Ministry of Education Directorate of EMIS

Ministry of Education Summary Report of Education Situation ,Year 1388
Executive Summary
The following report highlights the challenges inherent in the Afghan educational system. These
challenges are inherited from the past; however, the mismanagement of resources, corruption, and
the existence of inefficient and time consuming bureaucratic procedures are some of the obstacles
that need to be tackled. Consequently, the problems of access, quality and management are some of
the fundamental limitations. These challenges are significant in light of the current national
socioeconomic and security situations. They envisage the presence of both visible and invisible
impediments on the road to 2015. To overcome these challenges, there needs to be fundamental
changes in the way the education system is run. Effective management system with monitoring and
evaluation needs to be in place; redundant and inefficient bureaucratic procedures need to be
trimmed significantly; regional and gender disparities need to be addressed; and serious efforts have
to be made to address the issue of capacity building for teachers.
It is also important to transform the mind set and worldview of individuals in the ministry to think
about plans, solutions and proposed changes in a straightforward and simple way rather than
produce complex narratives that only results in information overload. It appears there is this
unfounded mentality to present reports, proposals and future plans in complex narratives simply to
impress donors. However, many of these managers and planners forget that they are running an
Afghan organization wherein Afghans need clear and concise instructions about their functions and
responsibilities. Some of the shortcomings could be remedied while others are hostage to the archaic
mindset, inherent flaws of the system of government and instability in the country as education is
part of the larger scheme of national development.
The Ministry of education and its partners employed a variety of methods for data collection. In
2004, the Ministry of Education conducted its first school survey. The method used in this survey
was confined to sending surveyors to visit schools throughout Afghanistan and collect records of the
number of students enrolled in schools from their respective principals and school administrators. In
2005, data collection forms were introduced and these forms were sent to schools to be filled in by
the school headmasters. Since 2007, Ministry of Education has adopted a decentralized data
Ministry of Education
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EMIS Directorate