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Helping To Rebuild Education System in Afghanistan

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (11 September 2002) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide a US$4 million grant for a project to help rebuild Afghanistan's education system. The grant will be from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan.

The project will pilot a sustainable approach to community-based, gender-sensitive basic education. It will take into account the need for physical facilities, equipment, and materials, as well as for training teachers and school management.

War, hardship, and migration have disrupted education for a generation of Afghans. Less than half the population is literate. Women are especially disadvantaged, with as many as 80 percent unable to read or write. Out of 4.5 million eligible school-age children, only 900,000 boys and 90,000 girls are in primary school. However, with the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, the number of registered students is rising. About four out of five schools need extensive repairs. Only a third have toilets for pupils. The special needs of females are not met and the routes to school are insecure in many areas.

The project will also address Afghanistan's enormous nonformal education needs - to provide literacy and vocational skills to street children, former child combatants, and ex-soldiers. About 37,000 pupils will benefit from the project, including over 7,000 girls who will receive some stipend. Refresher training will be extended to about 750 teachers. The project will generate about 1,000 construction-related jobs.

"Education will build the human capital needed for economic development, as well as promote peace, stability, and social cohesion, the foundation of nation building," says ADB Director for Social Sectors, Edward Haugh.

Communities and NGOs will play a key role by proposing subprojects, implementing these subprojects, and developing effective education practices.

The project is due to be implemented over two years, starting in October 2002. The Afghanistan Assistance Coordination Authority (AACA), the coordinating agency for development aid, will oversee the project while the Ministry of Education will be the executing agency. An international NGO with extensive basic education experience in Afghanistan will provide capacity-building support.

The JFPR was set up in 2000 with an initial contribution of 10 billion yen (about US$90 million), followed by additional contributions of $155 million and a commitment of $50 million. The fund supports projects that target poor people and prioritizes innovative approaches.

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