edu 304 - comparative education - National Open University of Nigeria

3.8.3 Primary Education
Primary education is compulsory and it is for a period of 6 years in
mother language, which is Pershian and Pushto. Pershain in the first three
session (1 - 3) and Pushto in the second three session (Classes 4 - 6).
The pupils are also taught Arabic in order to read Quran since 99%
population are Muslims and the main religion is Islam.
Schools are not co-educational, separate schools for girls were
established. Primary education takes place either in village schools or in
primary schools. The village school (grade I through 3) usually has only
one teacher for its three grades. This teacher is always the village religious
leader and the village mosque serves as the school.
In the primary school (Grades I through 6) there is one teacher for
each of first three grades. In grades 4,5, and 6, there is a special teacher for
each subject. Primary teachers in the major cities are usually graduates of
the teacher training colleges (Grade 12). Outside the major cities, primary
school teachers are most often graduates of the middle schools or the
emergency teacher training colleges and a small percentage of primary
school.
The age of primary school pupils ranges from seven to 19 years. By
1966, there were 1,000 primary schools with 450,000 pupils in Afghan
primary schools.
The curriculum of primary schools in grades 1,2, and 3 includes: the
Koran, theology reading of the mother tongue (either pushto or Dari), hand
writing, arithmetic, natural science and hygiene, drawing and handicraft
and physical education.
The curriculum in grades 4, 5 and 6 also includes a second language
(Dari or Persia) history and geography in addition to the subjects taught in
the first three grades.
Teaching in primary schools is based on memorization as well as rote
learning.
3.8.4 Secondary Education
Under secondary education, there is a unit called the middle school
and another one called the Lycee. The middle school (grades 7, 8 & 9)
prepares students for admission to the Lycee or for vocational training. The
students who successfully pass primary school examination are qualified
for admission into secondary schools which are either: vocational schools
in Kabul which train youth or can also gain admission into Technical
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