Female Enrollment in Logar Teacher Training Colleges of Afghanistan. : Obstacles and opportunities for female enrolment.

Abstract: In Afghanistan, more than three decades of war eroded access to education for Afghan children all over the country. After the fall of Taliban regime in late 2001, Ministry of Education (MoE) and international community has taken significant steps toward extending access to equal educational opportunities for all school-aged children, as well as committed to achieve Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in order to reach to gender equality and to eliminate gender discrimination in education, but still gender disparity remains a controversial issue in education in rural, as well as in urban areas. Girls take part less in education than boys. This study was conducted in Logar, Afghanistan and 125 of participants (50 TTC female students, 50 out-of- TTC female, and 25 teacher trainers including 3 female teacher trainers) were asked through separate questionnaires to express their views about major opportunities and obstacles for females’ enrolment in Logar Teacher Training College (TTC). The result of the questionnaires showed that majority of participants viewed among all the opportunities such as, GSP (Girls’ Scholarship Program), employment opportunities as teachers, free or easy admission in TTC as well as family and community support crucial paving the way for girls to attend TTC. More than half of the current TTC students and out-of-TTC female had the opinion that GSP encourages female students to participate in TTC. The study also found that the majority of the respondents reported that among all the obstacles for example, insecurity, poverty, long distance to TTC, lack of family or community support, gossip, early or forced marriage and so on, poor security is the most significant obstacle that impedes access to education for girls or women. Half of the current TTC students revealed that lack of transportation to TTC, as well as half of the out-of-TTC female replied that gossip or negative talks about girls or women who go to TTC is a basic barrier for girls to seek admission in TTC. The main reasons to take part in TTC-education for students were to become the professional teachers and to serve the country and countrymen in the future, while the main reasons for out-of-TTC female were long distance to TTC and lack of safety on the way to TTC.