Public and Private Schools in Afghanistan

(1)

Public and Private Schools in Afghanistan

Comparing some aspects of public and private schools in Kabul city Kulsoom Saffarudin Sherani

Faculty: Art and Social Science Subject: Education

Points: 15

Supervisor: Pia Karlsson

Examiner: Maria Jansdotter Samuelsson Date: February 2014

(2)

i

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to explore similarities and differences between private and public schools in Kabul city. Data was collected using questioner and structured interviews. Principals, teachers, parents and students of grade six were the participants of the research. This research focuses on:

Curricula, textbooks, and media of instruction, teachers’ education and experiences as well as student’s gender, socio-economic background and distribution within the two types of schools.

Advantages of private schools over public schools were also studied from the perspective of teachers, students and parents.

During this research, some important points of similarities and differences were found, such as discipline, daily study time in schools, parental involvement, completion of syllabi, students’ parents’ socio-economic background, and teachers’ views on the growth of private schools, etc. It was found that classroom facilities, parental involvement, completion of syllabi are better in private schools than public schools. In private schools, additional textbooks on science, computer and English language are taught. In public schools, on the other hand, due to the short time of study, students are unable to finish all subjects in the respective academic year.

While both of the school types follow ministry of education defined curriculum. There is a mix approach towards both the school types by the middle class members of the society. Meanwhile Private schools may be exploiting their teachers for giving them lesser salaries as compared to the teachers of the public schools. Private school teachers are paid less salary than the business value a private school may have; despite the fact that they teach for longer hours during the day.

As Afghanistan is already suffering from difference of opinions on national and international issues because of the different curriculums taught in different schools by different organizations during the war. Some of the differences found in this research as well are of significance and may lead to the graduation of students with additional advantages of stronger English and IT skills. This could disadvantage the public school students.

(3)

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I bestow my humblest praise for almighty Allah, the most benevolent and merciful, for granting me the opportunity to complete my studies and thesis. It was a wonderful time we passed in the academy with our dearest professors and my kind and good class fellows.

My deepest gratitude for my research supervisor Dr. Pia Karlsson, whom I came to respect and appreciate even more during this period. From the start till the completion of my thesis was only possible thanks to her precise help and ready availability. Her supervision and advice brought out the aspiration and insight within me. With this I would also like to thank Dr. Amir Mohammad Mansory, who always very patiently encouraged me. Dr Amir was here to support me whenever I asked for his help.

I am especially thankful to my parents and my brothers, who always had confidence in me to be on right path in the journey of my life and who always showed their love, interest, and insight to provide me with a better environment to be successful in life. Without their kindness I would not be able to complete my work. I would also like to give a special thanks to my brother, Hameedullah Sherani, who helped me a lot in my research work, and all other friends and family members understanding my situation whenever I could not be there for them, which I regret very much.

My warm thanks go to the people of Sweden and Karlstad University’s professors. I am also thankful to Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA). Last but not least I would like to thank the rest of the staff for co-operating with me in every possible way. I will never forget the co-operative attitude of my classmates and staff members in the department.

(4)

iii

LIST OF TABLES

Figure 1: Number of private schools in Afghanistan...…...2

Table 1: Private and public schools background………10

Table 2: Private schools’ extra subjects, medium of instruction, and extracurricular activities…11 Table 3: Private and public schools’ teachers disaggregated by age and gender………...12

Table 4: Teachers experiences in public and private schools……….12

Table 5: Teachers’ educational background...13

Table 6: Reasons for the growth of private schools according to teachers’ view...13

Table 7: Teachers’ responses on what administrative aspects are best in private and public schools………..14

Table 8: Teachers’ views on the quality of some teaching aspects in private and public schools…...14

Table 9: Teachers view on the aim of private schools...15

Table 10: Parents’ socio-economic background...16

Table 11: Parents’ economic status on students of private and public school...16

Table 12: Reasons for parents’ selection of schools...17

Table 13: Percentage of students in public and private schools...17

Table 14: Sources of income in the family………18

Table 15: Students’ own ranking of economic Status………...….…18

Table 16: Public and private school students getting help with their homework………...18

Table 17: Number of boys and girls with access to computer and Internet in private and public schools……….19

(6)

v

ABBREVATIONS

1. NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) 2. MoE (Ministry of Education)

3. CEP (Central Educational Program) 4. SES (Socio Economic Status) 5. TTC (Teacher Training College ) 6. MDG (Millennium Development Goal) 7. SCA (Swedish Committee for Afghanistan) 8. O/A (Ordinary and Advance)

9. DCF (Data Collection Format)

(7)

1

INTRODUCTION Background

The history of Afghan education shows that Islamic studies or mosque-based education was the first educational system. People used to learn to read, write, and count in mosques. Islamic law was also taught by mullahs of mosques (Karlsson & Mansory, 2007).

