 7 and 13 were not attending school. Many communities lack formal schools, especially in remote areas. Even in communities where schools exist, there is a major teacher shortage and many of the current teachers are not qualified.

In the aftermath of the conflict in Afghanistan, CRS launched its community-based Accelerated Learning Program, which reaches out to children and women in very rural regions of Panjshir and Kapisa who, because of war and the exclusionary policies of the Taliban, missed out on formal schooling. Since 2003, more than 2,000 children and women have been given the opportunity to receive primary education. During this time, the program also created 115 accelerated learning centers and 22 village libraries, and formed 20 mothers groups and early childhood development classes.

An Accelerated Approach

CRS’ Accelerated Learning approach is based on special teaching techniques allowing students to complete a regular school year within six months or less. Younger students are integrated back into the regular school system as soon as the courses bring them in line with the appropriate grade level. The students who are too old, many adult women were not afforded the opportunity to receive an education due to the conflict, are benefiting from a basic education that had previously been denied to them.

A Second Chance after the Taliban

Aziza remembers the exact date when she started her job in the kindergarten, March 21, 2004. That's because the date came shortly after she attended a CRS seminar about many new and useful things: how to treat two-to-four year old children, how to play with them, and about the rights of children.

Where Children Can't Attend School, CRS Brings the Schools to Them

CRS education programs focus on providing quality education in remote areas where children have not had adequate access to schools. Parents are much more willing to send their children to small classes held in safe neighborhoods than to distant schools where children are taught by strangers. Students benefit from small class size, close relationships with their teachers and a more personalized learning experience. For girls in particular, school that is close to home is usually the only option because of cultural constraints, distance or security.

Support for Mothers

CRS is finding ways to ensure that hard-working mothers have an opportunity for education in the midst of their busy schedules. Today, women are trained to conduct small playgroups for pre-school children while their mothers are in school. And these play centers benefit the children as well. Research shows that children who have opportunities for learning early in childhood become better students. Currently, CRS is supporting 360 children (and their mothers) through this program.

Pari Gul spent many years living with her husband's family while he was in Iran trying to earn an income for their family. Upon his return, he encouraged her to learn to read and write. These days she spends two hours of her afternoon in accelerated learning classes conducted by CRS partner YCDP. In three months time she has progressed to the second grade.

Looking Ahead

CRS hopes to build upon its successes in Panjshir and Kapisa by expanding its reach into the more remote areas of the provinces, and offering more classes in villages with high demand. With great outreach, children and adolescents, especially girls and young women, will have the opportunity to master all of the subjects taught as part of the Afghan national curriculum. Class will be held in homes or community facilities, and all activities will be coordinated with the provincial and district offices of education to ensure that students will be able to enroll in formal secondary schools after completing grade six.