Development of Education in Afghanistan by Foreign Actors Post-2001 Context By: Juhi Kansra

Postcolonial Lens  Lingering “colonial” hierarchies  Way of the West is considered to be the norm  Cold War globalization: concealed continued imperial interests & international hierarchy (Smit & Snidal)  External power creates dependency: Education  Includes and promotes analysis of those who have been left out and marginalized: the Afghani people

What are the challenges faced by foreign actors in education development? Do they consider cultural and religious norms?

Postcolonial in Afghanistan  Terrorism and the Oriental: hierarchal/separate spheres of civilization & need to maintain boundaries  Introducing “progressive” values in the region  legitimized overthrow of Taliban (Dunne)  Security & education: overhaul of existing, to conform to U.S. “strategic paradigms”  “Animalization of the other threatened the sovereignty of Third World states.” (Smit/Snidal)

Over the years…  : Amanullah Khan declares independence & introduces social reforms  compulsory education for all, European dress attire, emancipation of women  Not accepted by the public universally, rebellion  : Monarchy, modernization of education system  1953: Mohammed Daud becomes PM – alliance with Soviet Union  : Constitutional period  Pashtun favoritism begins, marginalizing minority ethnicities  1973: Daud seizes power & plays USSR against Western powers

Cold War & Soviet Invasion  1979: Soviet invasion, establishes communist government  Uses schools to indoctrinate communist ideals; ignores cultural trends of teaching religion  1980: United States begins supporting mujahedeen fighters  USAID contracts University of Nebraska to write textbooks  jhadist elements  1988: Soviet troops leave, Afghanistan in civil war  1996: Taliban: extremist Islamic vision  shut down all girls schools, return to religious based education  Use USAID books, welcome jihadist teachings  2001-Present: U.S. invasion & Foreign development interventions

Soviet Army withdrawal

Then & Now Taliban Regime ’96-’01  Schools = madrassahs  900,000 children in school  Ban of female education  Defense: Not enough funds  Private home education  eliminated  Quranic verses only till age 8 Issues to Tackle  Low literacy rates & limited schooling opportunities  Poor academic quality  2005 survey in Northern Afghanistan, 200 teachers take same exam as students, only 10 pass  Difficulties delivering education  Security, language, shortage of teachers (female)  Blurred lines: military & humanitarian aid

Security Challenges  Taliban insurgency  Criticism against Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) & International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces  Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs - U.S.) development  Build schools without community consensus & at inefficient locations  NGOs build near military bases for security, but aggravates commute for children and teachers – far from village  Schools identified with government & PRTs are attacked more

Achievements  800-1,400 indigenous and foreign NGOs  UNICEF & U.S. Back-to-School Effort with Ministry of Education (MOE)  570% growth in enrollment, 6 million children  Seven-fold increase in the number of trained teachers  Construction of 4,000 school buildings  2011: 72,500 women acquiring literacy skills at,2900 literacy centers in 34 provinces

Postcolonial tendencies  Afghani people are wary of foreign intervention in education since Soviet occupation  Education seen as threat to religious, cultural, and gender norms  Islamic studies are 13% of instruction time, not fully supported by the West – education should be secular  U.S. policy feels Islam in education mars democratic values and human rights ideals

 U.S. uses education to promote democracy  Use minor achievements by women to portray general trend  Bush: “rescue” and “liberation” of Afghan women  Foreign actors do not always consider ethnic divide  Pashtun  Tajik  Uzbek  Hazara

Afghan thought moving forward  Most Afghans are supportive of government & education  They feel education system has improved  Majority supports gender equality and female education  Need to find a cultural balance  Need to establish internal security, eliminate foreign dependency  Need to understand ethnic and provincial differences