Aptitude Tests and Education in Afghanistan

Though there is a dearth of information and current statistics, we do know that things are steadily improving in the war-torn country of Afghanistan. While at one time girls were expressly forbidden to attend schools, they are now taking classes alongside the boys.

Of course, the country has a long and arduous road ahead with regard to education. The literacy rates in Afghanistan are some of the lowest in the world. According to the most recent numbers, only about half of the male population is literate, while less than a quarter of the females can read or write.

As we mentioned, things have slowly improved, but there are still a myriad of obstacles in the way of sustained progress and future growth. For starters, the schools lack funding, are often unsafe and do not have enough female teachers. Unfortunately, under the repressive Taliban regime female teachers were not allowed to teach coed classes. Even qualified teachers who had taken aptitude tests were prohibited from teaching students of a different sex.

What is the next step? Regrettably, it is hard to envisage significant progress being made in a country that is still occupied by foreign troops and fanatical former members of the Taliban. Only when the conflict ends and the people of Afghanistan are liberated from certain unseemly and outright evil elements will the people have a chance to progress.

But for now the children will continue to lead the way as teachers and educators will do the best they can in a country where many young children have almost as much education and comparable literacy rates as their parents.

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