The Western type of education was introduced at the end of the 19th century, when trained officers were needed by the state. In 1878, two institutions were established in Kabul city, a military school and a general school, respectively, specialised for the children of the royal family and the elite. The first public school for boys was established in 1903 and was open to the general public. After 1919, several schools were established in Kabul city and provincial urban areas. The first female modern school was established in 1921, and gradually modern schools were extended throughout the country (Karlsson & Mansory, 2007). There are three types of education in Afghanistan: 'traditional or informal' education, 'modern' education, and 'Islamic' education (ibid.).

Traditional or informal education, including Islamic etiquette (adab) and the practice of virtue, morality, and manners (akhlaq), is transmitted by parents, elders, and other influential adults.

General education is taught in schools. Islamic education is of two kinds, formal and informal.

Formal Islamic education, with a focus on the Quran and the hadiths1, is learnt from mosques and madrasas. It should be noted that madrasa education is considered as private education; and it was historically run and managed by the community (ibid).

Western type of education, as labelled by Karlsson and Mansory (2004), is transmitted in public schools, and these have always been a governmental affair. Previously, there were no private schools in Afghanistan; in fact, private schools were not even allowed by the constitution (ibid).

In 2001, when the Taliban regime collapsed, hundreds of thousands of refugees returned to their homeland with the educational experiences of their host countries. Among other things, they had been exposed to private education in the neighbouring countries, and they tried to replicate private education in Afghanistan. This idea was recognized by the general public since the government of Afghanistan faced several severe social and economic challenges. These challenges undermined the government’s capacity to deliver education, in terms of educational materials, teachers, and an education-friendly environment. Hence, the private sector and the government mutually moved to a new era in education, and decided to establish a private education system (Packer et al. 2010). Within a decade, 803 private schools were established and engaged in providing education to172, 474 students, 44 percent of whom were girls.

Compared to private schools there are 16600 public schools in the whole of Afghanistan. Out of the total schools, 42 percent are primary schools, 28 percent are lower secondary schools, and 30 percent are upper secondary schools (Ministry of Education, 2010).

1In Islamic terminology, the term hadith refers to reports of statements or actions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), or of his tacit approval or criticism of something said or done in his presence.^[9] Classical Hadith specialist Ibn Hajar al- Asqalani says that the intended meaning of hadith in religious tradition is something attributed to Muhammad but that is not found in the Quran.

(8)

2

Figure 1: No. of Private Schools in Afghanistan

(Ministry of Education, 2010)

This figure shows the number of private schools in the provinces of Afghanistan. From here we find out that more than half of the private schools are concentrated in Kabul city. The second largest numbers of private schools are located in Herat city. However, there are five provinces in Afghanistan that have no private schools at all. Those provinces are Kapisa, Zabul, Uruzgan, Nooristan, and Daikundi. These are provinces where private schools are not popular up to now.

Problem area

Recently, the educational system has drastically expanded in Afghanistan as compared to 13 years ago, especially in regard to access to education. According to Ministry of Education (2011) statistics, more than nine million students attend over 1600 schools run by the government. Still there are around 3 million children out of school in the country. Beside the traditional governmental schools, private schools have been allowed and even promoted, as stated in the National Education Strategic Plan 2010-2014 (Ministry of Education, 2010). As mentioned, the number of private schools has increased to 803 in Afghanistan. There are also concerns about the quality of education generally. The learning level of school students is questioned by national and international bodies and other involved parties, including parents (ibid).

According to Aslam (2009), private schools help to increase educational facilities in a society. Private schools may contribute to widening the socio-economic gap since poor students do not attend private schools (Karlsson and Mansory, 2004). Currently, most private schools are established in the capital and a few big cities. Because they charge fees, it is more likely that the children of a rich socioeconomic background are enrolled, while students of a weak socio- economic background are rarely to be seen in private schools.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) demands uniform curricula and textbooks for all schools for grades 1-12. Private schools meet this requirement and also offer additional courses and textbooks, as well as pre-school classes (Ahmad, 2011). The addition of extra subjects depends on the nature and philosophy of the school. Some religiously inclined private schools have more

(9)

3 concentration on extra Islamic subjects in addition to the compulsory ones set by the MoE.

Schools inclined towards a more modern approach provide courses in computer technology and English language, as well as additional time for science (Packer et al. 2010).

Internationally, the growth of private sector involvement in education is driven by a market and profit-making philosophy. Education is seen as a commodity (Goyal, 2009). Private schools have emerged in many countries due to limited access to public education. Private schools are managed by, beside individuals and private owners and companies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and do not depend on the government, although in some cases local government administration may have full control (Karlsson & Mansory, 2004).

