EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN

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• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00865R000200190002-0
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• Document Page Count: 19
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 7, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 23, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN
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Date Completed: 23 December 1952
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I. EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN
A. Introduction
Land-locked Afghanistan, with its 12 million inh bawds largely en-
gaged in agricultural and. pastoral pursuits, has a literacy rate of only
six percent. 1/
Muslim Mullahs exercise great power over the people. The latter are
fanatically religious and extremely conservative. Religion is a compulsory
subject in education, and is taught throughout the system from the first pri-
mary grade through the highest college?class. Coeducation has not yet been
introduced. 1 /
Modern education was introduced in Afghanistan during the reign of
King Habibullah.. Through his initiative the Military College and the first
modern secondary school, Habibia,College, were founded in Kabul in 1904. 2/
In 1919 King Amanullah embarked on a program to westernize his country.
Subsequently, in 1920, a number of graduates from Habibia and the Military
College were sent to Europe for study in medicine, science, engineering,
economics, law, political science, and other fields of higher education. On
their return in 1927, these students comprised the first group of specialists,
each equipped in a specific field to contribute to the modernization of Af-
ghanistan. 2/
The series of reforms initiated by Amanullah, (including education for
women), alienated the powerful Mullahs and in 1928 plunged the country into
civil war. This conflict ended in 1929 with Arnanullah's overthrow and the
eventual accession of General Mohammad Nadir Shah to the throne. In 1933
the latter was assassinated and was succeeded by his son, the present ruler,
Mohammad Zahir Shah. 2/
World War II segregated Afghanistan, making its isolation almost com-
plete. Foreign teachers and textbooks published abroad could not be ob-
tained during the war period. 1/
At present, under the moderate, progressive policies of Mohammad
Zahir Shah, educational expansion is slowly being carried out. Expenditure
on education in 1951 represented 25 percent of the Afghan budget, in contrast
to five percent in 1919. Education is state financed, and free of charge at
all levels. Books and equipment are supplied gratis. 1/
In order to understand the educational problems facing Afghanistan, a
summary review of the educational system and existing educational insti-
tutions is necessary.
B.T1_2T_System of Education
1. General
The educational system is centralized under the Ministry of Public
Education. This office supervises education through all levels, with entire
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responsibility for curriculum and textbooks. 3/ In this system there are six
elementary grades, six secondary grades, and four college grades. 4/
2. Organization of the Ministry of Public Education
The Ministry of Public Education, coordinated by the Office of the
Minister, consists of three departments:
(a) The Department of Primary Education, which supervises all phases
of elementary school activity. This department is divided into: (1) The Exec-
utive Office, (2) Office of Inspection, (3) Office of Administrative and Primary
Teaching Personnel, and (4) Office of Teaching and Education.
(b) The Department of Secondary Education, which supervises secondary
and higher primary schools, and supplementary courses. It is divided into:
(1) Office of Teaching and Education, and (2) Office of Administrative and Sec-
ondary Training Personnel.
(c) The Department of Technical and Vocational Education, which super-
vises vocational and professional schools. This department is divided into:
(1) Office of Teaching and Education, (2) Office of Inspection, and (3) Office
of Administrative and Technical Teaching Personnel. 3/
In addition, the following bureaus are attached to the Ministry of Public
Education: Sports and Physical Culture, Sanitation and Hygiene, Museums,
UNESCO and Foreign Relations, and Construction and Maintenance of School
Buildings. 3/
Adminstra.tion of the University of Kabul is under the rector of the Univer-
sity who is directly responsible to the Minister of Public Education. 3/
In the provinces, representatives of the Ministry have charge of the public
education program. 3/
3. Media of Instruction
Pushtu and Persian are the official languages of Afghanistan. Arabic
is required for religious instruction, since Afghanistan is a devoutly Moslem
country. 5/ In regions where Pushtu is spoken, Persian is considered a sec-
ondary language, and vice versa. Pushtu is the language of instruction in the
eastern and southern areas; Persian in the northern and western. 1/ Four sec-
ondary schools in Kabul, however, use European languages as media of instruc-
tion. These schools, sometimes referred to as "lyceesn, have been set up by
the government to prepare boys for entrance into foreign'universities. Istiqlal
uses French as the main language, from the fourth grade up. Nejat employs
German; Habibia and Ghazi use English, with American and British accents
respectively. 6/
4. Quality of
In general terms, the quality of instruction in primary, secondary, and
other schools is poor, due to the fact that most Afghan teachers lack proper
pedagogic training and sufficient teaching background. 7/
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5. Salaries of Teachers
Teaching is not a lucrative profession. Many teachers in Afghanistan
are forced to supplement their meager salaries by taking on additional jobs.
