School Libraries Reduce Afghan Youth Illiteracy

Libraries for Afghan Schools

Program Report

March 2007

 Map of RI Libraries Project Locations

I. Introduction 

  After nearly 25 years of conflict, education in Afghanistan has particularly suffered. Many schools have been either destroyed or left in a state of disrepair, resulting in Afghanistan’s literacy rates - ranked among the world’s lowest. Since May 2003, Relief International has been implementing a program to bring libraries to over 350 Afghan schools. Through the Afghan Schools Library Program, RI promotes literacy by connecting young students to the vast world of ideas and opportunities that books can offer. 

II. Program Goals 

The primary goal of the library program is to reduce illiteracy in Afghanistan.  Specifically, RI’s program shows a demonstrable increase in literacy skills among 75% of children attending the target schools.  Higher literacy rates in the country foster greater social and political participation and lead to economic growth and sustainability.  Equal access to books among boys and girls promotes equity in education, and directly works to close the gender gap.  Goals are met through implementation of the following strategies:

1. Organize and carry out the purchase of texts in Pashtu and Dari languages, and facilitate their delivery to 39 schools.  En sure each school library site receives at least 200 books, based on current school curricula in Afghanistan, as well as general cultural heritage.
2. Train at least one teacher at every school in basic library skills and organizational methods.  Advise them on ways to integrate textbooks into the curriculum, as well as promote extra-curricular reading.
3. Conduct community-level publicity campaigns to build awareness and interest in the new school libraries.
4. Ensure continued community support for the libraries by establishing a pattern of occasional public readings and other simple events.   
5. Ensure that teachers are employing library books in their teaching, and that students are making use of the books, by conducting periodic site visits.
6. Show a tangible increase in student literacy at the schools in which the libraries have been installed.

  RI staff has developed mechanisms to carry out these tasks listed above in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. We have been successful in the preliminary tasks, (the delivery of the libraries and the basic training of a teacher in each school who will be responsible for the library) and have laid the foundation for further development that will lead to engagement of not only students but the larger community, and measure a tangible improvement in student literacy at participating schools.

III. Program Performance 

The Libraries for Afghan Schools Program has, for the most part, been a tremendous success. In several respects the program has far exceeded targets. Originally, Relief International had proposed providing 39 schools in Kabul, Nangarhar, Kapisa and Takhar provinces with libraries of at least 200 titles. However, since 2003 Relief International has equipped over 350 Afghan schools that together hold over 100,000 books. 

  Relief International spent significant time and resources working with the Ministry of Education to achieve a consensus on a book list that would take into consideration the culture and history of Afghanistan, as well as meet the educational standards required by the government. Through this we have created a book list for each language group (Dari and Pashto) that has been agreed upon by the Ministry of Education and constitutes a template for the books that were delivered. These booklists, that are attached, are representative of the kind of books that are supplied to each library. 

Each school receives a secure bookcase to hold the library as well as 4 tables and 16 chairs, which helps create an environment that is suitable for reading and learning.  Participating schools have also received a world map and posters of famous sites in Afghanistan.

One of the major challenges that RI faced was finding sufficient space to house the library at some of the participating schools.  Most schools throughout Afghanistan suffer from a lack of learning space, forcing many students to take classes outdoors and under tents.  As a result, RI found that many schools lacked ideal facilities to house the libraries. Compromise solutions have been sought. At some schools, for example, the Headmaster’s office was utilized as a library, which may be illustrative of their views towards the importance of the program.

  The Ministry of Education has yet to develop a national standard for testing literacy rates among school children and has not implemented any program monitoring literacy rates in schools in Afghanistan.  This has caused difficulties in testing each individual school’s literacy rates and has made the achievement of monitoring improvements in this area difficult to implement. Literacy testing has been discussed with the Ministry of Education and RI is helping to integrate the tracking of reading levels in schools which have been the recipients of libraries.  RI is working with the participating schools to identify simple testing methods to track literacy levels of their students, who will be tested at the end of their current school year to measure the students’ improvement.  Relief International has also been working with the Ministry of Education on a training program for teachers at the participating schools to ensure that the books are integrated into the daily curriculum and that they are catalogued and managed properly.  While a comprehensive training package has yet to be fully developed RI has been assisting, on an individual basis, participating schools to ensure that the books are properly catalogued and utilized by the teachers.  

IV. Lessons Learned

• Teachers at different schools had differing capacities making the creation of a uniform training program for the cataloguing and management of the books, as well as the integration of them into the curriculum, difficult.  To address this challenge RI worked individually with each school to tailor a training program to the specific needs of the school.
•   Many schools were not open to using the libraries in the traditional sense, which would allow for the lending of books.  Headmasters and teachers alike were concerned that if books were leant out, that they may not be returned.  Because of this, most of the libraries are being utilized more as reading rooms, with the books available for use in the library under direct supervision. RI has worked with local school administrators to help them fashion library management systems that fits their specific needs.
• Larger libraries are needed in many of these schools, as there are some with over 2000 students of all ages and only 200 books for all of them.  Increased funds for larger libraries are necessary to make sure that the libraries are of sufficient size for the schools.  
• Many schools don’t have proper facilities to house the libraries.  In most schools across Afghanistan there aren’t enough rooms for the number of classes they have, much less an extra room for a library.  RI is seeking additional funding to help alleviate this issue at schools that are participating in the library program.  Preliminary meetings with the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Nangarhar Province have been positive, though further discussions, and donors, are still needed in other provinces.

V. Conclusion

  The children at participating schools are thoroughly enjoying the books that have been provided.  During RI’s follow up visits, we have witnessed children appreciating the new worlds that the books have opened to them as well as enjoying the simple pleasure of reading itself.  Afghan children have been given the opportunity, through these libraries, to enjoy normal pleasures available to children around the world as they begin to emerge from the life of war they have been forced to live.

Schools in Afghanistan are in desperate need of further resources including desks, chairs, blackboards and, most importantly, space for more classes. While RI has been able to increase the number of participating schools from the original 39 to over 350 fully-furnished school libraries that have been able to reach over 400,000 school children, that is not nearly enough schools to have a lasting effect on the educational landscape in Afghanistan.  Only through the expansion of the current program to include more schools across the breadth of Afghanistan will the impact on literacy be countrywide.