Private schools are generally considered to provide better education than public schools and to be more efficient than public schools. Parents can, for example, choose between a modern type of education and an Islamic type of education. Parents who have a greater interest in a better quality of education for their children may be more inclined to select a private school for their children (ibid).

As the population of Afghanistan has increased and government schools have not always been available everywhere, especially schools for girls, private schools have emerged. So has a concern that private schools can produce inequality in the field of education, as private schools are mostly selected by educated parents and are most likely to be available only in urban areas.

This can widen the gap between poor and rich (ibid).

As private education is a fairly new phenomenon in Afghanistan, there is very little knowledge about private schools compared to public schools in the country. Who are the students in private schools? What similarities and differences are there between private and public schools in the country? Why do people prefer private schools? Is it because of the quality of education in such institutions, the prestige, the lack of public schools, or the ease of obtaining certificates, or are there other reasons? It is also not known why private schools have appeared now. Is it because of the introduction of private markets in Afghanistan? What are the real motives behind their existence? These and many other questions have not been seriously studied to date in the country. This study may hopefully shed light on some aspects of these questions.

Aim and object

The aim of this study is to investigate and compare some aspects of public and private education in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Research questions

This study will try to respond the following research questions:

1. What are the differences and similarities between curricula, textbooks, and media of instruction in private and public primary schools?

2. What are the differences and similarities between teachers as regards education and experience in private and public primary schools?

3. What are the differences and similarities between students in grade six as regards sex, and socioeconomic background in private and public schools?

4. What advantages and disadvantages do parents, students, and teachers see with private and public education?

(10)

4

LITERATURE REVIEW

Regional comparison of private education

Certain factors and forces have been the drivers of privatization of education in different countries. Karlsson and Mansory (2004) have identified these factors as: (i) the demand for education exceeds the education supplied by the public sector; (ii) the quality of education provided is not satisfactory, (iii) geographical disparities exist because of scarce resources in the public sector. In many parts of the world, private schools enjoy better educational standards and modern equipment, thereby attracting the attention of many people in society (Sheshinski and López, 2003).

In Iran, there is a different view of private schools in light of different social, cultural, political, and religious circumstances in that country. According to Poya (2001), the popularity of private schools in Iran lies in minimized risks of failure for the students. He adds that there have been mixed reactions to private schools – some being for them and other against them – since the commencement of private schools in Iran. These reactions have been reflected through media and public opinions in various ways.

In Pakistan, the government encourages private intervention in the education sector. The two types of schools have different regulations. public schools provide free education, whereas private schools primarily rely on a fees structure. Government schools are mostly single-sex, whereas private schools are mostly co-educational and are owned by individuals for monetary profits. According to Aslam (2009), private schools are established for the expansion of education and thus contribute greatly to the enrolment of children. Many private schools and institutions have been established to provide primary as well as secondary education in Pakistan (Andrabi, 2002).

In India, private schools are to be found much more in rural areas than in cities. In nearly all rural areas, there are private schools. According to Goyal (2009), the increase of private schools gives both parents and children a choice between private and public schools in pursuing an education (Goyal, 2009). The reason for the rapid increase of private schools is that the quality of education in public schools is not as good. A comparable test was given to students of both schools; the average scores of private school students were higher than the scores of students from public schools. Parents from both middle and poor classes are willing to send their children to private schools (ibid).

Private schooling in Kuwait is characterized by high daily attendance and small class sizes, leading to higher academic performance. These factors are well advertised and carefully indicated in private schools. It is because of these factors that parents are willing to send their children to private schools. The educational quality in private schools is much better there.

However, it is a burden for many families to send their children to private schools (Jasim, 2010).

A rapid rise in education has been observed in Nepal since 1990. In 1980, the national enrolment rate was 16 percent, but by 2003 it had increased to 83 percent. In 2010, the MoE of Nepal categorised the education system in two types: (i) public or government run and managed schools, and (ii) private schools, defined as international schools. Private schools do not receive government funds. Private schools are aided by non-profit organizations, business, and religious institutions. In Nepal, public education is considered to be of low quality, leading to poor

(11)

5 achievement (Thapa 2013).

Historically, Afghanistan's schools were hardly overcrowded by students before the regime change in 2001. With the return of refugees to Afghanistan, the weak state with its meagre resources was overwhelmed by the tremendous demands for services in every sector, especially in education (Samady, 2007). According to the MoE's national education strategic plan (2010- 2014), private chools emerged in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan at the time the country was occupied by the former Soviet Union. However, private education got an added impetus during the last 12 years when the demand for education exceeded the public sector supply.