The average salary ranges between twenty and thirty dollars a month. Some
Afghans trained abroad get fifty dollars a month. American teachers em-
ployed by the Afghan government receive three hundred dollars monthly,
seventy percent in dollars and thirty percent in Afghanis - the basic mone-
tary unit. 1/
IL .11.1n212
ducation
A. General Information
Estimates made by the 'UNESCO Survey Mission to Afghanistan in
1949, based on a population of twelve million, indicate that less than ten
percent of the boys and less than one-third of one percent of the girls of
elementary school age -were then in primary schools. 7/ A 1950 report
gave the number of primary students as 76, 541.
B. School Buildings
Available statistics show that Afghanistan has a total of 279 primary
schools. 3/ The buildings are in general very simple structures -- some-
times quite unsuited for education. Rooms are often without illumination or
ventilation except through one door, with surroundings often unsanitary and
depressing. This applies especially to older buildings. 7/
The physical equipment of the schools is generally poor. Two or three
boys are crowded on a rude bench with an equally rude desk before them. In
some cases boys are on the dirt or mud-brick floor, with only a thin carpet
to sit on. There are few maps. Textbooks are torn, dirty, and insufficient
in number. 7/
C. Stages
The primary six-year course is divided into two stages, each of three
years' duration.
- The school term varies in length between thirty and forty weeks, with
a five-hour school day (3 AM to 1 PM). The average class consists of between
thirty and forty pupils. 3/
D. Curriculum
The course of instruction in the first primary stage includes basic
training in reading the Koran, religion 3/9 Persian or Pushtu 8/, writing,
ethics, arithmetic, drawing, handicraft, and physical training. In the second
stage, natural sciences, history, and geography are added to the curriculum,
with Persian or Pushtu as a secondary language. 3/
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IVINOINI44~1~sist
. Teachers, aria-lit and Method of Instruction
Available information shows that in 1949 Afghanistan had 2, 222 primary
teachers, 3/ poorly trained and greatly underpaid. About sixty percent of these
teachers have had only nine years' schooling. This consists of six years' pri-
mary education, and three years in the primary teachers college or some other
institution of secondary level. Nearly one-third (thirty percent) have had only
elementary or private schooling, amounting to six years or less. 7/
The methods of teaching generally employed are essentially verbalistic,
memoriter, authoritarian, and dogmatic in character. The disciplinary sys-
tem is authoritarian in purpose and manner. In all primary schools, the sec-
ond stage of elementary instruction (fourth, fifth, and sixth grades) has de-
partmental teaching. One instructor teaches Pushtu to four or five sections,
another teaches arithmetic, a third geography, and so on through the various
subjects. 7/
Arithmetic is probably the best taught subject, but even in this the
teaching seldom goes beyond the content of the textbooks prescribed by the
Ministry of Public Education. Little attention is given to the solution of
mathematical problems as applied to the pupils' individual lives (as expressed
in such tangible items as sheep and oxen), while too much stress is laid on
verbalizations which are required to accompanrcomputation. 7/
Standards of teaching in the natural and social sciences are very low.
Instruction in simple biology, as related to the agricultural pursuits of the
people, is meager. Geography instruction is fragmentary and. thin. History
is little more than recitation of a few facts. The arts, handicraft, and musi-
cal pursuits are found only occasionally, and in rudimentary form. Health in- _
struction in particular is non-existent, and physical education is poorly adapt-
ed to the needs of the children. 7/
F. Attendance,
Available statistics show that 76, 541 students attend primary schools. 3/
Attendance is compulsory, subject to availability of a school. 2/ Children start
attending school at seven years. Upon completion of primary school, those who
pass the examinations are accorded a certificate, or brevet, which enables them
to enter any of the various secondary schools, 31 with the exception of the our
lycees in Kabul. These provide preparatory training by associated elementary
classes. 7/
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Although the elementary school period is six years, for most pupils it
is only a matter of four. For each group of fifteen pupils entering the first
grade, only one completes the sixth. In general, the attendance record drops
off in the higher class-es, as the boys become old enough to work in the fields.
