Making learning fun at schools in Afghanistan with support from UNICEF
Teacher Zarghuna brings her newly acquired teaching skills to her classroom, turning around class participation
“I could not complete my education as my father did not approve of it and married me off at a young age,” says Zarghuna Afghan, a 36-year-old teacher at Asem Primary School in Herat city, Afghanistan. “My husband, on the contrary, was very supportive and encouraged me to resume my education after marriage, and therefore helping me attain a university degree,” she adds.
For Zarghuna, things did not stop at completing her education. Her own dream was realized, and it encouraged her to help make the dreams of other girls and children in her community a reality too. Zarghuna has been teaching at Asem Primary School for over five years now. Despite struggling financially, as Zarghuna and her husband earn only about US$150 in total per month, her commitment to education remains strong. Trained by UNICEF under the Teacher Development and Support (TDS) programme, Zarghuna is one of the 30 teachers being engaged in the Learning Enhancement and Achievement Programme (LEAP) in the schools of Herat city in the western region. Funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK FCDO), LEAP is a pilot initiative by UNICEF Afghanistan, designed to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy skills among Grade 3 students. The programme comprises three months of intensive learning for children, girls and boys, delivered during winter and summer vacations in schools.
“In the past, there was no concept of organizing support classes for children to enhance their learning. This is the first time that we have these sessions at our school, helping children learn efficiently and gain social skills and knowledge through play,” says Zarghuna.
In a subtle, yet strategic manner, the LEAP initiative bridges the gap between teacher training and classroom outcomes, as teachers practice improved skills and children are more engaged and able to retain knowledge. Reflecting on the changes she observed through LEAP, Zarghuna shares, “I can already see a difference in children’s interest and my own way of teaching. The whole experience is much more enjoyable now, and I do not feel the need for any strictness or disciplinary measures either. Girls’ interest levels and learning have already improved tremendously in a short time”
In Afghanistan, according to the latest available figures, 93 per cent of children at late primary age are not proficient in reading[1] also known as learning poverty. This is one of the highest figures globally. This desperate situation calls for urgent measures not only in terms of functional schools, but also access to education for children, girls and boys across the country. And the LEAP initiative is one of the ways UNICEF is fighting this learning poverty in Afghanistan.
Sharing the structure of a usual LEAP class, where Zarghuna gets to practice and master her newly acquired teaching skills, she says, “We start our classes at 8:30 in the morning and run them for three hours. We teach Dari, mathematics and give children social knowledge. Today, we started our class with a morning stretch, as we spoke about health. I walked children through the concept of clean and unclean water, and how to use toilets properly, followed by group activities as we counted seeds. I usually end my classes with storytelling, and there is no homework”.
As Zarghuna proceeded with the lessons, joy was evident amongst the 3rd graders. Girls participated actively, laughed and grasped information real fast. Finishing coloring-in clouds on a drawing book and waiting for her friend Safa to finish her work too, 9-year-old Asiya says, “we love everything about our class – we love our teacher very much”.
Over the past three years, UNICEF Afghanistan successfully implemented the Teacher Development and Support Programme across all 34 provinces of the country. Building on this foundation, with support from UK FCDO, the LEAP initiative is planned to be piloted in 400 schools of Afghanistan over a period of two years. With child-centered teaching methodology and strategies, the initiative directly targets learning outcomes for children, providing them with meaningful opportunities to consolidate and enhance their learning outside the regular school calendar.
The poverty in the area is significant, forcing children to use same notebooks for different subjects, as their families struggle to earn bread and survive from one day to another. Initiatives like LEAP not only support children, facing hardship at home, with learning but also provide moments of joy and fun.
“This programme should be introduced in other schools too. It is result-oriented, and we are seeing results already. All children of Afghanistan should have an opportunity to innovative and joyful learning at a young age,” emphasizes Zarghuna.
[1] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099090524113029149/pdf/P179209-1dc2081b-5262-4828-b5b9-13244dd517e2.pdf