Enrolment has increased sevenfold since 2001: from 0.9 million students, mostly boys, in 2001 to over 8 million children (38 percent female) in 2010. However, the quality of education is low and unsatisfactory. Private schools are considered to provide a great expansion for education, and therefore the MoE has adopted a new policy of encouraging the private sector to set up and run schools (MoE, 2010. 2011).

To sum up, the introduction of private schools in the systems of different countries as well as in Afghanistan has been justified by the aforementioned factors identified by Karlsson and Mansory (2004). These motives could be summarized as: (i) the pressure from a market ideology, where education is seen as a commodity, (ii) the principle of supply and demand, i.e.

not enough space in public schools for all school age children, (iii) the provision of quality services by the private sector, and (iv) last but not least important, is the simplification of admission and certification processes in private schools. Also as a good business all of these have probably contributed to the growth of private schooling in major Afghan cities. And mostly private school are run by individuals against fees.

Perceptions about public and private schools

In many studies, it is suggested that the general perception about private schools is more positive with minimal disagreements. According to Figlio (1997), private schools have advantages over public schools. Private schools are more disciplined, have secure learning environments, and more opportunities are available for participating in extracurricular activities. Carnoy & McEwan (2001) argue that private schools are more proficient and resourceful than public schools. Private schools are considered to have good learning achievements. Although there are many arguments that private sector involvement in the field of education leads to overall improvement and private schools are considered better than public schools, it has not been completely proven (Daun, 2002).

Despite the fact that private schools are not very prevalent in rural areas in Afghanistan, private schooling seems to becoming more prominent with the passage of time in urban and semi-urban areas of Afghanistan. The number of private schools has been constantly increasing in Kabul city and other big cities and provincial capitals around the country. The constant growth and increase in private schooling reflects a constant increase in the demand for private schooling (MoE, 2010).

Students at public and private schools

It is important to comprehensively consider all the variables that contribute to educational success in private schools. Several questions arise: are the private schools better, or are the

(12)

6 enrolled students better, are they of another calibre, the cream of society? In order to respond to these questions, some literature is reviewed on this issue. According to Center Educational Policy (CEP) (2007), the gains achieved from a private school are not totally related to the school itself, but the students as well play an important role.

The students in private schools are mostly from comparatively rich and educated families. These students are most likely to make good progress. Figlio (1997) claims that in the United States of America students at private schools have a much higher socioeconomic status (SES) than students in public schools. The data also indicate that parents of public school students have lower expectations from their children than parents of students at private schools.

Parents of children in the private schooling system are more likely to help their children than parents of students in public schools. Students in private schools get more support from their parents with homework, exams, and other activities, such as taking them to museums, libraries, and laboratories. They provide their children with all the materials they need for their schooling, such as different kinds of books, colourful pens, computers, and printers, while parents of students at public schools mostly cannot afford all of these (ibid).

Andrabi (2002) reaffirms Figlio (1997) and states that the differences of family background also have effects on the learning achievement of students. Thus, the good results of students from private schools are linked to their family background. The teacher and student relationship is friendlier in private schools compared to public schools. This relationship has a significant effect on the learning achievements of students. Andrabi further adds that in Pakistan private schools are considerably better than public schools; however, the numbers of girls seems much fewer than boys in private schools as girls are not considered the source of income for parents and hence male children’s education is more important (ibid).

Curriculum and text books in public and private schools

To know the objects of learning, methods of teaching, and assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes, an organized curriculum must be approved. It has been said that private schools are a good source for learning English and other foreign languages (Kelly, 2009). According to Samady (2007), it is important that the teaching of English language should begin at the primary level, as English is the required language for science and technology. It should be considered as a core subject in the class. Thus, for students to pursue higher studies in modern education, science, and technology, the learning of English and other foreign languages are very important.

Otherwise, universities in Afghanistan must translate all related English textbooks and journals into Pashto and Dari, which is a resource-demanding job. Moreover, students, who want to pursue higher education in foreign countries, will face language barriers. Therefore, it is sometimes only the discipline and some extra subjects, such as English language and computer training that attracts most students to private schools (Aslam, 2009).

In Pakistan, the medium of instruction in public schools is Urdu, while in private schools it is English. Hence, students of public schools face trouble when they go for higher secondary education, because the language of education in higher secondary education or colleges is English. Most private schools use an international standard curriculum, such as the Oxford or Cambridge, while public schools do not use such standard curricula. These factors motivate the general public to go for private education (Andrabi, 2002).

(13)

7 In Afghanistan private schools add some extra subjects to the curriculum provided by ministry of education, the added subjects are English, Computer, Maths, Science, and social science. Medium of instruction is English and local languages. teachers at private schools are mostly young teachers with proficiencies in English and computer skills.