It is not unusual to find fifty boys on the roll in fifth or sixth grade classes, with
only ten of them actually attending. Moreover, pupils over twenty years are
found in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes. While these over-age cases are
usually the result of failure to pass elementary grades, they are also sometimes
the result of a boy waiting until his older brother has finished school, so that
the family is never without the necessary field laborer or herdsinan. 7/
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G. Government Efforts
Efforts are currently being made to extend educational. facilities
to outlying districts. In small villages the Department of Primary Educa-
tion began an experiment in 1947 to use local mosques as schools, with the
Mullah or other literate person as teacher. 2/ In 1951 the "cottage type"
school, prevalent in India., was introduced in the villages. These schools
offer the first three elementary grades, and a four-month course in read-
ing and. writing for adults. 1/ Until 1945 there were no primary schools for
girls in the provinces. But now girls attend special primarY schodls in
which the first stage of instruction is identical to that of the boys. In the
second stage domestic subjects are emphasized. 3/
IlL Secondary .c. Education
A. General Information
Secondary schools, sometimes called colleges or lycees, are in
Kabul and some of the provincial capitals such as Jellabad, Herat, Kandahar,
Mazar -i-Sharif, and Katghan. 1/
The "lycees" for boys have been in existence since the inception of
public education some thirty years ago, while secondary schools for girls 6/
are a recent development, and so far are in Kabul only. 3/
The aim of secondary education is to prepare students to become
government officials, scientists, or technicians. 3/
The lycees are mostly in Kabul. In each province, however, there is
at least one institution which is mainly a primary school, but which also pro-
vides the first three years of the six-year secondary course. 7/
B. School Buildings
A1950 report stated that Afghanistan had forty-one secondary schools.
Of these, twenty-six offered the first three-year stage, and fifteen offered the
full six year course. 3/ UNESCO's E22221_91 the .....Mission to Afghanistan, how-
ever, mentions only twenty institutions providing secondary education, includ-
ink those primary schools with attached secondary classes. 7/
The lycees at Kabul and Kandahar are well located on extensive proper-
ty, and have their own recreation areas and sports grounds. But the class-
rooms are generally small, with no electric light, heat, gas, or water supply.
With one exception, they lack laboratories for the physical. and natural sci-
ences. Teaching aids are inadequate. Hygienic and sanitary arrangements are
low standard. Neither the boys' ,nor the girls' lycees lia.ve a first-aid room,
wash-room, or shower baths. Lavatories are primitive. 7/
The other secondary schoois are divided into two groups: five of them,
called commercial preparatory schools, admit boarders; the rest are day
schools. The boarcting-schoo1s. have rudimentary equipment. -Dormitories are
very small, quarters are cramped, and pupils have no recreation or assembly
room. There is no electric light. Sanitary arrangements are primitive and
kitchens are ill-equipped. 7/
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C. at4es of Education
As in primary education, the period of academic secondary educa-
tion is S iX years. This period, in turn, is divided into two three-year stages,
with admission to the second contingent on successful completion of the first. 3/
D. Curriculum
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The course of instruction in the first stage includes Persian, Pushtu,
Arabic, religion, history, geography, biology, arithmetic, geometry, physics,
chemistry, ethics, citizenship, drawing, and physical culture. The second
stage involves more detailed study of the same subjects, with the addition of
trigonometry, mechanics, and astronomy, and with philosophy and sociology
replacing ethics. 3/ The final examination for the six year course is known
as the baccalaureat. After passing this examination, candidates may enter
the University of Kabul or other institutions of higher learning. 2/
Secondary school curricula are remarkable for:
(1) Ambition. Syllabuses for the history courses alone cover sixteen
pages. Apparently these were computed by assembling all that could be found
in the combined school curricula of several foreign countries. They are so
broad in scope that it would be impossible for a student to complete them.
(2) Confused arrangement and lack of structure. Neither in the sylla--
busses nor in the instructions accompanying them is it possible to discern
any coherence or organization.
(3) Evasiveness- and abstract content. Neither in syllabusses nor ixi.
Instructions is there a single reference to the necessity for teaching on an ex-
perimental basis, or of moving from facts accessible to the senses towards
abstract forma of reasoning. 7/
E. Teachers, and a Lit of Instruction
The method and quality of instruction in secondary schools depend
largely on the individual back-ground of the teacher.
