Modern Education System in Afghanistan

Modern learning institutions were introduced in Afghanistan in the late 19th century when, during the time of Amir Sher Ali (1863-1879), a kind of government schooling was introduced. The two schools he founded were Maktab-e Harbia (Military School) in the cantonment of Shirpur near Kabul, and Molki Wa Khawanin School, mainly for members of royal family in Bala Hissar, Kabul. These royal schools imparted education that was a mixture of traditional mosque education and some curricula based on the structural aspects of western education.

The two schools were essentially meant to impart a special type of education to royal staffers: the military school was to impart training for organized military education and the other was to create a type of literate staffers for serving the government. For this purpose the Amir engaged both local and foreign instructors in the two schools. Although some believe that by this act a Public School was inaugurated in Afghanistan by the government with civil and military setups, however, steps to establish a proper modern educational system were actually implemented during the reign of Amir Habibullah Khan (1901-1919) when he founded the first modern school, Habibia, in Kabul in 1903, with the aim of training personal for the civil service. The inauguration of Habibia held great historical and cultural significance, as it not only represented a victory for an enlightened group known as young Afghans but it also brought aspects of western education into the country. In 1909 the Harbia Officers College was established with had two sections: primary (general education) and special (military). 

In the same year the government set up a Board of Education to approve school curriculum and text books and to supervise education as many primary modern schools and a Teacher’s Training College had been established. Despite this humble beginning and the small number of students enrolled in these schools, Kabul district alone produced 130 graduats in 1916 and in 1918 out of the 665 students enrolled 324 graduated. Following the independence of Afghanistan in 1919, during the reign of Amir Amanullah Khan, social and political conditions became favorable for initiating the development of modern education. A minister of Education was appointed for the first time in 1920 for the development of education in the country. Following this, during the 1920’s, a number of primary and secondary schools were established due to the Amaniyah movement. Amongst others, Istiqlal Lyc’ee (independence), a French language school, was also established in 1923. Two other foreign language schools instituted in Kabul were: Nejat College, for German, in 1924 and Ghazni College, for English, in 1928. Some other schools founded by Amanullah were: a school for clerks and accounts established in the mid 1920’s; a Turkish school to supplement the English, German and French language colleges and a medical school was proposed in 1928. Provincial colleges similar to Amaniyah and Nejat began operating from 1928. However, a more notable achievement was the establishment of public schools for girls. Two such schools were sponsored by Queen Surayya and her mother in Kabul by 1928. Gregorian writes that by 1928 there were 14 intermediate and secondary schools in Kabul, and a secondary school in each of the provincial administration centers. The Government did not just open schools but also provided free primary and higher education. Due to these measures and the socio-political change that took place after independence the total enrollment of students attending primary schools in 1928 was as high as 40,000, however, according to Ghobar’s estimates approximately 322 elementary schools enrolled around 51,000 students in the country.

Students were also sent abroad to study in Germany, England, France, the former USSR and Turkey in order to assist in the change of the educational and social environment of the country. As a result of these efforts, by 1928, there were approximately 800 girls attending schools in Kabul and a few Afghan women were also studying abroad notably in Turkey, France and Switzerland. In that year Amaniyah Istiqlal also started enrolling women,thereby, introducing co-education in Kabul.