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INSTITUTION TYPES & CREDENTIALS

Types of higher education institutions:

University

Institute

Polytechnic

Teacher-Training College

 

School leaving and higher education credentials:

Baccaluria

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Doctor's Degree

 

STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM

Pre-higher education:

Duration of compulsory education:

Age of entry: 6

Age of exit: 12

Structure of school system:

Primary

Type of school providing this education: Primary School

Length of program in years: 6

Age level from: 7 to: 13

Middle Secondary

Type of school providing this education: Middle School

Length of program in years: 3

Age level from: 13 to: 16

Upper Secondary

Type of school providing this education: High School

Length of program in years: 3

Age level from: 16 to: 19

Certificate/diploma awarded: Baccaluria

School education:

Primary education lasts for six years. Admission to secondary education is based on an entrance examination. Secondary education covers six years divided into two three-year cycles: grades 7 to 9, studied at middle school (Maktabeh Motevaseteh), and grades 10 to 12 at high school (Doreyeh Aali). At the end of the first cycle, pupils sit for an examination. At the end of the second cycle, they sit for the Baccaluria. Technical secondary education is offered in the lower and upper secondary cycle at middle schools in such subjects as Commerce, Applied Arts, Teacher Training, Agriculture and Aeronautics. Courses lead to a Baccaluria level qualification. A structure of eight years of general basic education followed by four years of secondary education had been introduced for a few years during the educational reform of 1975. Such a structure will probably be reconsidered in the near future.

Higher education:

Higher education is mainly provided by six universities (including a University of Islamic Studies), one Agricultural Institute, one Polytechnic, one State Medical Institute and teacher training colleges. For the last five years higher education had been forbidden for girls in the areas controlled by the Talibans. For the first time in February 2002, with the assistance of Unesco, more than 1000 women students took university entrance examinations.

Academic year:

Classes from: Mar to: Jan

Languages of instruction: Persian, Pashto/Pushto, English

Stages of studies:

Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type):

Non-university level:

Vocational education, part of which is at post-secondary level, is offered in Technicums which train executives. They admit graduates of eighth grade, aged 14 to 16, and train them for six years in specific fields. Graduates of these institutions are recognized as holding qualifications equivalent to those of post-secondary education. There are also Institutes of Banking, Finance, Industrial Management and Telecommunications, as well as technical colleges.

 

University level studies:

University level first stage: Bachelor's Degree:

The first stage of higher education leads, in Arts, Education, Social Science, Science and Agriculture, to the award of the Bachelor's Degree after four years (Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, five years; Medicine, seven years (including one year pre-medical and one year internship)).

University level second stage: Master's Degree:

A further stage leads after two years' study following upon the Bachelor's Degree (three to four years in Medicine) to the Master's Degree. There is an entrance examination. Candidates for postgraduate studies must have obtained very high Bachelor grades and passed an entrance examination.

University level third stage: Doctorate:

Programmes leading to a Doctorate (Doctori) in Architecture, Arts, Engineering, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences are conferred after three years' study following upon  the Master's Degree.

 

Teacher education:

Training of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers

Primary school teachers are trained for two years in Teacher Training Colleges on completion of upper secondary school.

Training of secondary school teachers

Lower/middle school teachers follow a two-year course after grade 12 at a higher Teacher Training College. High school teachers follow a four-year Degree course, selected graduates of the Teacher Training Colleges being admitted to the last two years.

Training of higher education teachers

Higher education teachers possess a Bachelor's or a  Master's Degrees or a Doctorate. In the country, they can study for a Master's Degree in the pedagogical institutes. There are three categories of teachers, depending on seniority and experience: assistant, associate professor and professor.

 NATIONAL BODIES

Administration & co-ordination:

Responsible authorities:

Ministry of Higher Education

Head: Sharif Fayez, Minister

Kabul
Afghanistan

Tel: 46-73004-4489 (mobile)

 ADMISSIONS TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Admission to non university higher education studies

Name of secondary school credential required: Baccaluria

Admission to university-level studies

Name of secondary school credential required: Baccaluria

 STUDENT LIFE

Student expenses and financial aid

Student costs:

Home students tuition fees: Minimum: 0 (Afghani)

Publications on student services and financial aid:

Title: The University Catalogue

Publisher: Kabul University

GRADING SYSTEM

Usual grading system in secondary school

Full Description: 0-100. Marking is on a percentage scale: 40 per cent is the minimum pass mark for individual subjects; the minimum average is 55 per cent of the sum of the highest marks for all subjects.

Highest on scale: 100

Pass/fail level: 40/55

Lowest on scale: 0

Main grading system used by higher education institutions

Full Description: 0-100:  Alaa: 100-86%; Aali: 85-66%; Khoob: 65-50%.Marking is on a percentage scale: 40 per cent is the minimum pass mark for individual subjects; the minimum average is 55 per cent of the sum of the highest marks for all subjects.

Highest on scale: 100

Pass/fail level: 40/55

Lowest on scale: 0

NOTES ON HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

 

Data for academic year: 2001-2002

Source: International Association of Universities (IAU), updated from Unesco sources, 2002