A1950 report stated that Afghanistan had 605 secondary teachers,
ninety-four of whom were foreign nationals. 3/
Some of the men teachers are excellent. These are recruited from
Austria, Great Britain, the United States, France, Pakistan, Egypt, and
India. Their instruction, each in his own tongue, is usually of high stand-
ard. 71
Afghan men teachers generally fall into four categories:
(1) Those who have attended foreign universities. Such teachers gener-
ally render a high quality of instruction.
(2) Graduates of Kabul University. These have not had adequate peda-
gogic training. But with proper guidance some of them could be-
come good teachers.
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(3) Young teachers who have completed twelve years of study at
a special training school. They not only lack experience, but general
education as well, and are not equipped to teach grade nine on leaving
the training college.
(4) Teachers witl.), no degree, but with some educational background.
Such recruits are largely second rate.
There are two groups of women teachers:
(1) A few foreign lecturers who teach in their own tongue.
(2) A number of Afghan women teachers with no diplomas or peda-
gogic qualification, whose instruction is apparently poor. 7/
F. Attendance
Unlike primary education, secondary education is not compulsory. 1/
A 1950 report stated that in 1948 there were 15, 997 students enrolled in sec-
ondary schools. 3/ This figure, however, has been modified in UNESCO's
report to 13, 000 students receiving secondary education in twenty institutions
(including the primary schools with attached secondary classes). The UNESCO
report further stated that the average age of secondary school students was
quite high and ran from sixteen for the seventh grade (i. e. , first year high
school), to twenty-one for the twelfth. 8/
Many students drop out before completing their schooling; on'the
average, only one secondary school pupil in ten completes his course. 3/
G. Government Effort
Although secondary education is not compulsory, the government
encourages students to take advantage of the advanced course. To this end
textbooks are furnished free, and needy students are granted stipends of five
dollars or more a month. 1/
H. Main Secondar (Lycees)
The main secondary schools for boys are in Kabul. They are:
Habibia, Istiqial, Nejat, and Ghazi.
(1) Habibia, founded in 1904, has an enrollment of approximately
2,000 students. It bas twelve grades, including attached primary classes.
This school is headed by an-American principal, Mr. P. P. Bushnell, and
includes eight American teachers on its faculty of fifty. 6/
(2) Istiqlal, founded in 1922, has a French principal, and seven
French instructors on its staff. 6/
(3) Nejat, founded in 1924, employs only Afghan teachers, eight
of whom were trained in Germany. 6/
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-44) Gha-zi, founded in 1927, is staffed by a British principal and
six British teachers. 6/
There are only two secondary schools for girls in Afghanistan, both
located. in Kabul. 3/ The first was founded in the 1920's, and has become
modern only during the past fifteen years. It comprises three sections,
in each of which a different foreign language is taught (i.e., English, French
and. German). It offers courses in general education and domestic sciences, 3/
and is headed by the German_ wife of an Afghan. The second school was founded
during the 1940s. 1 / Its courses are general education and domestic sciences.
Here, English is the only foreign language taught. 3/
A new large school for girls is being constructed in Kabul, and was ex-
pected to be completed in 1952. This school will be divided into three sec-
tions. One section will be used as a primary school for 600 girls. Another
will be devoted to literary classes for adult women. A third section will be
for instruction in arts and crafts. 8/
IV. Technical Commercial, and A ricultural Education
A. General Information
In 1949 there were two types of professional and trade schools in
Afghanistan: those accepting students with primary school certificates,. and
those accepting students who had completed the first secondary stage. 3/ An
Afghan Institute of Technology at college level was established in 1951. 9/
In.1949 this group consisted of three technical, two commercial,
one agricultural, and one nursing school. Instruction was by teachers who
had. studied at the University of Kabul or at foreign universities, and by
teachers from foreign countries engaged by the Afghan government. 3/
In 1949 there were approximately 2, 521 students attending the various
vocational and technical schools. 3/ This figure probably included students
attending the five preparatory commercial schools and the nursing school,
in addition to those attending technical, commercial, and agricultural schools
listed in UNESCO's report.
B. Technical Schools
In 1949 the following schools provided technical education:
(1) The School for Mechanical Crafts (Kabul, non-residential) was
founded in 1937. Its students were drawn from Kabul only..
