Training a New Generation of Afghan Teachers

Summary

Seven hundred Afghan teachers will receive training in interactive, student-centered teaching methods that accelerate learning and promote critical thinking and student comprehension.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Afghan education has been decimated by the last 30 years of war. Women and girls, barred from education by the Taliban, lost critical years of learning. Trained teachers are in short supply because many died or fled the country. Afghanistan must rebuild a world class educational system that will prepare the young with skills to bring peace and prosperity to this embattled country. Traditional Afghan teaching methods (memorization and dictation) do not promote critical thinking or comprehension.

How will this project solve this problem?

Through 10 teacher training seminars and 40 workshops, teachers will learn interactive methods (e.g. question & answer, group work, discussion, and role play), classroom management, objective and lesson planning, and how to teach practical lessons.

Potential Long Term Impact

This project will train 700 teachers to use interactive teaching methods and accelerate student mastery of reading, writing, etc. Teachers will improve teaching methods and class content, immediately improving education for over 18,000 students.

Project Message

I haven’t seen a seminar like this in my life. This seminar helps teachers, who forgot what they learned 23 years ago, become ready for better teaching and learn skills to make lessons interesting.
- Director of Education, Kalakan, a village in Kabul province Afghanistan

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources