Education in Afghanistan

The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul

Education in Afghanistan includes K–12 and higher education,[1] which is under the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education.[2] In 2021, there were nearly 10 million students and 220,000 teachers in Afghanistan.[3][4] The nation still requires more schools and teachers.[5][6][7] Soon after the Taliban take took the country in August 2021, they banned girls from secondary education. Some provinces still allow secondary education for girls despite the ban.[8][9] In December 2022, the Taliban government also prohibited university education for females in Afghanistan, sparking protests and international condemnation.[10][11] In December 2023, investigations were being held by the United Nations into the claim that Afghan girls of all ages were allowed to study at religious schools.[12]

According to Acting Education Minister Noorullah Munir, "Afghanistan has 20,000 official schools in which 9,000 are of no use, 5,000 have no building and the remaining 4,000 needed rehabilitation."[13][14] Compulsory education in Afghanistan is through the ninth grade.[15] "The academic year consists of 2 semesters, and runs from March to January."[15] Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, officials under the Islamic Emirate have suspended secondary education to teenage girls.[13][16][17][18][19]

Education improved in Afghanistan after the Taliban government was deposed in 2001. In 2013, 8.2 million Afghans attended school, including 3.2 million girls. This compared to only 1.2 million Afghans attending school in 2001, with fewer than 50,000 being girls.[20] 39% of girls were attending school in 2017 compared to 6% in 2003. In 2021, a third of students at university were women. The literacy rate has risen from 8% in 2001 to 43% in 2021.[21]

Some of the major universities in Afghanistan are the American University of Afghanistan (apparently defunct as of 2021), Kabul University, Kabul Polytechnic University, Al-Beroni University, Kardan University, Balkh University, Herat University, Nangarhar University, Shaikh Zayed University, Kandahar University, Bost University, Paktia University, Kunduz University, Badakhshan University, and Ghazni University.

  1. ^ "Education System Afghanistan" (PDF). Nuffic. January 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-28.
  2. ^ "Afghanistan's Ministry of Higher Education". Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  3. ^ "Ghani sees threat to Afghanistan's education system". Pajhwok Afghan News. May 5, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  4. ^ "Karzai Calls for Reopening of Girls' Schools". TOLOnews. August 16, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  5. ^ "Not a single school in 6 districts of Kandahar". Pajhwok Afghan News. April 25, 2021. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  6. ^ "100 schools lack buildings in Logar". Pajhwok Afghan News. August 9, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  7. ^ "Nuristan: 30 schools without buildings in Barg-i-Matal". Pajhwok Afghan News. August 7, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan: Six provinces keep schools open for girls despite nationwide ban". AmuTV. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  9. ^ Neda Safi, Tooba (17 February 2023). "Girls return to high school in some regions of Afghanistan". Geneva Solutions. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Afghanistan: Taliban ban women from universities amid condemnation". BBC News. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Taliban prohibit university educations for Afghan women in latest revocation of rights". France 24. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  12. ^ "UN is seeking to verify that Afghanistan's Taliban are letting girls study at religious schools". The Seattle Times. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  13. ^ a b "'Cultural restraint main reason behind closure of girls' schools'". Pajhwok Afghan News. August 8, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  14. ^ "Officials: Girls' Schools Closed Due to 'Cultural Constraints'". TOLOnews. August 8, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  15. ^ a b "Education System Afghanistan" (PDF). Nuffic. January 2015. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-28.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference afghanistan-179342 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ "'It's our system': Taliban leader hits out at foreign demands on Afghan regime". The Guardian. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  18. ^ Gul, Ayaz (1 July 2022). "Taliban Chief Slams Foreign 'Interference' in His 'Islamic' Governance". VOA News. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  19. ^ "Taliban supreme leader addresses major gathering in Kabul". Al Jazeera. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  20. ^ Successes and challenges in Afghan girls' education Archived 23 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. BBC News. 11 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Counting the costs of America's 20-year war in Afghanistan". AP NEWS. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.