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FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
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INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 000494 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ESTH SOCI AF
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF EDUCATION COMMITS TO CONTINUING STRONG USG 
PARTNERSHIP BUT RAISES TOUGH QUESTIONS 
 
REF: 09 KABUL 3907 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: During Ambassador Eikenberry's February 1 courtesy 
call on recently confirmed Minister of Education, Farooq Wardak, the 
Minister provided a detailed presentation on Afghanistan's education 
crisis.  The presentation was filled with well-documented statistics 
on the lack of educational opportunities - particularly in the 
insurgent areas.  Although Afghanistan has made progress, it 
continues to have one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. 
Moreover, the lack of educational opportunities for the growing 
youth population is an exponentially increasing impediment to social 
and economic progress and stability in Afghanistan.  The Minister 
questioned USG priorities, noting that the education sector receives 
far less assistance than any other USG-supported sector.  The 
Ambassador noted that the USG is the largest contributor to 
Afghanistan's educational sector and will work with the Ministry of 
Education (MoE) to help improve donor coordination and the 
Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) budget 
prioritization.  End Summary. 
 
PERSONAL BACKGROUND 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Wardak was easily confirmed in the first round of 
Parliamentary voting with a vote of 120 yea, 93 Nay, and 18 
Abstain/blank/spoiled.  He is the Lead Minister for the Human 
Resources Development Cluster, which includes participation by 
Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, 
Martyrs and Disabled, and the Ministry of Women's Affairs.  A 
popular Minister and consummate politician, the former Parliamentary 
Affairs Minister knew his way around the political scene when he was 
first appointed Minister of Education in October 2008.  A doctor by 
training, Wardak left the country during the Soviet-backed regime 
and returned in order to provide medical assistance to war-wounded 
Afghans.  He worked for the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) 
for a decade, as a deputy and as director of its health program, 
which was the largest health care provider at the time in 
Afghanistan.  He also holds a Master of Business Administration 
(MBA) from the University of Preston. 
 
THE MINISTER'S POWERPOINT: HARBINGER OF DOOM? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The Minister's presentation began with an historical overview 
of the education system.  After years of conflict and the draconian 
measures placed on the education system during the Taliban years, 
primary and secondary education in 2002 was devastated.  Female 
participation in education was almost non-existent.  Less than one 
million children attended school and there were only around 3,200 
schools in the country and 20,000 teachers.  These teachers were 
unfamiliar with modern content or teaching methodologies.  Thanks in 
large part to USG assistance, enrollment has increased to seven 
million and the number of teachers has expanded to over 175,000. 
The number of teacher trainees has increased over a hundred times. 
There are now over 10,000 primary and secondary schools in the 
country.  Female participation in education at all levels is at the 
highest in Afghanistan's history.  In addition, primary school 
students are learning a modernized Afghan curriculum. 
 
¶4. (U) The major challenge, Wardak noted, was "the ticking time bomb 
that no donor has yet addressed the growing demand for education in 
Afghanistan."  Only 42% of children have access to education - 
leaving five million Afghan children without access who account for 
6.6% of the world's total out-of-school children.  Wardak also 
focused on challenges for the growing number of secondary school 
graduates who have nowhere to continue their education.  The 
secondary school system is producing an ever-increasing number of 
graduates: 79,000 this year with projections for up to 900,000 a 
year by 2020.  The university system can only absorb 20% of grade 12 
graduates.  Meanwhile, technical high schools cannot enroll 
sufficient numbers of students to keep up with demand for skilled 
workers. 
 
¶5. (U) Minister Wardak was worried the lack of educational 
opportunities could have destabilizing effects.  He reiterated his 
frustration that donors were not providing more support to education 
and noted that insufficient attention to this area could undo gains 
in other sectors.  The Minister also presented compelling statistics 
demonstrating that education in the 17 most insecure provinces is 
not keeping pace with the more secure areas of the country.  He 
noted that lack of education makes these provinces a breeding ground 
for insurgent recruitment.  Making matters worse in these 17 
provinces is that, regardless of the demand for education, only 223 
of 673 schools closed by insurgents have been re-opened, leaving 
thousands of children without hope for improving the lives of their 
families. 
 
¶6. (U) The Minister's presentation concluded with 14 key priorities 
for increasing educational opportunities for 2010 and beyond. 
Wardak focused on building more schools to "eliminate the culture of 
the tent" (a reference to the typical school facility in many parts 
 
KABUL 00000494  002 OF 003 
 
 
of the country) and training more teachers to keep up with the 
incredible youth explosion taking place in Afghanistan.  The MoE 
estimates that Afghanistan needs 160,000 new teachers by 2014 to 
keep pace with current demand for education as Afghanistan's 
school-age population grew by more than three percent (or 250,000 
children) last year.  Even if the insurgents stopped destroying 
schools and obstructing attendance, the government would face a 
monumental challenge in furnishing enough classrooms and teachers 
for this burgeoning generation.  (NOTE: These issues were previously 
reported in reftel 12958). 
 
