by Jimmy Kilpatrick and Colin Hannaford EdNews.org

For the last month, Dr.Stotsky has been involved in developing curriculum in education. Her current research focuses on the quality of the high school curriculum, teacher quality, and the quality of English language arts and reading standards in the 50 states. She is a member of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, appointed in May 2006 for a two-year term. She also directs a one-week summer institute on the Constitution and Bill of Rights co-sponsored by the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation and the Center for Civic Education in California. From 1999-2003, she was Senior Associate Commissioner in charge of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the Massachusetts Department of Education where she directed revisions of the state's licensing regulations for teachers, administrators, and teacher training schools, and the state's PreK-12 standards for history and social science, English language arts and reading, mathematics, science and technology/engineering, early childhood (preschool), and instructional technology. She has authored or edited several books and monographs, and has published many research reports, essays, and reviews in English language arts and reading journals. She was a Research Scholar in the School of Education at Northeastern University from 2004 to 2006.Dr. Stotsky earned her doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a columnist for EdNews.org. Dr.Stotsky answers questions regarding her knowledge and expertise in this development.

Amman/Jordan - Reconstruction of the Afghanistan Education System. Afghanistan Secondary Curriculum Development: Syllabuses for Lower and Upper Secondary Education a one month international workshop (18 November – 15 December 2006) with 40 education specialists from Afghanistan gathered in Amman to develop new syllabuses for upper and lower secondary education (grades 7 to 12) 

1. Who is involved in this project: in US; in Afghanistan?

Content specialists in the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan.   About 40 came from Afghanistan, including the Chief of Curriculum and Instruction, the Deputy Minister, and a few other prominent members of the Education Ministry Department.  Also involved were an Australian, who served as Rapporteur, the head of the UNESCO project, from the International Bureau of Education office of UNESCO in Geneva (who has been working on this project for 4 years), Jordanian consultants in various subjects, who have helped the Afghanis to update curriculum in all areas, and two consultants from the states--me and a science education expert who has her doctorate from Harvard Graduate School Education as I do.  (I recommended her.)  Others were involved in Afghanistan itself, including the Afghanistan UNESCO office.

2. How stable is their situation (i.e. what time scale should we be considering in offering advice: six months; a year; longer?)

This project is finishing soon, once we polish off the drafts of the syllabi we have worked out in English and in Dari to the Ministry of Ed in Afghanistan.  The next phases of the project need to be decided on in Afghanistan.

3. How many school locations are we considering? [And where are they?]

This project is to affect all secondary schools in Afghanistan.  It is to update and modernize the entire secondary school curriculum.

4. What is the total school population?

About 5 million, I am told.

5. What is the expected boy/girl ratio?

Right now, of those who go to school (about 40% of the population), 60% are boys, and 40% are girls, mainly because rural parents fear for the safety of their daughters.

6. Within the expected time scale (reference 2 above) in what numbers, by age, will kids start school?

Kids start in grade 1.  Pre-school facilities and programs are needed.  But more urgent are the school buildings themselves--and qualified teachers in those.

7. What sports experience - if any - do boys/girls have or know?

I gather that Afghans have many traditional games they love, and kids do learn them.

8. This is important, because: what experience do children have of team/class discipline?

Not clear.  I think discipline is good in the schools because of respect for teachers.  But not sure.

9.

Presuming that sexes are segregated: will girls/boys have same syllabus? [And if not: why not?]

All children are to have the same syllabus.  Co-ed schools in elementary through 6.  Possibly gendered schools from 7 to 12 in this country because of Islamic influence.  But not necessarily the case in all cities or rural areas.

10. What teachers are available: By sex? By qualification? By age?

Not enough qualified teachers.  Small teacher training program, with some help now by local AID office grant.  Not clear on details of this.   Many teachers are just out of high school right now.

11. How much is a school program controlled by religious authorities? [Who are they, and are they helpful, or not?]

This program is not controlled by religious authorities.  The Prime Minister, I'm told, wants to bring some madrasas under more control and closer to public school curriculum.  Several from Madrasas were included in those who came to Jordan.

12. Are teachers paid? By whom?

The government, I believe.

13. What is the most common language - of the children? of the teachers?

We are told that Dari (related to Persian or Farsi) is the language of 60% of population, and Pashto of 40%.  I think this is high.  About 20% may speak other local languages--Turkmen, Hazara, and Uzbeks.  Language issues are a problem.  Dari and Pashto are officially the languages of the country now.  And the new syllabi attempt to make all children bilingual.  Dari or Pashto are to start as second languages, along with English, in grade 4 in all schools.   Arabic is taught only in 7, 8, and 9, mainly for access to the Koran. 

14. What textbooks are available? [by language; by subject; for what age groups?]

All very old and outdated.  All new ones need to be developed, based on our syllabi. 

15. If English is to be the second language (i.e. first foreign language), can any correlation be made with US or European syllabi/textbooks?

The English syllabus I helped develop is based chiefly on the ESL syllabus developed and used in Qatar--considered the best in Arabic countries.  I looked at it, and it's good.  Developed in 1994.

16. What other government or non-government organizations can help? Has the EU offered any assistance - and if so, what?

AID office can help.  UNESCO can help.  Don't know what Non-Government Organization's could help.

1. Is there are local radio system [And who controls it? Could it be used educationally? If not, why not?]

2. What coverage, if any has Al Jazeera - in Arabic; in English?

Don't know anything about the above.  No coverage of this in media, which I am aware of.

17. Could key teachers/head teachers be trained out of country [and would they return]?

Yes, and badly needed in science, math, and English.  They would return if the country appeared to be relatively safe.  Many Afghan exiles are also interested in helping back in home country.  Good incentives (pay) would help. 

Additional Reading:

·       How far can Afghanistan, as a conflict-affected country, go in modernizing its curriculum?