Teachers and teaching in public and private schools

Teachers play a significant role in the field of education. According to Ballou and Podgursky (1995), the success and failure of a school mostly depends on principals and teachers. Moreover, Banerjee (2012) stated that, to have a good result, both public and private schools need efforts from both teachers and students. Carnoy & McEwan (2001) assert that private schools provide higher salaries than public schools and thus attract more professional teachers and principals.

Therefore, it is said that teachers at private schools are better than those in public schools. In the early schooling years, teachers’ and students’ interaction is much needed. In many developing countries, teacher and student absenteeism is a serious problem. To have good interaction, both teachers and students need to be present in the class and avoid absences. The teacher-to-student ratio is very important in teacher-student relations and their interaction. The student-to-teacher ratio in public schools in Afghanistan is often high and is quite a bit higher than in the available private schools in Kabul city and the rest of the country (Ministry of Education, 2009).

(14)

8

METHODS

Data was collected from research sites within Kabul city, Afghanistan using the defined data collection instruments using mix methods. A Mix method is adopted to conduct in depth, contextual as well as quantitative study. Different questionnaires and interview were designed for different participants. The questionnaires before distribution were translated into the Afghan local language. The questionnaires consisted of multiple choice questions, and a couple of open questions (see Annex A), While the interview were structured. The participants of this research are 44 teachers 21 from public and 23 from private , 471 students of all grad six from both private and public schools and 30 parents of different categories and the interview of 10 principals 4 female and one male of public schools and 4 male and one female principal from private schools This research mainly investigated the similarities and differences between curriculum, textbooks, medium of instruction, teachers’ socio-economic status, students’ socio- economic status, and various perspectives on the two types of schools, private and public.

School Selection

The population of private and public schools in Kabul city is huge. Time and resources would not allow collecting and reading the data of the whole population. A total of ten schools were selected from five districts of Kabul city. From each district one private and one public school, located relatively close to each other, were chosen. The population of the study is distributed in a single city of relatively similar situation divided into administrative districts. Therefore I have used convenient sampling in order to select samples for my study. As the situation in different districts of Kabul city is very similar to one another. On one hand convenient sampling has helped selecting the easily accessible schools, while on the other hand the resemblance of the situation makes the generalizability of the findings possible for at least Kabul city.

Questionnaires and Interviews

The questionnaires were loaded with multiple choice questions. In order to ensure data quality of the research, the questionnaires were clearly explained to the participants. Questions with some ambiguity were further clarified. The type of interview conducted was a structured interview.

The interview was conducted with the 10 principals of the 10 schools (5 private and 5 public) for 15 minutes each. Each principal was presented with exactly the same questions. The principals were informed about the duration of the interview and content of the questions. The purpose of the interview was also clarified to the principals. Considering research ethics, the principals were asked if they would like to be compensated for their 15 minutes time for the interview, but they willingly offered their time without asking for any remuneration. It is noteworthy that the parent participants of the study were those easily accessible; easily accessible parents are mostly educated and have the capacity to at least present their views on issues.

Data Management and Quality:

(15)

9 The captured data was entered into a data processing system. Data from each questionnaire was entered into a specific work sheet using column headings from the questions and options used in the questionnaires. In order to represent data using numerical values, so that it may easily be processed. Legends were defined for using different codes for different responses. Related data were compiled into specific tables of interest in order to find response for research questions.

The digitized data after cleaning was analysed to report findings and its implications.

The quality of the data was ensured at different levels of the research process. Due attention was given in collecting quality, reliable and readable data during the collection. During it is digitization and entry into the data processing system; data cleaning and check was applied.

The digitized data was cross checked with the data in the forms. Two questionnaires, from the student participants were excluded because of its incompleteness and lack of readability.

Time and places of the research

The present study was conducted in five selected districts of Kabul city. Districts were also selected using convenient sampling. From each district, two schools were selected, one public (a total of 4 female; one mix) and one private school (a total of 5 mix) from each district respectively. The duration of the collection of this data was less than a month, occurring in September and October 2013.

One of the problems was that the teachers and some students did not answer some of the questions in the questionnaires. i.e. when the aim of private schools were asked in public schools from 21 teachers only 11 teachers answered and 6 teachers didn't answer this question. Twelve (out of 312) students from public schools and 10 ( out of 181) students from private did not returned the questionnaires at all. The respondents were four hundred and seventy one students and forty-four teachers – seventeen male and twenty-seven female – of the ten private and public schools, as well as thirty parents of both sexes. Questionnaires, along with the accompanying mini-manual with instructions for completing them, were distributed to the participants. Some questionnaires were not returned. Forty questionnaires were given to parents, but only thirty parents responded to the questions. Sixty questionnaires were given to teachers of both schools private and public; only forty-four responded to the questions. However It did not affect my findings.

