Financing Adult Education Financing Adult Education for Development for Development

Conference in Bonn; 23 & Conference in Bonn; 23 & 24 June 200924 June 2009

Challenges to Financing Adult Education in Afghanistan

Presented by Sarwar Hussaini, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Literacy and Non-Formal Education

How Adult Education is How Adult Education is financed in Afghanistan?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

Government Source: Government Source: Afghanistan’s Education Budget Afghanistan’s Education Budget Breakdown (2009)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

Program Based Budget Program Based Budget Allocation in the Ministry of Allocation in the Ministry of EducationEducation

External Funding for Adult External Funding for Adult EducationEducationIn Million USD/2009In Million USD/2009

The need for adult The need for adult education in Afghanistaneducation 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

Current programs of adult Current programs of adult education in Afghanistaneducation 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.

Current program continuedCurrent 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.

Challenges for financing Challenges for financing adult education in adult education in AfghanistanAfghanistan

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 = 280,000,000Skill trainees (700,000) x 500 USD = 350,000,000Total: 630,000,000 USD

The perception that child The perception that child education is the only priorityeducation is the only priority

Adult education is always left the last activity for any consideration. It is more in the margin .

Expectation from adult to pay Expectation from adult to pay for their own expenses and for their own expenses and finance their educationfinance their education

This will hinder long term This will hinder long term investment in adult education investment in adult education sector including research and sector including research and institution building.institution building.

Poor advocacy for adult Poor advocacy for adult educationeducation

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

Poor understanding of the Poor understanding of the role of adult education in the role of adult education in the economic growth and economic growth and development of the countrydevelopment of the country

Many people including decision Many people including decision makers are not thinking makers are not thinking strategically to education and are strategically to education and are not able to link between investment not able to link between investment and return in adult educationand return in adult education

Adult education system in Adult education system in Afghanistan is not well Afghanistan is not well structured. structured.

It is managed by several It is managed by several government bodies with government bodies with different polices. different polices.