“Afghan Schools Short on Buildings and Books,” By Maiwand Safi, IWPR

• June 15, 2011: While officials hail progress on education, only half the country’s schools have the premises and teaching materials they need.

Since 2001, international donors have injected billions of dollars into the construction of schools for both boys and girls. The education ministry says that half the 14,100 schools in Afghanistan have buildings, laboratories, libraries and textbooks.

Afghans responded by sending their children to schools in droves, although male students still outnumber female by a 3-to-2 ratio.

Today, however, many parents feel let down by the continuing shortage of textbooks, trained and motivated teachers and basic classroom facilities.

Read more