Afghan education official visits Gonzaga to learn
Katie Scharber
Issue date: 1/26/07 Section: News
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Afghanistan's deputy minister of higher education visited Gonzaga this week on an information-gathering tour of several American universities.
Suraya Paikan, who is also a founding member of the Afghan Women Lawyers and Professionals Association, sought input on ways to improve Afghanistan's 19 higher learning institutions and to integrate technology in their education system.
"When we have a system of education, we will have democracy," Paikan said.
When the Taliban came to power, they interrupted studies at all of Afghanistan's universities, Paikan said. "Even the good, intelligent students left the university."
"After the Taliban, we started from zero. The system was damaged," Paikan said. "We had 4,000 students."
Currently, 40,000 students are enrolled in universities, less than 1 percent of Afghanistan's population. Twenty-five percent of them are women. Next year, Paikan anticipates 60,000 applications for universities. Due to space constraints, only 23,000 will be admitted. According to Paikan, education through a bachelor's degree is free under Afghanistan's constitution.
"We have an entrance examination," Paikan said. "Not only rich people or poor people (are favored). It's who can solve the problems."
Much of Afghanistan's infrastructure has been destroyed over the past 20 years. At some schools, students are studying under tents, Paikan said.
"Before the war we had vocation training centers in Afghanistan. They were destroyed," Paikan said. "Now we're trying to do more vocation training and community college."
Though many educated people are having trouble finding work, people with skills in English and computers can find a job, Paikan said. Engineers are also in demand. "We have a lot of destroyed buildings and streets."
Paikan hopes for an exchange of students between Afghanistan's universities and their partner schools in the U.S., India and Germany. "These educated people are the future of the country."
Though she says the Taliban are still doing what they can to disrupt the education system, Paikan has hope for the future of education in Afghanistan.
"With an educated population, peace will come to the country."
Suraya Paikan, who is also a founding member of the Afghan Women Lawyers and Professionals Association, sought input on ways to improve Afghanistan's 19 higher learning institutions and to integrate technology in their education system.
"When we have a system of education, we will have democracy," Paikan said.
When the Taliban came to power, they interrupted studies at all of Afghanistan's universities, Paikan said. "Even the good, intelligent students left the university."
"After the Taliban, we started from zero. The system was damaged," Paikan said. "We had 4,000 students."
Currently, 40,000 students are enrolled in universities, less than 1 percent of Afghanistan's population. Twenty-five percent of them are women. Next year, Paikan anticipates 60,000 applications for universities. Due to space constraints, only 23,000 will be admitted. According to Paikan, education through a bachelor's degree is free under Afghanistan's constitution.
"We have an entrance examination," Paikan said. "Not only rich people or poor people (are favored). It's who can solve the problems."
Much of Afghanistan's infrastructure has been destroyed over the past 20 years. At some schools, students are studying under tents, Paikan said.
"Before the war we had vocation training centers in Afghanistan. They were destroyed," Paikan said. "Now we're trying to do more vocation training and community college."
Though many educated people are having trouble finding work, people with skills in English and computers can find a job, Paikan said. Engineers are also in demand. "We have a lot of destroyed buildings and streets."
Paikan hopes for an exchange of students between Afghanistan's universities and their partner schools in the U.S., India and Germany. "These educated people are the future of the country."
Though she says the Taliban are still doing what they can to disrupt the education system, Paikan has hope for the future of education in Afghanistan.
"With an educated population, peace will come to the country."