The curriculum extended over four years. The teaching staff was
largely Austrian, necessitating the use of interpreters. The school pro-
vided instruction and training in mechanical skills of fitting and machining,
forging, welding, and casting. Half the total weekly session (thirty-six
hours) was given to practical work,the other half to theory.
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The school was well equipped with a variety of machine tools; but an
acute shortage of practice material, lack of accessories and small tools,
diminished the effectiveness of the instruction. 7/ These deficiencies have
since been corrected. The school is now adequately equipped for practical
instruction in mechanics. A course in motor vehicle machinery has also
been added. 8/
This school requires only the primary school certificate for admis-
sion. In 1949 it had an enrollment of 132 students divided as follows: first
year, sixty-one; second, forty; third, nineteen; and fourth, twelve. 7/
(2) The School fox' Carpentry and Tailoring (Kabul), also a non-residen-
tial school, was organized along the same lines as the School for Mechanical
Crafts. 7/In 1949 it had. an enrollment of 156 students, divided as follows:
first year (carpentry), forty-eight; first year (tailoring), thirty-eight; second
year (carpentry), twenty-three; second year (tailoring), twenty-five; third
year (carpentry), seven; third year (tailoring), four; fourth year, eleven. 7/
(These figures for each class are glaring examples of the reduced enrollment
which prevails in the upper classes).
(3) The School for Carpentry and Building (Kandahar) was founded in 1948.
In 1949 it had an enrollment of sixty students. This school was set up as an
experiment, with the hope that it would eventually secure an annual entry of
forty boys for a projected four-year course. 7/
In 1951 the Afghan Institute of Technology (Arr) was founded in Kabul.
This school is now a going concern. 8/
AIT provides a four-year course at university level, and a three-year
pre-engineering course, the latter equivalent to a technical high school course.
1.11. Its staff was initially composed of American personnel. The plan was to
introduce Afghan assistants gradually. 12/
The courses included in the curriculum were: Chemistry, Mathematics,
Physics, Biological Science, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sani-
tary Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgy,
Mining, and Textile technology. 12/
Back rounmation on Alt
--AIT was first conceived in 1948. as an engineering school to provide
engineers and technicians, and later to direct future engineering and indus-
trial development of Afghanistan. 11/ Subsequ*Atiy, several discussions were
held between-American teachers, embassy personnel, and the Ministry_of
Education on this subject. 12/ As a result, Mr. Richard B. Soderberg, of-
Los Angeles, California, on 23 January 1951 signed a contract with the Afghan,
Government for establishment of a techniCal school in Kabul to instruct stu- -
dents in mechanical, automotive, and electrical engineering. 10/ Mr. Soder- -
berz was appointed director and designer of the school. 11/ At that time Pro- -
fessor Soderberg was teaching at Habibia College, and had formerly been a -
member of the Engineering faculty of the University of Southern Ca1ifornia.12/
Meanwhile, on 10 June 1949, a US corporation was formed in Los Angeles
County, California, known as the Afghan Institute of Technology, Inc. This
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corporation represents, cooperates with, and assists the Institute in
Afghanistan. The corporation is made up of leading American educa-
tors, particularly representatives of institutions such as Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, and California Institute of Teclawlogy. The cor-
poration president is Hugo H. Winter, of South Pasadena, California. Its
general director is Richard K. Soderberg, of Los Angeles, California. 12/
Through the activities of Professor Soderberg and the US "Corporation",
a staff of American teachers, administrators, and necessary equipment were
obtained for the AIT in Kabul. 12/
The Afghan Government hs constructed a building to house the AIT, and
the first commencement exercises were scheduled to be held in March 1951. 12/
C. Commercial Schools
In 1949 Afghanistan had only two schools qualified to meet the require-
ments of Commerce, both located at Kabul. They were the School of Secre-
taries and the School of Commerce.
The premises, particularly of the School of Commerce, left much to
be desired. Amenities were few, and certain essentials, such as a good
library, were absent. But in both schools the work was creditable, though
the scope could be broadened to advantage. A short description of both schools
follows.
(11) The School for Secretaries is residential, and offers a three-year
course of instruction for applicants from Kabul and. the provinces.
The purpose was to provide accountants and se7cretaries for government
departments, the curriculum having been drawn up with this in mind. Admis-
sion was contingent on the student's possession of a primary school certificate.
