FINAL REPORT ON A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Program purpose was to devel an integrated primary & secondary school curriculum with supporting textbooks & other trng materials, capable of preparing citizens for econ devel & continued educatn, and to provide trng of personnel to plan & admin such program. Although proj exceeded established targets it was delayed due to poor pre-proj planning & late arrivals of US staff. Admin probs resulted from locating proj in Primary Dept of the Ministry of Educatn (MOE). Communicatns have been difficult between Afghan & US staffs due to language barriers. Other proj delays resulted from rapid US & MOE staff turnovers, inadequate staff trng, and lack of adequate facilities. The newly trained textbook writers have not considered teaching situatns. Teachers have not been very effective since they lack sufficient trng. Printing staffs have not maintained high quality in producing & presenting educational materials. Further, lack of adequate sys in supplying educational materials on time & in sufficient quantities has limited classroom teaching. Despite probs proj has enabled Govt of Afghanistan to devel curriculum for grades 1 through 6 & some for grades 7 & 8. Textbooks for 142 primary educatn courses have been written & revised. The capacity for curriculum & material preparatn devel in MOE has been devel. Also, an educational press is now in operatn. Evaluator recommends: 1) the establishmt of procedures & schedules for revisns of printed materials; 2) devel of mgmt sys to coordinate activities of all units of the educational procedures & schedules for revisns of printed materials; 3) improvemt of the capacity of the educational press now operating under poor equipmt; 4) establishmt of a more efficient distributn sys of educational materials to teachers; 5) establishmt of procedures & schedules for revisns of printed materials; 6) the provisn for assist to the dept of publicatns; 7) establishmt of continued trng opportunities for personnel assigned to the Dept of publicatn; and 8) establishmt of trng programs in educational administration.