Afghanistan’s Education Ministry Disputes UNESCO-UNICEF School Exclusion Figures

DID Press: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education has rejected figures published by UNESCO and UNICEF indicating that 53 percent of the country’s children are excluded from primary education, describing the statistics as unrealistic.

The ministry said that more than 10 million students and madrasa pupils were receiving education at schools and religious institutions across Afghanistan during the 1405 academic year. The figures were issued in response to the joint UNESCO-UNICEF report on children’s access to primary education.

According to the ministry, more than 7.6 million students are enrolled in schools, while approximately 2.4 million pupils are studying at religious madrasas.

The ministry’s figures put the total number of students attending educational institutions across the country at more than 10 million.

It also called on UNESCO and UNICEF to clarify the methodology and basis used to calculate the figure of 53 percent of children being excluded from primary education, and to identify the sources used in compiling the report.