Limitation of the study

It would have been better to cover all districts of Kabul city. An increase in the sample size might produce a corresponding increase in the accuracy of the results. However, the constraints of resources and time did not permit me to do so. Therefore, the results of the study must be read with caution.

The shortage of time and the need to convince principals or teachers to cooperate were the only problems I faced. Initially, teachers and principals were not willing to answer the questions or to accept the questionnaires, but after the whole process was explained to them, they were very helpful. Moreover the problem of parents was illiteracy for some of them; while some of the parents and teachers didn’t respond due to security as some of them thought that it may

(16)

10 make some kind of problem for them. However this is very nominal and has no prominent effect on the research findings and implications.

The sample size is limited and the selection has been narrow. This narrow selection of the schools has originated some issues in representation of the population strata of private and public schools. For example the five public schools selected for the study are almost all girls while the five private schools are all mix schools. This has some implication for the research findings. In this research it was found that more female teachers teach in the public schools as compared to the private schools. This may be because of the nature of the school gender.

FINDINGS

This chapter presents the research findings of comparing some aspects of 10 public and private schools in five districts of Kabul city. The findings are categorized around specific aspects and presented under titles including such as the schools, the teachers, the parents and the students.

The Schools

Table 1 provides background information of the private and public schools under this research.

One of the five public schools is coeducational, i.e. boys and girls sit in the same class. The other four are unisex schools and are only for girls. All five private schools are mixed, i.e. boys and girls are in the same class. The school day of all the five public schools is divided into two or three shifts while the private schools have only one shift and that helps them to teach some extra subjects such as mathematics, English subjects, science, and computer. Public schools are free, whereas private schools charge a monthly fee, ranging from 1500 - 2000 Afs².

Table 1: Private and Public Schools background

Ownership Number

School type level Vacation No. of shifts

Monthly Fees in Afs

Is the implemented Curriculum the same as defined by MoE

Is there any Extracurricul ar activities in your School

Boys Girls Mix Gr 1-6 Gr 1-9 Gr 1-12 3 Months 2 months One Two-three Yes with Added Subjects Yes Exactly the same Yes No

Private

5 0 0 5 1 1 3 2 3 5 0

1500-

2000 5 0 4 1

Public

5 0 4 1 1 1 3 5 0 0 5 No fee 0 5 1 4

2 According to the open market dated 24 Dec 2013; 1000 Afs equals 17.54 USD.

(17)

11 Table 1 also presents the differences and similarities between public and private schools in terms of curriculum, textbooks, and media of instruction. Public schools follow the same curriculum, use the same textbooks, and teach according to the medium of instruction directed by Ministry of Education. Private schools, in addition to following the Ministry of Education defined curriculum, standards, rules and regulations, provide some extra subjects. According to the interview conducted with the principals of both private and public schools, it was found that the medium of instruction in private schools, in addition to the local languages, for extra or some school subjects like math, science, computer and English. However, the MoE assigned subjects are taught in local languages. English textbooks developed in India and/or Pakistan is used.

Table 2: Private schools' extra subjects, medium of instruction, and extracurricular activities

Schools Extra added subjects Media of Instruction Extracurricular activities

1. school English, Science, computer

Dari for MoE subjects and English for the extra added subjects

Sports

2. school English, computer

Sports and Home economics

3. school English, Math, science, Social science, Computer,

Sport and Literary events ( Poetry, Debates, Essay Writings) 4. school English, Science,

computer

No

5. school English, Science, computer, Math

Literary events

The salaries of the teachers in both private and public schools were compared. The teachers’

salaries vary from school to school in private schools; a teachers’ salary is unanimously applied to every teacher in that specific school without considering qualification and experience. While in public schools, the salary depends on the teachers’ teaching experience and educational degree.

Private schools have different extra-curricular activities, which are included in public schools as well, for example home economics, sports and culture but the lack of space and time might have an adverse affect on extracurricular activities. Most of the facilities and resources i.e.

the building and teachers of the public schools might be over utilized by having two to three educational shifts in one working day. Private schools in addition to sports and home economics i.e. handicrafts and tailoring, conduct literary events. Literary events are educational functions which facilitate the students for reading poetry, presenting an essay or a speech on a stage.

(18)

12

The Teachers’ background

Table 3 illustrates the number of male and female teachers in private and public schools. It also shows the age of teachers in both school systems.

