1. Financing Adult Education for Development Conference in Bonn; 23 & 24 June 2009 Challenges to Financing Adult Education in Afghanistan Presented by Sarwar Hussaini, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Literacy and Non-Formal Education

2. How Adult Education is financed in Afghanistan? A. By the government: 0.003% of the national budget. B. International donors: 1% of total funding for Afghanistan. C. Private and self funding: Almost none

3. Government Source: Afghanistan’s Education Budget Breakdown (2009)  Education sector( higher education, formal and non formal education) receives 15% of the government budget  Literacy and Non-formal education receives less than 1 percent of the budget

4. Program Based Budget Allocation in the Ministry of Education

5. External Funding for Adult Education In Million USD/2009

6. The need for adult education in Afghanistan  66.7 % of Afghanistan’s population are illiterate ( 11 million adults + 5.5 million of out of school children  Only 4% students in Afghanistan go to technical and vocational schools

7. Current programs of adult education in Afghanistan Ministry of Education covers 120,000/year through its mainstream programs. Literacy Through Mosques that covers 50,000 people/year. Literacy for Community Development (LCEP) with a target of 320,000 in five year period. Enhancement of Literacy in Afghanistan (ELA) with a target of 600,000 people over five years. National Skill Development Program (NSDP) with a target of 50,000 people/year.

8. Current program continued Literacy program for policemen with a target of 6000 people/2009 by DVV International and ANAFAI. Literacy for the ANA personnel with a target of 33,000 people. Literacy for women with a target of 120,000 women/2009. Small programs by NGOs. Voluntary classes by communities.

9. Challenges for financing adult education in Afghanistan The cost required for the five year national plan (2009- 2013) to cover 3.5 million literacy learners and 700,000 skill trainees is estimated to be: Learners of literacy (3.5m)x 80USD = 280,000,000 Skill trainees (700,000) x 500 USD = 350,000,000 Total: 630,000,000 USD

10. The perception that child education is the only priority Adult education is always left the last activity for any consideration. It is more in the margin.

11. Expectation from adult to pay for their own expenses and finance their education This will hinder long term investment in adult education sector including research and institution building.

12. Poor advocacy for adult education Still there is not much pressure by civil society organization or public for greater impasses on adult education.

13. Poor understanding of the role of adult education in the economic growth and development of the country Many people including decision makers are not thinking strategically to education and are not able to link between investment and return in adult education

14. Adult education system in Afghanistan is not well structured. It is managed by several government bodies with different polices.