In 1949, 230 students were enrolled, divided as follows: first year, 107;
second, 58; third, 65. 71
(2) The School of Commerce, also residential, received its recruits
from five preparatory commercial schools, two of them in Kabul and three
in the provinces, all residential. 7/ (Reference to these schools was made in
Section III, item B, paragraph 3.)
In 1949 the School of Commerce offered a six-year post?elementary course,
the first three years paralleling the preparatory schools. The program of
study for the last three years covered Economics, Commerce, Accounting,
Banking, Theology, Statistics, Economic Geography and History, History of
Trade and Commerce, and Correspondence. 7/ A typing course has recently
been introduced. 8/
This school employed many foreign teachers who were assisted by
Interpreters, In 1949,158 students were enrolled, divided as follows: first
year, 0; second, 35; third, 26; fourth, 44; fifth, 32; and sixth, 21. 7/
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D. A_At.cultural Schools
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A college of agriculture (Lycee d'Agriculture), the only one of its
kind in Afghanistan, was established in Kabul in 1943. 10/
0.Ning
As of 1949, the college buildings were inadequate, consisting of little
more than a series of classrooms and sleeping accommodations, and lacking
an experimental farm. 7/ Enrollment that year was approximately 100
students ;8/ in 1951 it had increased to 125. 10/
Students are recruited from the ninth grade of secondary schools.
Upon completing the commercial courses they are required to accept employ-
ment in the Department of Agriculture f8r a number of years, and are not
normally released for practical agricultural work. 10/
Courses of instruction include Botany, Plant Distribution, Animals,
Useful Insects,, Fruits, Harmful Insects, Agriculture (soil), Cereals, Mathe-
matics, Land Survey, Physics, Vegetables, Chemistry, Animal Husbandry,
Industrial Agriculture, Plant Drawing, Agricultural Machinery, Hygiene,
Economics and Administration, Meteorology, Insects, Geology, Animal Breed-
ing, Dairy Farming, English, Pushtu, and Sport and Gymnaatics. 10/
This program was drawn up twenty-eight years ago and. includes many
subjects not ordinarily offered as part of an agricultural education. Many
subjects are taught merely because an expert happens to be available for part
time. All instruction is given in class. There is no practical work. In-
struction is theoretical, based mostly on rote memory. 10/
V. Vocational, Literau, and Religious Education
A. Vocational Education
In 1949, vocational education in Afghanistan was limited to a school
for nurses. This field was broadened in 1951 when a school for mid-wives was
founded in Kabul.
(1) The School for Nurses
In 1949, Afghanistan had one sinall school for nurses at the Kabul
Hospital, offering a three-year course of training. Sixty-nine student nurses
were enrolled that year, divided as follows: first year, forty-one; second,
twenty-one; and third, seven. The program of theoretical studies covered
eighteen hours per week, and included Hygiene, Physiology, some Pharmacology,
the elements of Gynaecology, Hospital Administration, Persian, and French. 7/
Admission to the school was contingent on the student's possession of a primary
school certificate. 3/ During the last three years the number of student nurses
has increased markedly. 8/
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. School for Mid-Wives
A promising school for mid-wives was inaugurated in Kabul late in
1951, under the direction of a physician from the UNICEF mission to Kabul. 8/
B. LLIELEELEILlielltous Education
Afghanistan has a total of five institutes for Arabic studies, and one
for Islamic sciences:
1. Institutes of Arabic Studies
Of the five institutes?of Arabic studies, one is in Kabul. These
institutes provide primary and secondary courses. The one in Kabul also
provides an advanced course. These institutes teach Arabic literature, the
Koran, and philosophy. In addition they offer courses in grammar, syntax,
morphology, logic, geography, and science. Each course requires three
years of study to complete. Graduates of the advanced course become judges,
officials of the Ministry of Justice and the courts, or instructors of religion
in the lycees. 3/
Z. The School oi Islamic Sciences
This school was founded in 1944 in Kabul. It offers a nine-year
course leading to a degree in theology. The curriculum for the first six
years is equivalent to that of the lycees. In addition, Arabic and English
are taught. 3/
Egyptians, Americans, and other foreign nationals are on the
teaching staff, and the sole requirement for entrance is the primary certi-
ficate. 3/
It is expected that the School for Islamic Sciences ill become the coun-
try's leading school of theology, with standards at university level. 3/
VI. Teacher Traia.iag
In 1949 there were two teacher training colleges for men in Kabul (normal
schools), situated in adjoining buildings. One of these institutions, a three-
year school of grades seven to nine, prepared teachers for the elementary
schools. The other, a six-year school (grades seven to twelve) furnished
teachers for the first stage of secondary education. These were boarding
schools, accommodating young men from all parts of the country. The stu-
dents are given board, lodging, clothing, tuition, and even pocket money
at state expense. 7/
The curricula of these schools are much the same as those of the ordin -
ary secondary schools for the corresponding years. In addition, the stu-
dents receive some instruction in pedagogic theory and a very short period
of practice teaching. In the three-year Primary Training School, pllactice
teaching is given in the ninth class; in the Secondary Training School it is
given in the twelfth class. In all, these student-teachers had a practice
period of only twenty days. Since the teachers in the practice classes were
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sometimes one-year graduates of the training school, it was evident that
the practical preparation was entirely inadequate. 7/
The language of instructiorx was Persian, with some classes in Pus .