ON THE SPOT IDEAS 
----------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The Minister concluded his presentation with a proposal for 
USG assistance - totaling almost four times the current education 
budget.  Ambassador Eikenberry noted that the USG developmental 
assistance budget for Afghanistan was at historic highs and outlays 
for the education sector significant.  He acknowledged that both the 
Afghan health and education sectors could benefit from further 
investments, especially in light of Minister Wardak's compelling 
plan.  The Ambassador proposed that the USG take the lead in Kabul 
in assembling the major potential donors, especially Japan to 
discuss MoE plans and requirements. 
 
¶8. (U) Ambassador Eikenberry encouraged the MoE and the GIRoA to 
develop internal solutions to the budgetary shortfalls in education. 
 He noted that between 2003 and 2006 the GIRoA had higher budget 
execution rates; however, in 2007 implementation began to slow down 
leaving ministries with large amounts of unspent money.  He wondered 
if the Ministry of Finance (MoF) could transfer unused funds to meet 
budget shortfalls in education and health.  The Ambassador further 
noted that it is important for the MoE to focus on building its 
capacity to receive direct USG funding as was done by the Ministry 
of Public Health. 
 
¶9. (U) Minister Wardak thanked the Ambassador, the USAID Mission 
Director and the USG Education Team for all of their assistance, but 
expressed some frustration with the USG's relatively low level of 
assistance to education compared to other sectors.  He noted that 
education is the prerequisite to success in other sectors and to 
underfund it is to undo the sustainability of other commitments. 
The Ambassador and USAID Mission Director noted that USG investments 
in education are somewhat understated since the District Delivery 
Program (DDP) also contributes to MoE efforts at the district level 
as does some of the US Military's Commander's Emergency Response 
Program funds (CERP) spending.  They further emphasized the USG's 
commitment to education as a long-term investment in the future of 
Afghanistan.  The extent of the contributions will become more 
evident with further development of the DDP in the coming months. 
 
CLOSED SESSION 
-------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) In a private meeting with the Minister, the Ambassador 
noted the importance of the May Kabul Conference in which the GIRoA 
will make a compact with its citizens about its commitments to them. 
 Since the event will be witnessed by many visiting dignitaries and 
foreign governments it will be an excellent opportunity to showcase 
to the world the progress Afghanistan has been made.  The Ambassador 
noted that while he is confident that the necessary policy outcomes 
will be achieved at the conference, the showcasing of Kabul presents 
a much larger challenge.  He discussed using the opportunity to 
present Kabul as a functioning city conducting business like most 
other world capital to counter the incorrect image of Kabul as a 
city of extremists and violence.  Ambassador Eikenberry encouraged 
Wardak to persuade Karzai to form a committee commensurate with this 
important task.  He added that GIRoA should have one committee 
established to "unite papers" and another to "organize a diplomatic 
Olympics" with the latter requiring an Afghan luminary to head it. 
(NOTE: Post will continue to engage with Karzai and other leaders to 
reinforce this message.) 
 
¶11. (SBU) Ambassador Eikenberry also broached the subject of 
Parliamentary Elections.  He noted that the USG was satisfied that 
security will be better than last year, and that the delay will 
allow security arrangements to be solidified and provide opportunity 
for further electoral reform.  The Ambassador emphasized that the 
USG was concerned about electoral reform and that Karzai must take 
immediate action if there is to be any meaningful progress.  He 
commented that the expiration of the chairmanship of the Independent 
Election Commission (IEC) might be an opportunity to change what 
many donors consider to be one of Afghanistan's biggest impediments 
to electoral reform.  Ambassador Eikenberry concluded that the 
reform process must remain collaborative - not confrontational. 
 
¶12. (U) COMMENT:  Minister Wardak continues to be an excellent ally 
on many fronts.  He remains a tireless promoter of education for all 
in Afghanistan as well as a strong advocate for increased assistance 
- volunteering to travel to the United States to meet with key 
decision makers in the USG.  Minister Wardak will be an increasingly 
 
KABUL 00000494  003 OF 003 
 
 
valuable friend as the Minister of Education and as the new Human 
Resource Development cluster lead as Post sets it sights on a 
successful 2010.  END COMMENT. 
 
EIKENBERRY