A national workshop discussed the literacy curricula in Afghanistan

n75 facilitators, trainers, master trainers, curriculum developers and managers met in Kabul in a national workshop jointly organised by the Afghan Literacy Department of the Ministry of Education and the UNESCO Office in Kabul. The workshop was geared to discussing how to improve existing literacy and numeracy materials and curricula implemented by the government, NGOs and international partners in Afghanistan. UIL co-facilitated the workshop and shared trends and experiences at the global level. Inspired by examples from other countries as well as by presentations on the National Skills Development Programme (NSDP) and the Afghan National Qualifications Framework (ANQF), the participants of the workshop generated elements for a national literacy and numeracy curriculum framework. This forwardlooking framework, which is aligned with the NSDP and ANQF, will guide both the improvement of existing curricula  and materials and the development of future literacy and numeracy programmes in Afghanistan. More than 11 million young people and adults are still lacking  the ability to read and write as well as other basic skills to improve their income-generating and life opportunities. Due to the tense security situation, the workshop, which was planned for two and a half days, could only take place on 30 April and 2 May. However, on the basis of participants’ group work results, strategies for the ways forward were elaborated and an action plan is now under preparation to be presented to the decision-makers in the Literacy Department of the Afghan Ministry of Education.