Muslim and Western Influences on School Curriculum in Post-War Afghanistan

Abstract

In Afghanistan, education has largely been destroyed, partly in the name of Islam, by the wars fought on its behalf, or by different ethnic groups vying for control of this Islamic country. Similarly, curriculum has been used to promote political and/or religious viewpoints and to strengthen positions of power. War dominated the language of curriculum to such an extent that it became part of the discourse on Islam and education in Afghanistan. In what might be called post-conflict Afghanistan, the new Life Skills curriculum for primary schools promotes ideals of peace and social justice that are inherent in Islam, while being influenced by Western concepts of pluralism and civil society. This paper considers past sociopolitical influences on language and content of textbooks, and examines Islamic and civil society principles espoused in the new curriculum framework as reflected in the Life Skills curriculum. Finally, it considers the convergence of universal themes and Islamic culture/traditions in the curricula of countries where the education systems serve Muslim populations.

Notes

1. Names of specific organisations are not mentioned in this article. Several NGOs still working in Afghanistan today were involved in developing or supporting textbooks with consistent war themes or examples.

2. Dari and Pashto are the two languages of instruction in Afghanistan. Dari (Persian) is usually used for daily, informal communication between groups of various linguistic backgrounds.