We were honored to have “World Partnership” bring a group of about a dozen Afghanistan educators to take a tour of the Gallery, last week. We had a wonderful time with them, particularly focusing on the etching and educational classes that DMG School Project provides. We are honored to be giving back to the community and support such a wonderful cause that needs awareness. Education is often a luxury in other countries and we wanted to give back in any way we could!
Read more about their amazing program here World Partnership
Higher Education: Community College to Advanced Degree”
A Project for Afghanistan
Public education is a relatively recent concept in Afghanistan. It wasn’t until 1969 that the Afghan government legislated free, mandatory education for children between the ages of 7 and 15. Unfortunately, the provision of schools, teachers, and books lagged far behind the legislation.
Before 1969, schools existed, but whether or not a child attended school was completely up to his or her family. Some families thought that education was important and made sacrifices to secure their children’s education, including sending them away to relatives if local schooling wasn’t available. Other families provided religious training for their sons. Some families simply did not send their children to school.
Literacy of the Afghan population is estimated at 28.1% (male 43.1%; female 12.6%), although real figures may be lower. There are approximately 16,000 schools in the country.
Despite the dramatic increase in the number of schools in Afghanistan, many fall short, providing lackluster education in broken-down buildings, and undersupplied, overcrowded classrooms, teaching for only a few hours before the next shift of students arrives. Teachers are frequently unqualified, having never graduated high school themselves. There is an unfortunate tendency for well-meaning organizations to build schools and move on, leaving the school’s fate in the hands of haphazard local administration and chance. Sadly, many investments in Afghanistan’s education are short-lived.
