Policies and Planning of Literacy and CLCs in Afghanistan Presented by Shigeru Aoyagi Director of UNESCO Kabul Office August, 2011

Introduction Constitution of Afghanistan: Article 44 ‘Afghanistan government shall develop and support programs to eradicate illiteracy and by also providing technical and vocational training for income generation.’ Ministry of Education’s National Education Strategic Plan Ⅱ(2010 – 2014) ‘Increase the literacy rate of the population aged 15 and above to 48 percent (43 percent females and 54 percent males)' through 'providing literacy courses for 3.6 million learners by 1393/2014 (at least 60 percent being women).’

Introduction (2) Literacy for Empowerment (LIFE) LIFE was adopted as the national literacy framework in 2007 and since that time it has evolved as a common platform for all literacy stakeholders within the country to plan and implement their respective activities in a harmonized manner for the collective, collaborative achievement of the national literacy targets.

Budget Over 57.3% of the total development budget is directed at infrastructure development, 14.2% to curriculum and teacher education and 8.6% for ICT in schools and offices and 6.1% for literacy. (NESP Ⅱ). Estimated total amount of development budget for literacy programs for 2010 – 2014 is U$352 million (NESP Ⅱ). To achieve literacy for 3.6 million and vocational training for 365,000 Afghan adults, the total resource requirement will be a minimum of U$ 524.5 million for 2010 -2014 (National Literacy Action Plan: NLAP).

CLCs in Afghanistan JICA’s support to CLC (2003- ): Construction of CLCs in Afghanistan Ministry of Education’s Literacy Department Currently, 13 CLCs exist in Afghanistan MoE’s LD is responsible for planning, managing and monitoring the activities of CLCs Main Purpose of CLCs: To combine literacy education with vocational training programs Establishment of 412 CLCs by 2014 (NESPⅡ)

Major Literacy Programs in Afghanistan UNESCO: Enhancement of Literacy in Afghanistan (ELA) ELA is being implemented in close collaboration with the LD covering 600,000 learners over a period of 5 years through implementation in 18 provinces. In the ELA project, in addition to literacy courses, there are efforts to support and provide for institutional capacity building of the LD at the provincial and district levels. UN-Habitat: The LCEP – 2 (Learning for Community Empowerment Programme – second phase) LCEP 2 is implemented by UN Habitat with assistance from USAID in 20 provinces to cover 312,000 adult learners. The LCEP-2 offers an 18 month-long integrated programme combining literacy, life skills, and vocational training.

Major Literacy Programs in Afghanistan (2) UNICEF: Women’s Literacy Program The program is implemented jointly with LD at the central and field level, with coverage over all 34 provinces of the country. A 1387 (2007) progress report of UNICEF programme containing data from 24 provinces shows that 61,601 learners (55,800 female) were enrolled in 2257 literacy courses. Ministry of Education, Literacy Department The Literacy Department currently supports a nine-month literacy course for those between the ages of 15-45 who have not previously had access to education and who are illiterate. Participants take part in an initial six month basic literacy course that utilizes a common curriculum and textbooks developed under the LAND Afghan project. After this initial period, participants take part in an additional three-month post-literacy courses. Data from a 1387 (2007) report of LD-run literacy programme shows that approximately 114,000 learners (of which more than 70% were female) were enrolled in 4810 literacy courses across 34 provinces.

UNESCO’s Enhancement of Literacy in Afghanistan (ELA) ELA 9-month literacy classes (2008-2013) 600,000 youth and adults (aged 15 and above) 18 provinces, 94 districts 60% target beneficiaries as women Capacity Building Activities 6 trainings conducted for over 100 Master Trainers in literacy curriculum and teaching methodologies 3739 literacy facilitators trained ( 2137 female, 1602 male) 4 trainings conducted for over 100 Provincial and District Coordinators in M&E 2 trainings conducted for over 100 Provincial and District Coordinators in admin and finance

Challenges The number of existing literacy courses is very small and cannot meet the present need. While most of the illiterate population lives in remote rural areas, literacy courses have been launched more in urban areas. The interest in literacy courses is very low → Comprehensive public awareness strategy does not exist. The existing literacy curriculum/textbooks are for general literacy and numeracy and not focused on the needs of specific groups such as farmers, women, shopkeepers, etc. →links between literacy skills and technical and vocational training should be strategized. Shortage of professional staff, financial resources and budget (both development and ordinary).

Way Forward Enhancement of quality: Increasing access: The learning materials will be revised and the contents will be made more relevant to people’s lives and their occupational needs. A unified curriculum should be developed that will include specific materials for different groups of learners (for example, farmers, shopkeepers, women). Life skills and specific vocational modules will also be added. Increasing access: Target to reach all households in Afghanistan through the mass media, including radio and information and communication technology, to encourage participation in literacy classes.

Way Forward (2) Strengthening the linkage between literacy and skills: People who have already acquired basic literacy competencies through existing or other previous programmes will be able to join in post-literacy programs at CLCs. People with advanced literacy skills will have the opportunity to make a choice from among the skill training courses made available in the CLCs. Through CLC, the learners will also receive support for linkages with employers or the market so that they can optimally utilize their acquired skills for improved livelihoods and/or can join in further education courses under equivalency programmes.

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