English was taught in all classes of the Secondary Training School. 7/
Buildings, equipment, library, and laboratory facilities were more ex-
tensive and better organized than in the average Afghan secondary school.
The teaching staffs of the two training schools were also generally
superior in training and experlence to those in most secondary schools. 7/
In 1949 the Primary Training School had a total enrollment of 463 students,
with 191 in grade seven, 134 in grade eight, and 138 in grade nine. The Second-
ary Training School had 426 students distributed as follows: 124 in grade ten,
53 in grade eleven, and 52 in .grade twelve. Therefore, less than ZOO teach-
ers per annum completed their training at these two schools, not enough to
furnish more than a small fraction of the number of new teachers needed. 7/
In compliance with UNESCO's recommendation to improve the quality
of teacher training, a faculty of education was established in 1952 at the
University of Kabul for training secondary school teachers. A dean for the
faculty has been appointed, but as yet no courses have been inaugurated.. 8/
VII. Hihei_a...,cation
A. Ellgher Education in Afghanistan
Higher education in Afghanistan is provided at the University of Kabul,
which was chartered April 15, 1946, following the merger of four colleges:
College of Medicine, founded in 1932; College of Political Science and Law,
1938; College of Science, 1941; and College of Literature, 1944. The Univer-
sity is governed by a senate nomin ted by the Ministry of Education and ap-
proved by the Prime Minister. The senate is under direction of the Minis-
try of Public Education. 13/
Applicants for university training must hold a secondary school cer-
tificate. Students receive clothing, school supplies, and a monthly allow-
ance. Provincial and needy students are housed in a boarding -house in Kabul
maintained at government expense. 3/
Graduation from the Faculty of Medicine requires six years of study.
The other faculties offer a four-year course. 3/
The Faculty of Medicine offers the following subjects: general medicine,
surgery, physiology, biochemistry, pediatrics, dermatology, psychiatry, and
bacteriology. Students may not be taught dissection, since a strict interpreta-
tion of the Koran forbids cutting a dead body. In order not to break Moslem law,
the king sends the senior class of the Medical School to Lahore each year, since
Pakistanis do not object to the course of dissection. 14/ In 1950, the dean and
assistant dean of the Medical College in Kabul were French, and four French,
two Truldsh, and one German professor were included on the staff. 15/
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The Faculty of Law and Political Science requires the following subjects
for graduation: principles of law, international law, political science,
(principles and constitutions), psychology, sociology, and economics with
allied subjects. 13/ In 1950, the assistant dean of the school was Turkish,
and. two Turkish and two German professors were on the teaching staff. 2/
The Faculty of Science offers courses in chemistry, physics, mathe-
matics, psychology, education, geology, botany, plant physiology, and
oology. 13/ The teaching staff includes one Polish and. one Indian profes-
sor. 15/
The Faculty of Literature requires the following subjects for graduation:
Persian language and literature, Pushtu language and literature, Sanskrit,
philosophy, and philology. 13/
The recently established Faculty of Education for training secondary
teachers has not as yet inaugurated any courses, although a dean has been
appointed. 8/
B. Higher Education Abroad
The Ministry of Education awards government scholarships of $150 a
month, plus tuition and fare to Afghan men for study in the United States
and Europe. 1/ Applicants for scholarships must have completed second-
ary or university education to qualify for the competitive examination.
