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Tough School? War, Illiteracy And Hope In Afghanistan by megafem1: 10:59pm On Jun 17, 2017 |
The idea of drafting a nation's brightest
new graduates to become teachers in the
most deprived areas has been used in both
the United States and the UK, where the
approach was pioneered by Teach for
America and Teach First respectively.
But how would this model fare in a country
where the education system had been
pulverised by four decades of constant war
and conflict - Afghanistan?
The answer to this question is unfolding in
Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan,
where 80 graduates from Afghan
universities are teaching 23,000 girls and
boys in 21 schools under the Teach for
Afghanistan scheme launched at the
beginning of this academic year.
The scheme is the realisation of the dream
of its founder and chief executive,
Rahmatullah Arman, who at 26 has taken on
a challenge which might deter the most
courageous social reformer.
Mr Arman returned to Afghanistan in 2011
after studying at the University of Pune in
India, where he also volunteered for the
Teach for India scheme.
No desks, but lots of students
Impressed by the transformation he had
witnessed in Indian schools, he decided to
attempt something similar back home. But
first he had to educate himself about what
remained of the Afghan education system
and the country's social fabric.
He was both shocked and inspired. After 14
years of US-backed reconstruction,
Afghanistan was still a country where 3.6
million children were not in school, where
half of the teachers were unqualified, where
75% of pupils dropped out by the age of 15,
and where the adult illiteracy rate hovered
around 60%.
"For me, the biggest inspiration was when I
went into schools where there were no
chairs, no desks, often not even teachers,
but the schools were still crowded with
pupils," said Mr Arman, speaking in Kabul.
"I saw families taking their children to
school, even where a blast could happen at
any time, with all the security problems of
which we are all aware, and yet still there
are nine million children at school.
"I saw the hope that the people have, the
spirit of not giving up. They have lost their
futures, but their children might have a
future."
He was convinced that he could give these
children "Not only an education but a very
good education, not by others but by
Afghans themselves."
So in 2013 he started to create what would
become Teach for Afghanistan with help
from the global educational partnership
organisation, Teach for All (which was
created jointly by Teach for America and
Teach First in 2007).
Mr Arman set high criteria for his
recruitment drive. To join, applicants needed
"not just a degree but at least 75% marks"
as well as leadership experience and
communication skills.
"Something really wonderful happened," Mr
Arman said. "For 80 positions we received
3,000 applications, all meeting the criteria,
and 99% were from Afghan universities."
Educating girls
It was important that many of these
"fellows" were female, to show by example
that a girl could become fully educated, get a
good job, and still get married and have
children.
In traditional Afghan communities, to be
able to read and write was regarded as
enough education for a girl. Teach for
Afghanistan has a different view.
"It is about changing mindsets, and that is a
very long-term process", Mr Arman said.
In one example, a female teacher, Manzoora,
heard that the parents of two girls in her
class of 14 to 15 year olds wanted to take
them out of school.
She begged the parents to come and see
her; the mother came, observed lessons,
talked to the teacher, went back home. And
after much discussion, they decided to let
the girls stay in school.
Given the continuing violence within
Afghanistan, did Arman fear for his own
safety? "Actually, no, because the approach
we take is very local, we are building good
relationships with community leaders and
religious leaders as well."
"Since we started, we have not witnessed a
single attack on any of our fellows, on any of
the schools or pupils."
And if, at first, some incumbent teachers and
officials saw Teach for Afghanistan's fellows
as competitors, they quickly learned to
welcome them as partners, he added.
Tackling extremism
The fellows receive the same salary - about
9,000 Afghanis - as state teachers. It's not a
good salary, Mr Arman agreed: "But we
convince them they can have a better future,
which is much more than just a salary."
Throughout their two-year commitment,
fellows receive leadership training and
support that will open up many different
opportunities for them, he added.
Mr Arman is convinced that Afghanistan's
future depends on releasing the potential of
its youth: "Afghanistan has the youngest
population in the world and I believe it
could be our greatest asset."
He also believed education was the most
effective way of countering the appeal of
extremism and terrorism. He quotes
Pakistani education activist Malala Yousufzai:
"I don't want to kill terrorists, I want to
educate the children of terrorists".
"That is the true way to eradicate extremism
in my country".
With help from the Malala Fund, Teach for
Afghanistan has just recruited a further 30
fellows - 20 female, 10 male - to begin
teaching in schools in Parwan province this
month.
Ultimately he hopes to be able to supply
teachers to all 34 provinces: "The need is to
go national, the need is huge, and we will
go for it." |
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