Table 3: Private and Public School Teachers disaggregated by age and gender

Ownership Total Gender Age

Male Female 20-35 yrs % 36-45 yrs % 46 & above %

Public 21 6 15 12 57 5 24 4 19

Private 23 11 12 22 96 0 0 1 4

The survey indicated that the number of male teachers is fewer than female teachers in both public and private schools; however, gender is more balanced in private schools. Out of 23 teachers, 12 are female, while 11 are male. That there are more female teachers than male in public schools may be due to the fact that four out of five public schools are girl schools. As regards teachers’ age, it was found that in private schools practically all teachers are young (96

% are 20-35 years old) while in public schools young teachers are fewer but still the majority (57

%). The reason might be that private schools prefer to employ teachers with proficiency in English and computer skills, and these teachers are usually younger. In public schools teachers may lack proficiency in English and lack of computer skills but on the other hand they may have more teaching experience than teachers in private schools.

Table 4: Teachers’ experience in public and private schools

Experience (yrs) Teachers in public school Teachers in private schools Total

# % # % # %

<= 1 Year 9 43 17 74 26 59

1-4 Year 5 23 4 17 9 20

5-10 Year 7 33 2 8 9 20

Total 21 100 23 100 44 100

Table 4 shows teachers’ experience in public and private schools. Teachers in public schools have more experience in the field of teaching than teachers in private schools. It is noted that out of 21 public school teachers, nine (34%) teachers have one year or less than one year teaching experience while seven (33%) teachers have more than four years experience. However most of the teachers in private schools i.e. 17 out of the 23 have only one or less than one year teaching experiences. This concludes that teachers in public schools have more teaching experience than those teaching in private schools.

Table 5: Teachers’ educational background

(19)

13

Ownership Number

Teachers Qualification

Teachers teaching the same subject as their background In-service training

Teachers with Bachelor

Teachers with Islamic studies (Madrassa)

Teachers with (TTC)

Teachers with Master and Above

Public 21 11 52% 0 0% 10 48% 0 0% 17 80% 8 38%

Private 23 14 61% 2 9% 7 30% 0 0% 11 48% 11 48%

As seen in this table (5) around half of the teachers in both public and private schools have a bachelor degree. Half of the teachers in public and one third of the teachers in private schools have graduated from teacher training colleges. Thus, teachers have similar educational background in the studied public and private schools. The table further elaborates that in public schools most of the teachers teach the subject they have had as their major at the university level or at the Teacher Training College (TTC). However in private schools only 11 (48%) out of the total 23 teachers do the same but more teachers in these schools have participated in in-service training.

Teachers’ views on advantages and disadvantages of private and public education

Private schools have shown a dramatic growth in recent years, particularly in urban areas.

Responding teachers were asked what could be the reasons for the growth of the private schooling system. This question had multiple choice answers and a teacher could select more than one option. The findings are presented in Table 6.

Table 6: Reasons for the growth of private schools according to teachers’ no of votes

Teachers MoE encourages private schools

Lack of access to public schools

Low quality of public schools

Possibility of profits

Interest of urban wealthy people

Lack of girls school

Public 10 6 4 6 10 8

Private 16 3 9 9 7 8

Total 26 9 13 15 17 16

(20)

14 There are many reasons for the growth of private schools. Most of the responding teachers, particularly those in private schools were of the opinion that the growth of private schools is due to encouragement by the government. Almost half of the responding teachers at private schools responded that the low quality of education at public schools was the main reason for the growth of private schooling, while only one fifth of the public schools teachers thought so – an interesting but may be not so surprising result.

The opposite picture is seen as regards another option. That the growth of private schools is mainly due to the interest of wealthy urban people was believed by half of the responding public school teachers while only one third of the responding teachers in the private schools thought so.

Teachers were also asked to tell which type of school is better in certain aspects. Their answers are reported in tables 7 and 8.

Table 7: Teachers’ responses on what administrative aspects are best in private and public schools

Options

Public Schools are best Private Schools are best Private

schools Teachers

Public schools

Teachers Total

Private schools Teachers

Public schools

Administration 2 14 16 20 12 33

Attendance 2 14 16 20 7 27

Study time 0 1 1 20 17 37

Discipline 0 21 21 14 15 29

Gender equality 9 5 14 12 8 20

Parental Involvement 10 10 20 16 21 39

Total votes 23 66 89 102 94 185

This question may also provoke biased responses. Some teachers might have responded in the favour of their respective schools. None of the private school teachers gives more credit to the public school system in any of the above aspects while public school teachers find private schools superior as regards study time and gender equality. They give almost equal credit also to administrative aspects and parental involvement as all 21 teachers of public schools give their opinion on parental involvement in the private schools. Due to the biases, only public school teachers' opinion should be considered in regard to table 7 and 8.

Teachers were also asked about their number of students in class. According to public schools teachers' there are 45 or more while the case is not the same in private schools, according to private schools teachers' there are not more than 20 students in a class.

