Science in Afghanistan

The main scientific centers are run by the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan, which includes such scientific structures as the Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Social Sciences, Institute of History, Institute of Literature, Center for the Study of Kushanov, Center for the Study of the Pashto Language, Center "Encyclopedia" and others.

History

Education in Afghanistan improved significantly under the rule of King Zahir Shah (from 1933 to 1973 ). Under him, the creation of elementary schools for about half of the country's population under the age of 12 began, as well as the expansion of the secondary education system and the construction of the National University in Kabul . Despite this, a very large percentage of the population remained illiterate.

After the withdrawal of parts of the Soviet Army. Taliban

The civil war actually destroyed the education system. Most teachers left the country during the war. In the mid-1990s, about 650 schools functioned. In 1996, the Taliban regime banned education for women, and madrassas ( mosques , schools) became the main source of primary and secondary education.

Today

Following the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001, the Afghan Provisional Government received significant international assistance to restore the education system. In 2003, about 7,000 schools were built, operating in 20 of 34 provinces, with 27,000 teachers for 4.2 million children (including 1.2 million girls). Of this number, about 3.9 million people attended primary schools. Kabul University was re-opened in 2002, about 24,000 students, men and women, studied there. Five other universities were restored in the early 2000s. In 2001, religious subjects were included in public schools. In 2003, an estimated 57 percent of men and 86 percent of women were illiterate, and the lack of a skilled and educated workforce was one of the main economic difficulties. The system of higher , secondary and special education in Afghanistan is managed by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education.

University Centers

The largest university centers in the country are universities in the cities of Kabul , Kandahar , Herat , Mazar-e-Sharif , and Jalalabad .

• Science and Education in Afghanistan