Scholarship recipients must return to Afghanistan on completion of their
study and take up employment approved by the government. 16/
Between 1950 and 1952 the Ministry awarded seven -five scholarships
for four-year courses in technology, science, public administration, econ-
omics, agriculture and law. Slar awards will be offered for 1953 and 1954.16/
Recently, the government has st rtecl, granting scholarships to Afghan
women for study abroad. To date these have been awarded to women already
abroad with a relative, such .s husband, father, or brother. 8/ Eight such
scholarships were awarded in 19514952 for courses in home economics,
child welfare, nursing, and medical assistants' training in Canada, Switz-
erland, Turkey, and the United States. Similar awards will be granted in
1952-3 and 1953-4. The scholarelqips are available to women nationals
of Afghanistan. The grants cover expenses, and their duration is accord-
ing to study needs. 16/
VIII. UNESCO and US Assi ta ce
A. UNESCO A sista..n
In 1951, UNESCO authorized $100,000 for educational assistance in
Afghanistan. The Afghan Ministry of Education was asked to draw up a
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program for the use of this money, but failed to do so. Ninety thousand
dollars of the original authorization was later withdrawn. 17/
Projected UNESCO assistance for 1952 provided for sending two experts
to Afghanistan. One of these was to be assigned to the Afghan Institute of
Technology, the second to the Mechanical School or the Teachers' Training
School. Three followships were to be granted. A total of $10,000 was to
be contributed in the form of equipment, to be divided between the Afghan
Institute of Technology, the secondary schools, the Agricultural College,
and. the primary schools. The equipment in the primary schools was to be
used for setting up manual training shops. 8/
B. US As sistance
The Technical Cooperation Administration of the Department of
State on 30 June 1952, allocated $75,675 for sixteen Afghan trainees in
agriculture, coal mining, irrigation, and education. 18/
IX. UNESCO's Recommendations and their Implementation
A. UNESCO's Recommendations
Following its survey of Afghanistan in 1949, UNESCO published a
detailed, analytical report on the state of education in Afghanistan. In-
cluded were several recommendations for improving Afghanistan educa-
tionally, which, according to UNESCO's commission, could be carried out
in a period from four to five years. The most important of these recom-
mendations were:
1. First stage primary teaching should be taught in the vernacular only;
the additional language, whether Pushtu or Persian, should not be introduced.
until the second stage.
2. Secondary, technical, and higher education should be carried on
entirely in Pushtu and Persian, within a period of a few years.
3. The syllabuses for the various subjects required should be reviewed,
correlated and simplified.
4. The present pedagogic concepts should be raised - in future, teach-
ing should be concrete and experimental.
5. The present teaching staff should be reeducated, and a very special
raining for ,new teachers should be provided.
6. A tremendous effort should be made during the next four or five years
in education for women.
7. Schools must be adapted to local condition.s, and must also provide
education for adults.
8. An effort must be made to develop the technical training of pupils
from the primary school onward. In addition, institutions for advanced
education in technology, commerce, and the arts should be established.
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9. A faculty of Education should be organized to supervise and coor-
dinate teaching throughout the country. In collaboration with the faculties
of arts and science, this faculty would also have the task of training men
and women, secondary school teachers, inspectors, administrators, and
heads of teaching establishments.
10. Teacher training schools should be reorganized so that in addition
to passing through grades ten to twelve, teachers would also acquire sound
pr ofe s sional training.
11. Training methods should be brought up to date.
U. An attempt should be made to give some instruction to the nomads,
who are an important part of the population.
B. ITylernentation of Recommendations
It is reported that the Afghan Ministrx of Education has accepted in
principle almost all recommendations submitted to it by the UNESCO Com-
mission, and that it is endeavoring to implement them. But progress has
thus far been slow. The delay is due mainly to lack of sufficient funds,
administrative inefficiency, and the fact that some of the recommendations
are contrary to social tradition and political policies of Afghanistan. The
recommendations, according to an informed source, were comprehensive
and far-reaching, but some of them could not be achieved within the next
twenty years. 8/
X. Conclusion
The Government of Afghanistan appears to be aware of the problems con-
fronting it in the field of Education. The progress made since 1949, though
slow, indicates that, within its limitations, the government is sincerely
attempting to implement the recpmmendations made by the 1949 UNESCO Corn-.
mission.
At its present pace, and with. continued aid from UNESCO and the United
States, Afghanistan will most likely succeed in its effort to reduce illiteracy,
expand its educational institutions, and improve the quality of educational
standards.
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