Table 8: Teachers’ views on the quality of some teaching aspects in private and public schools

Options Public Schools are best Private Schools are best

(21)

15 Private

schools Teachers

Public schools Teachers

Total Private schools Teachers

Public schools

Completion of

Syllabi 2 14 16 21 4 25

Teaching quality 1 8 9 19 10 29

Facilities 0 5 5 21 15 36

English teaching 0 2 2 21 17 38

Computer

teaching 0 1 1 19 17 36

Learning

achievement 12 12 24 11 15 26

Sport education 9 0 9 13 21 34

Total votes 22 42 66 125 99 224

When the teachers were asked about the quality of education, teachers again tend to defend their own schools but with some interesting differences. Both public and private school teachers believe that private schools have better facilities, more English teaching, computer training and sports education. As regards teaching quality and learning achievements the answers are quite evenly distributed; however, to somewhat higher extent public teachers believe that the quality and achievements are better in private schools than in their own.

Both public and private school teachers were asked what they considered to be the aims of private schools. According to private school teachers, the most important aim of private schools is to provide quality education, while the public school teachers think that the most important aim of private schools is to provide education for the children of the wealthy families.

20% and 25 % of the respective teacher group think that profit making is the main purpose.

These findings are presented in the following table.

Table 9: Teachers’ views on the aim of Private Schools

Teachers

To provide education for children of wealthy families

To provide quality education

Business profit

Other please indicate

Total Responses

Public 8 3 4 0 15

Private 1 21 2 0 24

Total 9 24 6 0 39

The

parents

(22)

16 Students’ selection for schooling is related to their parents’ socioeconomic background. In Kabul city, there is every group of people, including rich, middle income, and poor.

Table 10. Parents’ socio-economic background

Gender

No of Parents

Level of Education Occupation

Illiterate Basic Or High School Education Bachelor Master Housewife Jobless Other-professional Gov. Employee NGO. Employee Own Business Farming

Female 13 4 4 3 2 5 1 0 5 1 0 1

Male 17 1 4 9 3 0 1 2 3 8 3 0

30 parents with children in public and private schools replied from different age groups, out of which 13 were mothers and 17 were fathers. Four mothers have basic or high school education, four mothers have bachelor degrees and two mothers have master degrees while among 17 fathers nine have bachelor degrees and three have master degrees. The children of parents who work with National or International NGOs go to private schools, This is hardly representative of the population in Afghanistan, not even Kabul.

According to their occupation, mothers are mostly working with the government of Afghanistan, from 13 mothers 1 is working with NGO. However from 17 fathers, 8 are working with NGOs while 3 of them are government employees.

Table 11: Parents’ economic status and students in private and public schools

Parents economicStatus No. ofFamilies TotalChildren in school Number and percentage of Children going to

Private School Public Schools

Rich 4 9 9 100% 0 0%

Middle 19 57 31 54% 26 46%

Poor 7 28 0 0% 28 100%

The results presented in table 11 illustrate that all children of rich parents go to private schools, whereas all the children of poor parents go to public schools. However, the numbers of parents who ranked themselves as rich or poor were fairly small. The middle group of parents had their children in both type of schools almost equally.

When parents were asked about their children’s schools, they were also asked to indicate the reasons for selecting private or public schools. The results are presented in the following table.

Table 12: Reasons for parents’ selection of schools

(23)

17 Parents

No. of families It is free of charge It is near our home It provides transportation It has qualified teachers It has good textbooks All subjects aretaught in English Provides Computer training Other

With Children in Private

Schools 4 0 2 3 3 2 0 2 0

with Children in Both private

& public Schools 19 7 9 4 7 7 3 4 0

With Children in Public

Schools 7 7 3 0 2 0 0 0 0

As seen in the above table parents of different economic status had different reasons for selecting type of school. For the poor families the most important factor for selecting a school is to be free of charge. While rich families didn’t consider charged fees, but required a school to have transportation, qualified teachers, good textbooks and computer education while the middle class had a mixed approach and considered most of the provided options.

The Students

Table 13 shows gender representation in grade six in the studied private schools. From here we can see that the percentage of boys in private schools is much higher than girls

Table 13: Percentage of students in private schools by gender

School Total Students Boys % of Boys Girls % of girls

Private 171 124 73 47 27

In order to further elaborate on students’ school selection and their socio economic background students were asked to point out the main source of income in their families. The following data was obtained.

Table 14. Sources of income in the family

Schools Students

main source of income Jobless/ housewife

Parents

Father % Mother % Brother % Sister % Others Mother % Father %

Private 171 154 90 17 10 6 4 21 12 4 154 90 17 10

Public and Private Schools in Afghanistan